CITE

    16 USC Sec. 470aa                                           01/08/2008

EXPCITE

    TITLE 16 - CONSERVATION
    CHAPTER 1B - ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES PROTECTION

HEAD

    Sec. 470aa. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

STATUTE

      (a) The Congress finds that -
        (1) archaeological resources on public lands and Indian lands
      are an accessible and irreplaceable part of the Nation's
      heritage;
        (2) these resources are increasingly endangered because of
      their commercial attractiveness;
        (3) existing Federal laws do not provide adequate protection to
      prevent the loss and destruction of these archaeological
      resources and sites resulting from uncontrolled excavations and
      pillage; and
        (4) there is a wealth of archaeological information which has
      been legally obtained by private individuals for noncommercial
      purposes and which could voluntarily be made available to
      professional archaeologists and institutions.
      (b) The purpose of this chapter is to secure, for the present and
    future benefit of the American people, the protection of
    archaeological resources and sites which are on public lands and
    Indian lands, and to foster increased cooperation and exchange of
    information between governmental authorities, the professional
    archaeological community, and private individuals having
    collections of archaeological resources and data which were
    obtained before October 31, 1979.

SOURCE

    (Pub. L. 96-95, Sec. 2, Oct. 31, 1979, 93 Stat. 721.)

SHORT TITLE

      Section 1 of Pub. L. 96-95 provided that: "This Act [enacting
    this chapter] may be cited as the 'Archaeological Resources
    Protection Act of 1979'."
              GALISTEO BASIN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES PROTECTION
      Pub. L. 108-208, Mar. 19, 2004, 118 Stat. 558, known as the
    "Galisteo Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Act", provided for
    the preservation, protection, and interpretation of nationally
    significant archaeological resources in the Galisteo Basin of New
    Mexico by designating Galisteo Basin Archaeological Protection
    Sites and their acreage and provided for addition, deletion or
    modification of the sites, administration, cooperative agreements,
    acquisition of land and interests, withdrawal of lands from mining
    and other public land laws, and construction of the Act.