Archaeology
Archaeology is the study of the human past through the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains.
The vast public lands managed by the BLM feature significant evidence of the more than 10,000 years of human prehistory and history in the western United States and Alaska. Ancestral and historic sites illuminate how humans and the environment have been linked together through time. Studying and understanding past human activities informs our nation’s shared heritage and provides us with important lessons about managing lands today.
Archaeology Permits
The BLM issues Permits for Archeological Investigation to individuals or organizations that would like to perform research, studies, or fieldwork on BLM-managed public lands. Authority for issuing permits derives from the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, which governs the excavation and removal of archaeological resources from federal and tribal lands.
Permits are issued to individuals and organizations that have the appropriate education, experience, and capability to perform professionally acceptable cultural resources studies. When projects are proposed, applicants who already possess a Permit for Archaeological Investigation must also obtain a Fieldwork Authorization from the BLM Field Office where the work will take place. Permits are typically administered by the Deputy Preservation Officers:
- Deputy Preservation Officers List
Deputy Preservation Officers Contact List
Deputy Preservation Officers BLM State Office Email Phone Robin Mills (AK) Alaska State Office rmills@blm.gov 907-474-2359 Matt Basham (AZ) Arizona State Office mbasham@blm.gov 602-417-9216 John Fogerty California State Office jfogerty@blm.gov 916-978-4306 Natalie Clark (CO) Colorado State Office nfclark@blm.gov 970-244-3038 John Sullivan (ES) Eastern States Office j35sullivan@blm.gov 601-919-4675 Noelle Shaver (ID) Idaho State Office nshaver@blm.gov 208-373-4043 Joshua Chase (MT-ND-SD) Montana State Office (includes North and South Dakota) jchase@blm.gov 406-262-2840 Madeline Van der Voort (NV) Nevada State Office mvandervoort@blm.gov 775-900-7205 Cynthia Herhahn (NM-OK-TX-KS) New Mexico State Office (includes Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas) cherhahn@blm.gov 505-373-4092 Kelli Barnes (OR/WA) Oregon State Office (includes Washington) kebarnes@blm.gov 458-446-0123 Lori Hunsaker (UT) Utah State Office lhunsaker@blm.gov 801-539-4276 Denise Tugman (WY-NE) Wyoming State Office (includes Nebraska) dtugman@blm.gov 307-775-6017 George Herbst (Federal Preservation Officer) Headquarters Division of Education, Cultural and Paleontological Resources (HQ-420)
gherbst@blm.gov 916-978-4684