Site Stewards Speak. Key Recommendations for the Utah Statewide Site Steward Program. Friends of Cedar Mesa

Transcription

1 Site Stewards Speak Key Recommendations for the Utah Statewide Site Steward Program Friends of Cedar Mesa Authored by Marcia Simonis Statewide Site Steward Program Coordinator Friends of Cedar Mesa December 2016

2 Summary The BLM Utah and Friends of Cedar Mesa have entered a five-year partnership to develop a Statewide Site Stewardship Program. The first phase of the five-year plan of development of a statewide program is the Information Gathering and Data Collection phase. Friends of Cedar Mesa met with and interviewed persons who are currently involved with site stewardship programs or interested in getting one started. An effort was made to reach out and involve existing programs from western states primarily in the Four Corners. This report gives a summary of the information gathered in conversations along with results of a survey that was sent out to Site Stewards, Site Steward Coordinators, and Agency archaeologists. A key finding of the survey was that respondents want an electronic app to use in the field when they monitor their sites and an electronic online form for easy reporting. All three groups, that participated in the survey, see this as a helpful tool to keep track of information in an efficient and practical way. The other thing that stood out in the results of the survey was that stewards and archaeologists agree that they would like to see different models of site steward programs like having volunteers monitor groups of sites in a region or Site Steward Lite. They agree that it is a good idea to get to know one site really well but that after a while you can lose interest and it can become boring, which puts volunteer retention at risk. Adding different types of site steward programs will help meet the overall program goal of engaging new traditional and nontraditional stakeholders. This report marks the conclusion of the Information Gathering and Data Collection phase of the Statewide Site Stewardship Program. Next, Friends of Cedar Mesa will begin developing training manuals, volunteer manuals and an easy-to-use electronic reporting system. About Friends of Cedar Mesa Friends of Cedar Mesa (FCM) is a conservation organization in Bluff, Utah founded in 2010 by long-time BLM ranger Mark Meloy. FCM envisions a future where the public lands in San Juan County - with all their cultural and natural values - are protected and respected. To achieve this goal, FCM works to educate visitors about respectful recreation, monitor cultural sites, effect change through research and service projects, improve land management policies, and engage citizens in advocacy. In 2016, Friends of Cedar Mesa entered into a Financial Assistance Agreement with the Utah BLM State Office to develop and expand a statewide site steward program over a five-year period. The objectives of the program are: By regularly monitoring archaeological and historic sites, help reduce the human- and nature-caused damage to cultural resources. Engage both traditional and non-traditional public land stakeholders, especially youth, in hands-on archaeological monitoring and protection efforts. Increase the number of Site Stewardship volunteers that are actively engaged in monitoring and protecting Utah s cultural resources. 1

3 To meet the objectives of the program, FCM is developing a statewide site steward manual, training manuals and an electronic reporting app to facilitate data collection by volunteers. Information Gathering and Data Collection for Utah Statewide Site Steward Program The first phase of the five-year plan of development of a statewide program is the Information Gathering and Data Collection phase, which began August Friends of Cedar Mesa met with and interviewed people in person and over the phone who are currently involved with site stewardship programs or interested in getting one started. The goal of this phase was to find what works and what doesn t work in existing Site Steward programs in the Four Corners in order to develop key insights and best practices going forward. This report is a synthesis of the following conversations and site steward surveys that we sent out in October In early August 2016, FCM attended the Pecos Conference that was held in Alpine, Arizona. FCM had a table set up and was able to talk with over 200 professional archaeologists, avocational archaeologists, and active site stewards from the southwest region. This provided FCM with a list of contacts and conversation about existing programs and what works and doesn't work. Another large venue that FCM attended was the Nine Mile Canyon Stewardship Day in September. During the event FCM made contact with 200 families who stopped at our table to learn about our partnership with the BLM and starting a Statewide Site Steward Program. Additionally, FCM has either met with interested parties in person, conducted phone interviews, or corresponded by with: Arizona Site Stewards Colorado Site Stewards from Canyons of the Ancients New Mexico Site Steward Foundation Utah Site Stewards Nine Mile Canyon Coalition URARA Utah Rock Art Research Association Project Archaeology Project Discovery SUNCLF Southwest Utah National Conservation Lands Friends BLM Forest Service National Park Service Utah State History To meet with leaders in the field of site stewardship, FCM traveled to: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. July 19, 2016: Met with Park Service at Muley Point, Cedar Mesa, Utah July 20, 2016: Met with the BLM Moab Field Office, Utah 2

