Accession Folders

Accession folders exist for AMIS-00001 to
AMIS-00294. The accession folders are in
an unlocked standard filing cabinet within
the Curatorial Facility. Accession folders
are missing for AMIS-00139, AMIS-00141,
AMIS-00142, AMIS-00162, AMIS-00189,
AMIS-00214, AMIS-00259, and AMIS-
00260, All of the folders need to be
replaced with acid-free folders with full cut
tabs. The accessions AMIS-00001 to
AMIS-00217 are stored in acidic old
accession folders. The folder for AMIS-
00001 is extremely dirty with something that
was spilled on it, Folders for AMIS-00258
and AMIS-00261 to AMIS-00282 are acid
free but have sticky labels applied to the tab.
This type of label will eventually fall off the
folders; recommend replacing the current
folders with acid-free ones with full cut tabs.
The half-cut acid-free folders tend to bend
and fold with continued use. The folders for
AMIS-00283 to AMIS-00294 are not acid-
free and the folder cover sheet is taped to the
front of each folder. The cover sheets may
be placed inside the folders: The tape will
eventually dry and the sheet will fall off.

The documentation inside the folders is on
acidic paper and some documents are

Figure 19: AMIS Accession folders

stapled, including the documents in the
following accessions; AMIS-00002, AMIS-
00011 to AMIS-00017, AMIS-00020 to
AMIS-00025, AMIS-00039, AMIS-00066
to AMIS-00068, AMIS-000152, AMIS-
000156, AMIS-000163, AMIS-000273, and
AMIS-000276. The staples need to be
removed.

The accession folders are to contain the
legal documents that identify from whom,
when, and how the collections were
acquired. The accession receiving report,
Form 10-95, is to be completed for each
accession.

Receiving reports are completed for most of
the park’s collections. The completed
receiving reports are filled out with both
pencil and pen. Official signatures are
missing on most of the receiving reports.
The “Designated Receiving Officer” has not
signed several AMIS-00143 to AMIS-
00152, AMIS-00164, and AMIS-00217 to
AMIS-00282. Both the “Objects/Specimens
Received by” and the “Designated
Receiving Officer” signatures are missing
from receiving reports for accessions AMIS-
00001 to AMIS-00053, AMIS-00077 to
AMIS-00114, AMIS-00153 to AMIS-
00158, and AMIS-00165 to AMIS-00216.
Four receiving reports were completed and
signed twice by the same person, AMIS-
00115 to AMIS-00118 and AMIS-00283 to
AMIS-00294.. Many receiving reports are
blank and only the accession number was
added; accessions AMIS-00054 to AMIS-
00065, AMIS-00069 to AMIS-00076,
AMIS-00119 to AMIS-00136, and AMIS-
00284 to AMIS-000293. Accession
receiving reports have not been completed
or filed for AMIS-00066 to AMIS-00068.
AMIS-00137 to AMIS-00152, AMIS-00159
to AMIS-00164, and AMIS-00217 to AMIS-
00282,

National Park Service 55


All records of natural and cultural resources and their management that contain information that
affects the future management of the resource. General management plans and other major
planning documents that record basic management philosophies and policies, or that direct park
management and activities for long periods of time. All land records regarding legal title, rights,
and usage of NPS lands, Any records that directly support the specific legislated mission of a
park unit in addition to, or distinct fram, the overall NPS mission.

Director’s Order 74, Studies and Collecting
(in draft as of June 2001)

Administrative Guide for Park Research Coordinators

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND COLLECTING PERMIT

This guidance is provided to assist parks in administering Scientific Research and Collecting
Permits in National Parks (36 CFR 2.5), The permit process uses the following documents:

Application for a Scientific Research and Collecting Permit

Scientific Research and Collecting Permit

Application Procedures and Requirements for Scientific Research and Collecting Permits
Guidelines to Researchers for Study Proposals

General Conditions

Investigator's Annual Report

Cover Sheet

2. Once the completed application form and research proposal are received, park staff should; e,
Assess proposed research for potential impact under NEPA guidelines before a permit is issued.
A determination must be made that the proposed project is categorically excluded or that, as a
result of conducting an appropriate level of environmental assessment, it may proceed within the
framework of any park-specific conditions that may be required.

