Forest Plan Implementation
Forest Plan Overview
Chapter 4 - Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines
Heritage Resources and Sacred Sites
Chapter 4 Direction
- Maintain a heritage resource management program to identify, evaluate, preserve, and protect heritage resources on a Forest-wide and project-specific level in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Executive Order 13287, their amendments and implementing regulations. (Consult 36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 800 and Forest Service Manual [FSM] 2361.)
- Manage sacred sites as an integral part of land management. To the extent practicable, accommodate access to and ceremonial use of sacred sites by Indian religious practitioners and avoid adversely affecting the physical integrity of such sites. Provide reasonable notice of proposed actions or policies that may restrict access to or adversely affect the physical integrity of sacred sites. When there is a conflict among potential uses, prioritize the protection of sacred sites above other land uses.
Standards and Guidelines
Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines for Heritage Resources address:
- Management
- Project Clearance/Inventory
- Project Implementation
- Mitigation
- Enhancement
- Site Inspection
Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines for Sacred Sites address:
- Management
- Project Planning
- Project Implementation
- Mitigation
- Enhancement
- Monitoring
Changes in the 2008 Plan
- Updated many areas based on more recent executive orders, laws, and agreements
- Added a new section on Sacred Sites Protection Activities
Related References
- Laws, Regulations, and Executive Orders relating the Heritage Resources and Sacred Site Protection
- Sacred Sites Training Module - Executive Summary
- Sacred Sites Training Module