R850-60. Cultural Resources  


R850-60-100. Authorities
Latest version.

This rule implements Sections 6, 8, 10, and 12 of the Enabling Act, Articles X and XX of the Utah Constitution, and Subsections 53C-1-302(1)(a)(ii) and 53C-2-201(1)(a) which authorize the Director of the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration to prescribe the management of cultural resources on trust lands. This rule outlines the manner by which the agency shall, pursuant to Section 9-8-404, take into account the effect of trust land uses on any historic property and provide the State Historic Preservation Officer with a written evaluation of the effect of the expenditure or undertaking on the historic property. This rule also outlines the manner by which the agency shall authorize pursuant to Section 9-8-305(3)(c) surveys and excavations on trust lands.


R850-60-200. Definitions
Latest version.

For purposes of this rule:

1. "Area of potential effects" means the trust lands identified by the agency within which a land use activity will take place that has the potential to cause changes in the character or use of historic properties, if any such properties exist on the surface estate of such trust lands.

2. "Discovery property" means any site or archaeological resource that is encountered, found or otherwise made known during the course of land use conducted subsequent to approval of that use by the agency.

3. "Expenditure" means use of the agency's funds for an "undertaking" as defined herein.

4. "National Register" means the National Register of Historic Places, maintained by the United States Secretary of the Interior.

5. "Undertaking" means any trust land use that can result in changes in the character or use of historic properties, if any such historic properties are located in the area of potential effects.


R850-60-300. Authorization of Cultural Resource Work
Latest version.

1. No person shall alter, remove, injure or destroy antiquities or cultural resources on trust lands, without written permission from the agency.

2. For purposes of Section 76-6-902 "consent" to alter, remove, injure or destroy antiquities or cultural resources covered by a restrictive deed covenant means either:

(a) an amendment to the certificate of sale or patent evincing the agency's release of the deed covenant; or

(b) other specific written permission and an archaeological permit issued under Section 9-8-305.

3. No person shall conduct an archaeological survey or excavate (as defined by Section 9-8-302) any cultural resources on trust lands without first obtaining a permit under Section 9-8-305 and written authorization from the agency that fulfills the requirement set forth in R850-41-500.

(a) A condition of such written authorization shall be that the principal investigator, as defined by Section 9-8-302, shall provide the agency with a copy of any records resulting from all such investigations on trust lands that are conducted under the written authorization.

(b) Non-professional documentation of the location, nature, extent and condition of cultural resources on trust lands shall also be subject to R850-60-300(3)(a).

4. A person found in violation of R850-60-300 may be subject to civil and criminal penalties under Sections 76-6-903 and 53C-2-301.


R850-60-400. Archaeological Excavation Permits
Latest version.

1. Subsection 9-8-305(3)(c) allows for delegation of authority to issue excavation permits to agencies that meet specified criteria. Should the agency obtain such delegation, it shall issue excavation permits for sites on trust lands in accordance with Section 9-8-305 and Rule R694-1.

2. Applications for excavation permits shall be made on forms created and maintained by the Public Lands Policy Coordination Office and submitted to the agency in a timely manner and with enough lead time to allow for review and modification of the excavation plan or research design for the proposed investigation.

(a) The agency shall respond to an application for excavation permit in a timely manner.

(b) The agency may request information other than what is required by Section 9-8-305 and Rule R694.

3. All excavation permits shall be issued with the following requirements:

(a) The permittee shall provide reports documenting results of the work and data obtained, and deliver relevant records, site forms, and reports to the agency within the time specified in the permit.

(b) Any permittee who discovers human remains shall notify the agency and other appropriate agencies pursuant to Section 76-9-704 and Rule R850-61.

(c) The agency may include other requirements as necessary.

4. Unless the proposed excavation is being conducted to facilitate execution of an expenditure or undertaking that is already the subject of Section 9-8-404 compliance, then the issuance of an excavation permit by the agency shall be considered an undertaking for purposes of Section 9-8-404.


R850-60-500. Identifying Historic Properties
Latest version.

1. Following the agency's determination that a proposed trust land use constitutes an undertaking, the agency shall establish the undertaking's area of potential effects. Thereafter, the agency shall collect and review existing information about historic properties that may be located within the area of potential effects. As part of this process, the agency may seek information from the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Indian tribes, local governments, other state or federal agencies or any other interested parties likely to have knowledge or concerns about cultural resources in the area. The agency may delegate this collection of information to an appropriate person.

2. Based on this review, the agency shall make a reasonable and good faith effort to identify historic properties that might be affected by an undertaking and shall gather sufficient information to evaluate the eligibility of these properties for the National Register.


R850-60-600. Identification Responsibilities
Latest version.

