Why is CPAA needed?
The threat to archaeological resources is not limited to one area or region. Archaeological resources are found on millions of acres of state and federal land across the western United States. Most public lands have never been comprehensively investigated for their archaeological potential, and most archaeological sites have never been formally documented. Although state and federal laws are designed to protect significant cultural resources, the development of public lands in the American West has resulted in unprecedented impacts. CPAA provides analysis of those impacts that is independent of government bureaucracies or natural resource development interests. As an independent entity, CPAA works cooperatively to minimize conflict.
