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Sustainable Preservation: California’s Statewide Historic Preservation Plan, 2013-2017

Preservation Success Stories—Section 106 Consultations

Carrizo Plains Rock Art

In 2001 President Bill Clinton established the
Carrizo Plains National Monument. In doing so, the
historic properties found throughout the
monument were almost an afterthought. The
Presidential proclamations states, “In addition to
its geologic and biological wealth, the area is rich
in human history. Archaeologists theorize that
humans have occupied the Carrizo Plain National
Monument area since the Paleo Indian Period The Carrizo Plain has many rock
outcroppings that have been used
(circa 11,000 to 9,000 B.C.) . . . and elaborate for art by native peoples for
pictographs are the primary manifestations of thousands of years. (Photo courtesy
prehistoric occupation.” The Painted Rock www.petroglyphs.us)
pictograph site on the Carrizo Plain is recognized
internationally as among the best examples of rock
art in the world. It is visually stunning but also
imbued with meaning and spiritual values still
held by contemporary Native American people.
Recognizing the significance of the historic
properties found within the monument, the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) has a program to
identify, nominate, and manage these cultural
resources, including adopting a plan in 2010 to
manage these world class historic properties.
An example of a spiderweb design
Katimiin Cultural Management Area pictograph from the Carrizo Plain
(Photo courtesy Tarol at summitpost.org)
Sometimes success stories do not begin as such.
Katimiin is where annually the Karuk Tribe concludes their World Renewal ceremonies.
The U.S. Forest Service, during the implementation of a
fuel reduction fire protection program, adversely affected
contributing elements to the National Register eligible
property. The Karuk Tribe filed a lawsuit, but the Forest
Service, through the development of a remedial plan,
prevailed and that might have been the end of the story.
However, the Office of Historic Preservation had
recommended the development of an agreement
document to memorialize any management agreement
between the Forest Service and the Karuk Tribe. On
August 28, 2012, the Karuk Tribe and the Forest Service
announced signing of an agreement for the Katimiin
Cultural Management Area. “This Agreement will allow us
Klamath Forest Supervisor
Patti Grantham, Karuk to revitalize this sacred landscape through ceremonial
Chairman Russel Attebery and burning and other practices,” said Karuk Chairman
Six Rivers Forest Supervisor Russell Attebery. “We hope this endeavor will lead to a
Tyrone Kelly at the more strategic approach to resource management based
agreement’s signing (Photo on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, principal, practice,
courtesy Craig Tucker)
and belief on a larger scale.”

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