A Curation-Needs Assessment of Select Bureau of Land Management Archaeological Collections

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Is responsible for the management of archaeological and historical resources that are located on and recovered from BLM-owned or maintained lands. These responsibilities Include the proper curatlon of recovered archaeological materials and associated documents. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis (SLD), was asked to assist the BLM in evaluating the curatlon of BLM collections at three facilities: Billings Curatlon Center, Billings, Montana, the Anasazl Heritage Center, Delores, Colorado, and the Oregon Trails Interpretive Center, Baker City, Oregon. SLD found that only the Anasazl Heritage Center met current federal standards for curatlon and that, In many cases, collections require at least partial rehabilitation. In addition, staffing is not adequately funded and all facilities require additional personnel to comply with federal regulations.