Cultural Site Stewardship Program
Through its Cultural Site Stewardship Program, the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) has joined with the Public Lands Institute of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to preserve cultural resources in southern Nevada. The region has experienced explosive population growth in the past 25 years. Residential areas now adjoin and surround much of the area's public lands, and cultural resources on those lands are at increased risk from vandalism, looting, and other destruction. Budget constraints of the federal land managing agencies have made it difficult to address these issues, and the Cultural Site Stewardship Program has provided critically important volunteer help to protect the endangered resources.
SNAP is a partnership of stewardship professionals from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service. Through the Cultural Site Stewardship Program, more than 450 volunteers monitor and protect cultural sites on lands managed by these agencies. Since the program's inception in 2004, volunteers have logged more than 14,000 hours monitoring at risk cultural sites. The volunteer program is managed by the Public Lands Institute, UNLV.
The volunteer stewards receive specialize training in archaeological site identification and monitoring, site steward procedures, reporting, safety, federal land law, and law enforcement protocols. To assist with training, volunteer Regional Coordinators work with agency archaeologists to assist with classroom training and help ensure site stewards are fully supported in the field.
The Cultural Site Stewardship Program has received the Department of the Interior Cooperative Conservation Service Award and a recognition award from the Nevada Rock Art Foundation.
Designated a Preserve America Steward in February 2010.