3. Ifa permit is approved:

g. Ina single folder for each study number, hardcopies of the final application and permit
package (including all signed forms) will be filed in a secure location. All relevant information.
including permit and application forms, study proposals, peer-reviews, correspondences, or
related information including notes, photos, maps, and field data, are placed in the file, These
records are considered resource management files and are maintained for long-term use. The
park may desire to use laser jet printing on acid-free paper and folders toassist with their
preservation. Final disposition within five years of inactivation should include incorporation of
the files in the park's museum collection as permanent archives. All copies of field notes, data,
reports, and other records associated with the study that are submitted to NPS pursuant to a
permit must be accessioned and cataloged.

4. If the permit is not approved:

a. A letter of explanation must be sent to the applicant explaining the grounds for disapproval.
Phone or verbal discussions may also take place, but do not replace the need for a written
response. The correspondence should clearly state what elements of the proposal are
unacceptable. If modifications could make the proposal acceptable, the park may state them at

National Park Service 123


carefully considered in the stipulations of
each permit. A decision should be made
before issuing the permits as to who will be
responsible for cataloging, preserving, and
storing the specimens and archives.
Appendix C of this CMP has an outline of
suggested procedures to follow to integrate
the museum management program with the
permitting processes for research and
collecting.

Collecting permits from 2002 to 2004 are as
follows:

* AMIS-2001-SCI-00001 - Thomas Lee.
Bat specimens for research, No final
report or results of the project were
found.

= AMIS-2002-SCI-00001 — Jean Krejca,
University of Texas, Austin. No
collections made. No final report or
results of the project were found.

* AMIS-2002-SCI-00002 - Jackie Poole,
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Completed a floral survey. The
herbarium specimens have been
inventoried in NPSpecies and cataloged
in Re:discovery This collection is
aecessioned in ANCS+ as AMIS-00291
and the catalog numbers used are AMIS-
41140-41866 and 44171-44183. The
collections are housed at the University
of Texas Herbarium and Sul Ross State
University under Memorandums of
Understanding (MOUs),

* AMIS-2002-SCI-00003 -— David Hall,
University of Texas, Austin. No
collections made. No final report or
results of the project were found.

* AMIS-2002-SCI-00004 — Thomas Lee,
Department of Biology, Christian
University. This collection 1s

accessioned as AMIS-00288, Catalog
numbers AMIS 41100 - 41114 are
reserved for the cataloging of the
specimens,

AMIS-2002-SC1-00005 — John Patton,
Texas A&M, This collection is
accessioned as AMIS-00288. Catalog
numbers AMIS 41115 - 41133 are
reserved for the cataloging of the
specimens.

AMIS-2002-SC1-00006 — Richard Spjut,
World Botanical Association, Plant
specimens for research. The specimens
were to be housed ar the Smithsonian
Institution. No final report or results of
the project were found, This individual
also collected specimens from Big Bend
National Park.

AMIS-2003-SCI-00001 = James
Harrison, Texas A&M. No collects
made. No final report or results from
this project were found as the researcher
applied for, but never used, his permit as
the project focused on private property
adjacent to park boundaries.

AMIS-2003-SCI-00002 — Matt Goode,
University of Arizona. Collected
amphibians and reptiles to be housed at
the Museum of Southwest Biology, a
final report for this project is pending in
2005.

AMIS-2003-SCI-00003 — James Mueller
and James F. Scudday, Sul Ross State
University. Completed a mammal
survey, No final report or results from
this project were found.

AMIS-2003-SCI-00004 — Paul Wilson,
California State University. Collected
insects and herbarium specimens, whose
whereabouts are unknown. No final

National Park Service 21


Cover photo: Prehistoric painted pebble (AMIS-15148), Estimated age |,500-2,000 before present.


APPENDIX D: Summary of Laws and Regulations for the Management
of Natural History Collections in the NPS

The following is a synopsis of current regulations, policies and guidelines for the accountability
and preservation of natural history collections in the national park system, This synopsis is not
exhaustive.

