A conversation with Wanda Raschkow and Elizabeth Hora reveals some of the possibilities along with some of the challenges for implementing a statewide site stewardship program.

Wanda serves as the Statewide Site Stewardship Program Coordinator for Friends of Cedar Mesa, a conservation-focused non-profit located in Bluff, Utah. Friends of Cedar Mesa works to ensure that public lands in San Juan County, with all their cultural and natural values, are respected and protected. 

As part of that mission Friends of Cedar Mesa has partnered with the Utah Bureau of Land Management to develop a heritage stewardship program. Wanda served as a federal-agency archaeologist for 20 years before joining Friends of Cedar Mesa, she’s worked with the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service. In each agency, she trained and mentored volunteer site stewards.

Wanda believes that engaging the public in the care of our shared heritage is critical to preserving archaeological sites for the future.

My other guest is Elizabeth Hora. Elizabeth a Public Archaeologist for the Utah State Historic Preservation Office or SHPO in Salt Lake City, Utah. She holds a Masters in Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management from Utah State University and specializes in Fremont archaeology, radiocarbon dating, and dendroarchaeology. Her most recent work focuses on eliminating damage to archaeological sites through education, stewardship, and public outreach.

If you are interested in learning more about how to become involved in some of the initiatives we talked about in this episode you can reach out to Wanda Rashchow at archmonitor@cedarmesafriends.org

Visit with Respect: https://www.friendsofcedarmesa.org/visit-with-respect/

ArchMonitor: https://www.friendsofcedarmesa.org/archmonitor/

Utah Heritage Stewardship Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/UtahHeritageStewardshipProgram/

Utah Public Archaeology Network (UPAN): https://history.utah.gov/antiquities/upan/

Sign up for UPAN’s monthly newsletter:  https://mailchi.mp/f859c0ec6602/oor2019

Utah Professional Archeological Council (UPAC): https://www.upaconline.org/

HB: 163 https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/HB0163.html