4 August 4-6, 2016: Pecos Conference Alpine, Arizona August 25, 2016: Met with BLM Cultural Partners Salt Lake City, Utah Aug. 25, 2016: Met with URARA Aug. 26, 2016: Met with BLM Price, Utah Sept. 1, 2016: Met with Arches National Park Site Steward Program Lead Sept , 2016: Nine Mile Canyon Stewardship Day Sept. 28, 2016: Canyon of the Ancients Site Steward Cortez, Colorado Oct , 2016: Project Archaeology Conference Oct. 25, 2016: Met with Santa Fe National Forest Archaeologist and the Site Steward Foundation Nov. 28, 2016: Met with Edge of the Cedars Museum Director Blanding, Utah FCM conducted 52 phone interviews with current Site Stewards, Regional Coordinators, and professional archaeologists. Some of these respondents want to remain anonymous, so as not to hurt others feelings, but wanted to be honest in their replies. FCM has actively engaged over 500 people in our effort to contact and discuss getting a Statewide Site Stewardship Program in Utah. After gathering the information, some common themes were recognized from the interviews that were put into the survey. Topics included types of programs, trainings, communication, recognition and motivation. The survey asked all three groups what types of Site Steward Programs they were interested in. Survey Results # of Responses 0 Volunteers Coordinators Archaeologists There were three surveys distributed to Site Stewards, Site Steward Coordinators, and Agency archaeologists. Relevant questions were asked of each group and 120 responses were received. There were 83 responses from Site Stewards, 21 responses from Site Stewards Regional 3

5 Coordinators, and 16 responses from Agency Archaeologists. Survey questions were sent out by on September 26, 2016 with a due date of October 21, Volunteer Site Steward Results at a Glance Stewards tend to be retired and enjoy being outdoors and feeling a sense of pride in helping protect cultural resources. They also appreciate working with and learning from the agency archaeologists that are involved with their programs. It makes my wife and I both feel a sense of accomplishment in helping protect something important Being outside. The initial find of the site was exciting. Petroglyphs are amazing-history Love being involved with archaeologists. They respect our experience and allow us to work on our own. Diversity of beautifully painted pottery sherds at the site Site Steward Coordinator Results at a Glance Regional Coordinators agree that having a good relationship with their agency partner is key to the success of the program. Keeping the volunteers engaged, motivated and educated are also important. Regular communication with the site stewards is critical in the relationship building between the volunteers, coordinators and archaeologists. We just need more consistent communication Enthusiasm is important. If they get bored with the same site, give them another site or sites A successful steward program results in a strong volunteer contribution to an agency which translates to a real financial contribution as well as a beneficial resource management contribution in areas that many agency archaeologist don t have the time to complete. Agency Archaeologist Results at a Glance All of the archaeologists agree the biggest benefit of the program is the reporting of vandalism, looting, and graffiti. Some field offices have stewards that are trained to record new sites, new rock art panels, and report and remove graffiti. Another archaeologist found that the most useful form requires very minimal effort on the steward s part. An added benefit of the program is the positive relationship building with the public and federal agencies. The program could be a valuable tool to assist already underfunded and understaffed agencies in cultural resource management; however I believe the system is still a work in progress I found that the most useful site stewardship forms that I have used require a very minimal effort on the part of the site steward As a BLM employee I would like the program coordinators to be in charge of as much of the program as possible while giving us space to do things on our own as well. 4

6 Key Findings Volunteer Site Stewards The largest population of Site Steward volunteers are retired or semi-retired. Most site stewards are willing to drive more than 50 miles to monitor their sites, followed closely by site stewards willing to drive more than 100 miles. This really shows the level of commitment and dedication that they put in to the program. Most site stewards are willing to monitor their sites at least four times a year, followed closely by others willing to monitor more than five times a year. Majority of the stewards are also willing to hike one to two miles to monitor their sites. 74% of Site Stewards felt comfortable with electronic form reporting and an additional 25% were in agreement provided that electronic-app training would be included, resulting in 99% agreement with training. 5

7 88% of Site Stewards want to have training on how to identify impacts to sites. 81% would like to have archaeology presentations during training. 76% of Site Stewards would like to monitor multiple sites in a geographic area whereas only 15% want to monitor one site over time. Monitoring many sites in an area would help facilitate more communication between volunteers, and it points to the use of new models in future monitoring programs. Most of the site stewards monitor their sites four times a year and prefer to be outdoors during the spring and fall months. Winter was season in which the least amount of volunteers were available. 6

