Federal land managing agencies hold in public trust a great diversity of landscapes and sites, including many culturally important sites held sacred by Indian tribes. Recognizing a common goal and obligation to consider the impacts of agency actions on historic properties of traditional cultural and religious importance to tribes, on December 5, 2012, five Federal agencies (the Departments of Defense, the Interior, Agriculture, and Energy and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)) entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to improve the protection of and Indian access to sacred sites through interagency coordination and collaboration.
The following report provides an update on the agencies’ progress in implementing the MOU. The progress report is organized by working group and outlines the tasks that have been accomplished and identifies next steps, where appropriate. Copies of the MOU and Action Plan are also included.