1. The agency may conduct cultural resource surveys on trust lands in the order of priority determined by the agency. The agency shall assign a higher priority to those cultural resource surveys for proposed uses which the agency has determined will best fulfill the trust land management objectives in R850-2-200. Agency personnel shall not normally conduct cultural resource surveys for mineral exploration or development, for easements, for surface use leases, or for projects where federal, other state or local government agencies are the applicants.

2. The director shall decide whether a cultural resource survey shall be conducted on behalf of the agency, by whom it shall be conducted, and the scope and extent to which it shall be conducted.

3. The director shall decide who will pay the cost of the cultural resource survey, when that cost shall be incurred, how much of the total cost shall be recovered, and from whom it shall be recovered. The agency may request from an applicant or interested party payment of the cost of a cultural resource survey prior to the survey being conducted.

(a) If the party providing payment for the cultural resource survey is successful in his or her bid for the use or purchase of the trust land in question, then the agency shall not reimburse the bidder for the cost of the survey.

(b) If the party providing payment for the cultural resource survey is unsuccessful in his or her bid for the trust land in question, the agency shall reimburse that party the same amount the agency received as payment for the cultural resource survey.


R850-60-700. Evaluating Eligibility
Latest version.

1. The agency shall make a determination of the eligibility for the National Register for each site identified within the undertaking's area of potential effects. The passage of time, changes in the nature of the undertaking or changing perceptions of significance may justify re-evaluation of sites that were previously determined to be eligible or ineligible for purposes of Section 9-8-404.

2. If the agency finds that either there are no historic properties present within the area of potential effects or there are historic properties present but the undertaking will have no effect on them as defined herein, the agency shall make a finding of "No Historic Properties Affected" and provide the SHPO with a written evaluation in support of that finding. If the SHPO does not reply within the time specified in Subsection 9-8-404(3)(a) or within the time period agreed to by the parties, then the agency may presume that the SHPO concurs with the agency.

3. If the agency finds that there are historic properties within the area of potential effects and the undertaking may cause changes in the character or use of historic properties, the agency shall make an assessment of effect in accordance with R850-60-800.


R850-60-800. Assessing Effects
Latest version.

1. The agency shall assess the effect of a proposed trust land use or disposition on historic properties by applying the following:

(a) Criteria of adverse effect. An adverse effect is found when an undertaking may alter, directly or indirectly, any of the characteristics of a historic property that qualify the property for inclusion in the National Register in a manner that would diminish the integrity of the property's location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, or association. Adverse effects may include reasonably foreseeable effects caused by the undertaking that may occur later in time, be farther removed in distance or be cumulative.

(b) Examples of adverse effects. Adverse effects on historic properties include:

i) physical destruction of or damage to all or part of the property;

ii) alteration of a property, including restoration, rehabilitation, repair, maintenance, stabilization, hazardous material remediation;

iii) removal of the property from its historic location;

iv) neglect of a property which causes its deterioration, except where such neglect and deterioration are recognized qualities of a property; or

v) disposal of trust lands without adequate restrictions or conditions to ensure long-term preservation of the property's historic significance.

(c) Finding of no adverse effect. The agency may make a finding of no adverse effect when the undertaking's effects do not meet the criteria of paragraph (1)(a) of this section or the undertaking is modified or conditions are imposed to avoid adverse effects.

2. The agency shall consult the SHPO regarding the finding of effect. If the SHPO does not provide the agency with comment within the time frame set forth in Section 9-8-404, the SHPO is presumed to agree with the agency's finding of effect.

3. The director may establish treatment options in consultation with the SHPO that may include:

(a) archaeological data recovery;

(b) "alternative" or "creative" mitigation;

(c) physical treatment to alleviate or minimize the adverse effect(s);

(d) historic property documentation; or

(e) simple case documentation.

The director will make the final decision regarding any treatment options.


R850-60-900. Discoveries
Latest version.

1. Upon discovering a site, a user of trust lands shall immediately cease all activities until such time as the discovery has been evaluated and treated to the director's satisfaction.


R850-60-1000. Emergency Undertakings
Latest version.

The director may waive cultural resource management considerations when responding to wildland fires, flood control and other emergency actions.


R850-60-1100. Programmatic Agreements
Latest version.

The agency may enter into programmatic agreements with the SHPO, or with other state or federal agencies, and with local governments for compliance with Section 9-8-404 or other pertinent state statutes. The agency may also cooperate with federal agencies in federal programmatic agreements where practicable and appropriate.


R850-60-1200. Records
Latest version.

1. The agency shall submit one copy each of all site forms, survey and data recovery, treatment or mitigation reports prepared by the agency to the SHPO. All permittees preparing similar data or conducting work in accordance with R850-60-400 shall furnish two sets of the results of their work, one of which the agency will submit to the SHPO.

2. Records and data containing site location information which could jeopardize the integrity of those sites shall be provided protected records status pursuant to Subsection 63G-2-305(26).