User:Marksanders42/Colorado plateau archaeological alliance

Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance

The Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance (CPAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization specializing in archaeological site preservation, and is based in Ogden, Utah.

CPAA is the only non-profit organization working on the Northern Colorado Plateau that is singularly dedicated to the preservation of the human past. It is focused both on prehistoric sites (particularly those of the Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont cultures) as well as historic homesteads and ranches.

CPAA is comprised of individuals who have informally worked to preserve cultural resources over the past several years. These efforts have been focused primarily on assistance to other nonprofit organizations, as well as preservation-oriented research and working with legislative and regulatory officials to protect sensitive landscapes. CPAA has recently worked with the Bill Barrett Corporation (BBC) in its efforts to install a natural gas pipeline through Nine Mile Canyon in eastern Utah.

CPAA's executive director is Jerry D. Spangler, a registered professional archaeologist who also manages the day-to-day activities of the organization and is answerable to a 15-member board of directors, all with considerable non-profit, business or scientific credentials. Through sound scientific research, CPAA examines the degradation of archaeological sites as it relates to road access, unrestricted public visitation, illegal collecting, off-road vehicle trails, seismic activities, the cumulative effects of oil and gas development, and other issues related to public access. CPAA also assists public and private entities in the development and implementation of strategies to protect sites of local, regional and national significance, and provide technical assistance to those entities seeking the protection of cultural resources through legal designations. CPAA also works with private entities seeking to develop legal leases on public lands to ensure that their impacts on cultural treasures are minimized.

CPAA assists non-profit organizations by conducting technical reviews of Section 106 compliance reports required for actions on federal lands, initiating formal and informal surveys on behalf of non-profit organizations seeking baseline data on the nature and importance of cultural resources, analyzing previous research to determine the scope and significance of cultural resources, and assisting in the development of scientifically based responses to proposed actions on public lands. CPAA also assists American Indians and tribal governments in the assessment of archaeological resources significant to native traditions, heritage and way of life; institutions of higher education with archaeological research projects that foster public appreciation for past peoples, places and events; government and private entities in the development and implementation of long-term strategies to protect sites of local, regional and national significance.