8 There are several common reasons why stewards are motivated to volunteer for the program. Most stewards expressed a love of being outdoors and doing something worthwhile that gives them a sense of pride in helping protect cultural resources. They also appreciate the opportunity of getting to know the agency archaeologists and socializing with other like-minded stewards. Stewards would also like to have additional ways of learning more about archaeology. Stewards have had some negative and frustrating experiences as well. Many of the negative experiences were things outside of the control of the coordinator or agency archaeologist, like bad roads, weather, and bugs. In addition to these frustrations, complaints seem to be about continued vandalism at their monitored sites. Several stewards also commented that after visiting the same site that it gets rather boring and would prefer to watch a group of sites. Some also feel that communication should be improved and that the agency archaeologist or law enforcement should follow up with them after they have reported looting or vandalism. The most disturbing comment was that after going through training, a group of stewards did not feel that they were properly taught how to use the site form or identify impacts on sites. This makes adequate training an issue that is comparatively easy to address. Site Steward Coordinators 100% of the Site Steward Coordinators agreed that electronic reporting would be helpful to them. 52% of the coordinators preferred a one-day training for volunteers and 24% thought that 1.5 day training would work. 33% of the coordinators require their volunteers to monitor their sites 4 times a year. 7

9 38% were interested in coordinating a group of stewards monitoring an area of sites. Over 50% of coordinators thought the most important information from a monitor s form were volunteer hours, photos, recent vandalism, and impacts to sites. It is difficult to keep track of volunteers hours. This is the biggest weakness in the reporting process.. The Site Stewards need to understand how very important reporting hours is If it isn't written it did not happen. Volunteers need to be reminded that site visits resulting in no change or damage are important to report accurately and timely frequency of site visits paperwork! No one likes to do paperwork. Emphasis on relationships: Something that all the coordinators agreed on is the importance of recognizing the work that their volunteers do. Some programs provide a social gathering once or twice a year, lectures and other educational opportunities, and special field trips or hikes. Many coordinators and their stewards remain friends for life and this speaks well of their dedication and passion for the program. They realize having a robust and successful program requires having a great regional coordinator who maintains communication with their stewards and land agency archaeologist. Some programs felt they were not being supported or appreciated by the land agency or the archaeologist they work with. Another coordinator commented on agencies being under-funded and over extended in meeting their cultural resource mandates, and the site steward program provides a pool of trained, vetted and dedicated volunteers to assist the agency. Many coordinators commented on recurring issues they have with their volunteers not doing the required paperwork. Another problem is the difficulty in keeping track of their volunteer hours. Both of these issues could be resolved with an electronic reporting system in place. 8

10 We were curious what more modern protocols the individual programs had in place. Over half had safety and social media sharing protocols in place but it was alarming to see that the figures weren t higher. In the open ended question about safety protocols, we learned that programs had a wide range of protocols in place from buddy systems to signing a Job Hazard Analysis to radio use. Agency Archaeologists Sixteen agency archaeologists responded from the BLM, NPS and other agencies and of those, 75% had some form of a site steward monitoring program in their field office. When asked in an open-ended question about what impacts they want monitored at sites in their field office, vandalism and looting were the two most important issues that the archaeologists want to know 9

11 about. Other concerns are visitor impacts, livestock/animal effects, OHV abuse, and natural site degradation due to erosion, rock fall, wind, water, etc. Erosion, Vandalism, Recreation non-intentional visitor impacts, graffiti/vandalism, cattle impacts (yes, I know that one is a bit touchy here..) Vandalism, looting, graffiti, erosion, OHV abuse, illegal collection of artifacts, livestock impacts, animal digging, chalking rock art Vandalism, looting, grazing, other animal impacts, natural 80% of archaeologists agreed that a group of site stewards should monitor an area of sites rather than 1 site per steward (47%). Another key finding is the interest in an alternative to the traditional Site Steward Program using the Site Steward Lite approach. The most significant type of sites that Utah BLM archaeologists want monitored are Rock Art, Prehistoric, and Historic sites. There was a lower but still notable interest in monitoring paleontology and Historic Trails. Like the other surveys, the archaeologists showed less interest in having volunteers in the field in the winter. 10

