Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Lawmakers Seek Funds and Tools to Prevent the Archaeological Looting of the West A newly formed bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressing the U.S. Department of the Interior to spend more money and devote more manpower to protecting Western states' archaeological and historical sites, including areas held sacred by Native Americans.  Instances of vandalism, artifact theft and illegal off-road vehicle use have underscored shortages in the Federal Bureau of Land Management's funding and its inability to identify and protect the sites, said Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz. "The consequences are that (archaeological) sites are not being inventoried . . . and there's significant evidence of looting and damage, whether purposeful or accidental," said Grijalva, who is leading the group of about 15 House lawmakers who are working to call more attention to the problem and push for solutions. 10:54:21 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 John Giacobbe.