Understanding the Secretary's Standards

This notice sets forth the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. These standards and guidelines are not regulatory and do not set or interpret agency policy. They provide technical advice about archeological and historic preservation activities and methods.

This section introduces the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. The standards and guidelines are not regulatory and do not set or interpret agency policy. They are intended to provide technical advice about archeological and historic preservation activities and methods. They were published in 1983 (48 FR 44716).

Preservation planning is a process that organizes preservation activities (identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties) in a logical sequence. The Standards for Planning discuss the relationship among these activities while the remaining activity standards consider how each activity should be carried out.

These Guidelines link the Standards for Preservation Planning with more specific guidance and technical information. They describe one approach to meeting the Standards for Preservation Planning. Agencies, organizations or individuals proposing to approach planning differently may wish to review their approaches with the National Park Service.

Historic documentation provides important information related to the significance of a property. Research is used early in planning to gather information needed to identify and evaluate properties. Historical documentation is also a treatment that can be applied in several ways to properties previously evaluated as significant. The Standards concern the use of research and documentation.

These Guidelines link the Standards for Historical Documentation with more specific guidance and technical information. They describe one approach to meeting the Standards for Historical Documentation. Agencies, organizations or individuals proposing to approach historical documentation differently may wish to review their approaches with the National Park Service. 

Identification activities are undertaken to gather information about historic properties in an area. The scope of these activities will depend on: existing knowledge about properties; goals for survey activities developed in the planning process; and current management needs. 

These Guidelines link the Standards for Identification with more specific guidance and technical information. The Guidelines outline one approach to meet the Standards for Identification. Agencies, organizations and individuals proposing to approach identification differently may wish to review their approaches with the National Park Service.

The Professional Qualification Standards are used by the National Park Service, and have been previously published in the Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61. The qualifications define minimum education and experience required to perform identification, evaluation, registration, and treatment activities. In some cases, additional areas or levels of expertise may be needed, depending on the complexity of the task and the nature of the historic properties involved.

These Guidelines link the Standards for Archeological Documentation with more specific guidance and technical information. They describe one approach to meeting the Standards for Documentation. Agencies, organizations or individuals proposing to approach archeological documentation differently may wish to review their approach with the National Park Service.