12 Though site steward coordinators were quite split on how many times they require they volunteers to visit a site, archaeologists only want sites monitored 1-4 times a year. Additional Key Findings Types of programs The results of the survey show stewards and agency archaeologists prefer the idea of a group of volunteers monitoring several sites in a geographic area. This type of site steward program is currently run by Friends of Cedar Mesa with the Manti-La Sal National Forest. There was also an interest for a petroglyph patrol or site steward lite and historic site monitoring with the agency archaeologists. They also showed an interest in getting either school groups, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and other youth groups, etc. involved. The author of this report was been involved with Project Archaeology for many years and working with local Girl Scouts and other youth groups this summer, feels they would be great site stewards. Training takeaways 11

13 What volunteers, coordinators, and archaeologists want to see in training is how to identify impacts at sites, know how to report them and a field training component. At the same time, the majority of site stewards and coordinators prefer a one-day training. This means that trainings need to be short in order to fit in a field component as well other important components like a safety training. One coordinator said, Site stewards are doing something they are passionate and proud of. I think it is crucial to keep them safe, ethical, and legal and allow them to do what they do with as little bureaucracy as possible. Reporting The most overwhelming result of the survey and conversations was the fact that almost everyone thought that electronic reporting is the way to go. Both steward volunteers and coordinators felt it would make their job of reporting and getting information to the archaeologists and agencies easier. It also seemed to benefit the coordinators with their tracking of volunteer hours. We also learned that many regional groups are using some version of an electronic online form or developing one. Friends of Cedar Mesa will move forward with developing a robust electronic app and online form for this purpose. We learned that successful (i.e. more user-friendly) reporting forms are shorter and simpler. Less is better is the message we heard over and over. A few components that coordinators and agency archaeologists said must be on a form were hours, mileage, vandalism & looting, visitor impacts, livestock/animal effects, OHV abuse, and natural site degradation. Volunteer demographics Nearly a quarter had been site stewards for 10+ years. Though we did not ask the age of volunteers, we can assume the majority are older since most were retired or semi-retired. Volunteer Retention While many site stewards stick with programs for over ten years, some coordinators reported problems with site stewards getting bored or being asked to leave because they don t complete the work. What we learned through our conversations and survey is that a one size fits all model doesn t work in the long run. We gathered that a few ways to keep volunteer retention high was to allow site stewards to change sites, keep in regular contact with volunteers, invest in strong coordinators, and provide volunteers with educational/continued learning opportunities. Communication In our conversations, we learned that communication was key to keeping stewards and coordinators feeling engaged, fulfilled and useful. Most stewards weren t too unhappy with their regional coordinators but having regular communication with agency archaeologists was a 12

14 problem both for coordinators and volunteers. Finding time in the archaeologist s schedule is not an easy fix but we hope that easier reporting will help. In the meantime, we recommend regular and scheduled timing of check-ins between volunteers and coordinators. Recruitment There is a strong interest in all parties to get more youth and diverse populations involved with site steward programs across Utah but we did not yet gather enough specifics on how to recruit new volunteers. To a certain degree, it depends on the area, although most field offices reported that their communities were open to site steward programs. Many people suggested coordinators contact local schools, university, youth programs like the Girl Scouts and other hobby/interest groups to explore opportunities. 13

15 Overall recommendations for a Utah Statewide Site Steward Program Types of Programs The results of the survey show that people are interested in a variety of program models and FCM will develop training manuals for many of these models. This is a great opportunity to reach out to different groups and engage them in stewardship. Respondents showed an interest in petroglyph patrol, site steward lite, and monitoring groups of sites instead of one site one steward. We should also find ways to engage more groups like ATV clubs, church groups with historic connections to the land, hunters, and youth, etc. This would bring a lot more diversity to the program. These different models of site stewardship are a great way to begin reaching out to these other groups. The Site Steward Program is now made up of mostly retired people, which has really been the backbone of the program. We can involve a more diverse audience just by offering some alternative choices. Action items: Talking to people, we think there is room for three types of program: standard one monitor/one site program, a group of volunteers monitoring an area, and site steward lite Develop three site steward manuals for each program Develop training module for all three programs Training Most respondents prefer a one-day training that includes a field component that will teach what they need to report, how to recognize impacts to their site, safety, laws and ethics. When developing standardized trainings for different types of site steward programs, Friends of Cedar Mesa will limit the recommended training to one day and include these recommended components. Winter was the least popular month for volunteers to go into the field so coordinators could use this time for training and FCM will make this recommendation in the training manuals. Action items: Create sample curriculum for 1-day training for all three types of programs. Develop key components of training including app training, safety protocol, social media use protocol, field component and impacts to sites. Explore integrating role play into training or creating content for follow-up training. Site Steward Manual In Utah, at this time everyone is using a different manual. It is our goal to have multiple manuals written for different types of programs that the entire state can use by December Action items: 14

