Managing cultural resources in a multi-use area

Author:

Nakamura, Jadelyn J. Moniz

Title:

Managing cultural resources in a multi-use area

Periodical:

Cultural Resource Management

Year:

1998

Volume:

21

Pages:

51-53

Subject:

Bobcat Trail Habitation Cave Cultural resources management Ecosystem management Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) United States Army Infantry Division 25th

Summary:

Located on the island of Hawaii between the mountain slopes of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai, is the U.S. Army's Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) that is home to the 25th Infantry Division (Light), the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, the National Guard, and the Pacific Rim countries that are allied with the United States. The PTA encompasses approximately 108,000 acres and contains over 170 formally recorded archeological sites yet only 20% of the land has been surveyed. Since this makes PTA a culturally-rich site, the Army is responsible for managing and protecting the cultural resources that are contained in these lands. This requires the Army to make informed decisions that are compliant with public laws that are in support of the military mission, and are consistent with sound principles of cultural resource management. In an effort to do this, the Army enhanced their role as managers of these resources via an Ecosystem Management Program (EMP) that was funded through an awarded 1995 Congressional appropriation. The goal of the EMP was to preserve, protect, and enhance the resources of the lands that are utilized by the Army in Hawaii with the four areas of concern being: cultural resource management planning, inventory, research, and education. To accomplish these goals, archeologists devised a plan to achieve these goals and the Army completed surveys that helped to determine several site types such as modified lava tubes at Pohakuloa, and sites such as cairns, lithic quarries and workshops, trails, platforms, walls, excavated pits, open air shelters, shrines, and petroglyphs. In addition, a Historic Preservation and site protection plan called for the protection of Bobcat Trail and Habitation Cave. A Large-scale field project called for: the protection of Bobcat Cave, a ground reconnaissance of 1500 acres of training land in eastern PTA, the use of high resolution imagery, a paleo-environmental analysis, and an eastern training area survey that included a survey of approximately 2,000 additional acres of training lands. A Geographic Information System (GIS) database was developed to store site information, to aid civilian and military personnel in identifying environmentally sensitive areas, and to educate the military and public regarding the sensitivity and care of these sites. Regular field checks were performed to monitor historic properties and protect sites from threats such as ungulate and human trampling, vandalism, looting, and unregulated site visits. A public outreach program was designed to educate and enhance the awareness of both the military and community on the cultural resources at PTA. While research needs to continue in an effort to further understand the role of the saddle region with regard to the pre-history of Hawaii, the Ecosystem Management Program will be an integral part in achieving these goals as cultural resource management planning continues to evolve at PTA.

Label:

Hawaiian Culture

URL:

https://www.nps.gov/crmjournal/CRM/v21n8.pdf

Collection:

Periodicals