For historians, the Cultural Resources section of environmental impact reports (EIRs) are important because they show which historical and paleontological resources are "officially known" to the local government agencies and which, by their inclusion, are deemed worthy of a mention, at a minimum, and preservation, at a maximum. They outline methodologies for dealing with them as development occurs, as well as methodologies for dealing with other resources that may be discovered in the future. One thng they do not do is guarantee the protection of the listed sites as planning and governing bodies approve development projects in the future, since the documents themselves cannot ensure that future decision makers read them to know what's out there, or choose to heed their recommendations. That happens only so long as an interested public remains vigilant.