Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Master Management Plan

TOWN OF MORRISVILLE

6-10

6.1.11 Archaeological Protection

Archaeological resources are protected on private and public lands through the North

Carolina Archaeological Resources Protection Act, the Unmarked Human Burial and

Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act, the North Carolina Archaeological Record

Program, SEPA, and various Federal laws. These laws are only applicable to projects that

are State or Federally approved, permitted or funded, or exist on State or Federal lands.

Although this often exempts many private development projects, the USACE does require

archaeological reviews for any project that needs a CWA Section 404 permit.

6.1.11.1 Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act

The Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 provides protection of historical

American sites, buildings, objects, and antiquities of national significance. The act protects

all historical and archaeological data that could potentially be lost as a result of:



Flooding



Building of access roads



Erection of laborer communities



Relocation of highways and railroads



Alteration of terrain caused by the construction of dams (by the U.S. government and

private corporations)



Any alteration of terrain as a result of any federal construction project or any federally

licensed project

If any federal agency finds that a federally supported project may cause irreparable loss or

destruction of scientific, prehistorical, historical, or archaeological data, the agency must

notify the Department of the Interior so it may undertake recovery, protection, and

preservation of the data.

6.1.11.2 National Historic Preservation Act

The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) is the central act that establishes historic

preservation law. The act sets the policy for the U.S. government to promote conditions in

which historic properties can be preserved in harmony with modern society. The NHPA

authorizes the Department of the Interior to establish, maintain, and expand the National

responsibilities are established by this act, which charges the SHPO with the responsibility

of developing a statewide plan for preservation, surveying historic properties, nominating

properties to the NRHP, providing technical assistance to federal, State, and local agencies,

and undertaking the review of federal activities that affect historic properties.

6.1.11.3 Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment, Executive Order 11593

This Executive Order requires the federal government to provide leadership in preserving,

restoring, and maintaining the historic and cultural environment of the nation. Federal

agencies, in cooperation with state historic preservation agencies, are to locate, inventory,

and nominate sites, buildings, districts, and objects as candidates for the NRPH. All sites