16 Review existing manuals from the Four Corners region to pull best practices Develop new user-friendly manual for three types of programs Make manuals available in print and digital form Volunteer Retention Many existing programs use organized educational events and opportunities to interact with professional archaeologists to educate and encourage volunteers. These programs and benefits likely encourage volunteer retention in the long run, as well as make better stewards. Another way to sustain volunteer activism is to make sure there is follow up with the volunteer when they report an incident like vandalism to the coordinator. A common complaint from volunteers is that there isn t follow up with agency archaeologist and law enforcement after an issue is reported. Though strained resources and heavy workloads make this difficult for the agency, this communication needs to be encouraged in future programs so that volunteers feel their monitoring is validated and helpful. FCM will recommend a protocol for coordinators and/or agency archaeologists to follow up with stewards, when appropriate, about the positive impacts of their monitoring. This form of validation will help volunteer retention. Action items: Build into programs the means to be flexible with volunteers in order to tailor site locations, etc. to individual site steward needs. Create guidance for coordinators that encourages them to individualize plans to meet individual volunteer needs. Create guidance for coordinator to follow up regularly with volunteers, including end of the year review of how they re liking their site(s) and program. Develop guidance for coordinator to organize archaeology/continued learning opportunities for volunteers. This was a big interest item. Site Locations Though volunteers are willing to drive quite long distances to monitor sites, survey results indicate a preference for sites with shorter 1-2 mile hikes. Coordinators and agency archaeologists should consider this in part when selecting sites for a successful site steward program. Additionally, some volunteers like to change their site location after a period of time. Action items: Customize site locations to meet volunteer needs Reporting Because of the overwhelming support for electronic reporting, FCM will move forward with developing an electronic app and online form that is simple to use and generates useful information that the agency archaeologists want. In tandem with the development of the app, 15

17 FCM will develop a component of the training manuals that teaches volunteers how to use the app and online form. We also learned that the most user-friendly reporting forms are short and sweet and since we have heard from archaeologists and coordinators as to what type of information they want on a form, we can begin to make recommendations for a condensed reporting form that monitors hours, mileage, vandalism & looting, visitor impacts, livestock/animal effects, OHV abuse, and natural site degradation. Action items: Fundraise for electronic app and form development in progress Select top data items to be included on reporting forms Schedule meeting with BLM archaeologists to get consensus on what forms should record Consider collecting different data for different types of programs (referenced in Types of Programs section) Develop specs for app and solicit bids from developers. Communication This is an area that needs improvement. Programs that have been ongoing for several years still have issues with communication between volunteers and coordinators and coordinators and their agency partners. Some of these programs set up quarterly phone or communication between coordinators and stewards to keep them engaged and motivated. Others offer lectures and educational opportunities during seasons when you may not be able to get to your site just to have interaction with the members of the group. One program even has other opportunities for stewards to help the agency archaeologist with scanning documents and similar activities they don t have time for. Some programs that have been around for many years have quarterly publications that keep everyone informed of what s going on in their state and stewards really like that. Action items: Facebook page for site stewards Online website for easy reporting and tools for volunteers list to keep volunteers in the loop Develop protocol for regular coordinator-steward outreach Recruitment Since many volunteers are older and retired, there was big interest in most parties we spoke to about widening the recruitment base, but this was also an area where people were stumped with how to proceed. We propose to revisit recruitment after we have developed the site steward programs, trainings and manuals. 16

18 Action items: Conduct research and information gathering on reaching out to new groups including youth This will include ideas like reaching out to professors, public and private schools, youth programs and hobby/interest groups. Develop a recruitment plan for coordinators. Contact Information This report was compiled by Marcia Simonis, Statewide Site Steward Program Coordinator for Friends of Cedar Mesa. For questions and to learn more about the BLM Utah Statewide Site Steward Program, she can be contacted at Marcia@cedarmesafriends.org 17