NPS Management Policies (2001)

4.2.1 NPS-conducted or -sponsored inyentory, Monitoring, and Research Studies
Superintendents may authorize National Park Service staff to carry out routine inventory,
monitoring, study, and related duties without requiring an NPS scientific research and collecting
permit. With or without an NPS permit, Service staff will comply appropriately with professional
standards and with general and park-specific research and collecting permit conditions. All
research and data and specimen collection conducted by NPS employees will be appropriately
documented and carried out in. accordance with all laws, regulations, policies, and professional
standards pertaining to survey, inventory, monitoring, and research.

4.2.3 Natural Resource Collections

Natural resource collections include non-living and living specimens, Guidance for collecting
and managing specimens and associated field records can be found in the Code of Federal
Regulations (36 CFR 2.5) and NPS guidance documents, including the Museum Handhaok.
Non-living specimens and their associated field records are managed as museum collections.
Living collections will be managed in accordance with the provisions of a park’s management
plan, the Animal Welfare Act, and other appropriate requirements. Field data, objects,
specimens. and features obtained for preservation during inventory, monitoring, research, and
study projects, together with associated records and reports, will be managed over the long term
within the museum collection.

Specimens that are not authorized for consumptive analysis will be labeled and cataloged into an
appropriate cataloging system in accordance with applicable regulations (36 CPR 2,5),

(See Paleontological Resources and Their Contexts 4.8.2.1; Collecting Natural Products 8.8;
Consumptive Uses 8.9; Natural and Cultural Studies, Research, and Collection Activities 8.10;
Social Science Studies 8,11. Also see Director's Order #24: Museum Management)

Code of Federal Regulations

Title 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY

[Revised as of July 1, 2000]

Sec, 2.5 Research specimens,

(a) Taking plants, fish, wildlife, rocks or minerals except in accordance with other regulations of-
this chapter or pursuant to the terms and conditions of a specimen collection permit, is
prohibited.

(b) A specimen collection permit may be issued only to an official representative of a reputable
scientific or educational institution or a State or Federal agency for the purpose of research,
baseline inventories monitoring impact analysis, group study, or museum display when the
superintendent determines that the collection is necessary to the stated scientific or resource
management goals of the Institution or agency and that all applicable Federal and State permits

Nationa! Park Service 119


Callection Management Plary

set to LOW COOL Level 7 and have been
on constantly since September 2005 in an
attempt to regulate the temperature and
relative humidity of the building as much as
the current equipment allows. Previously,
the air-conditioning units were only turned
on when staff were present, otherwise, the
units remained off, The park has no long-
term monitoring equipment, so the
temperature levels that the units maintain
were unknown prior to September 2005. The
park has an Extech Hygro-Thermometer
Clock. This device provides the current, as
well as the minimum and maximum
temperature and humidity levels. The
readings at the second visit were 87° F/82%
humidity maximum and 32 ° F/38%
minimum. As of this writing, the
temperature and relative humidity, along
with the date, time, and external
environmental conditions that may affect the
internal conditions are being recorded on a
daily basis on the new environmental
monitoring form.

The majority of the collection is contained
in standard museum cabinets and open
shelving at the facility. Of the eight standard
muscum cabinets, only three contain
museum collections. Two cabinets do not
lock. The cabinets consist of several older
designs.

Figure 20: Temperature and relative humidity are
now being recorded daily

64 Amistad National Recreation Area

Figure 21; These standard museum cabinets need
to be raised off the ground at least 4 Inches

The cabinets require 4 to 6 inch stands to
raise them off the floor. Collections in the
cabinets are mixed; stone tools are stored
with fragile vegetal items.

Organizing the collections by material type
within the cabinets will prevent the stone
tools from hitting fragile vegetal materials.
The stone tools are stored in polyethylene
foam cutouts in individual drawers. This is a
nice way to display them for viewing, but
this method takes up a lot of space and has
the potential to cause artifacts to become
lost. If a drawer were to be dropped, the
stone tools would fall out of this “cavity”
style of packing. For inventory and
protection reasons, the artifacts should be
rehoused in clear polyethylene zip-lock bags
(4 mil thickness), and includes acid-free tags
showing accession and catalog number
information. Line the drawers with
polyethylene foam drawer liners for
padding. After rehousing the artifact, all the
stone materials will most likely fit in one
standard museum cabinet. Larger stone and
fossil materials are currently in the upper
cabinets in the upper drawers. Because of
their weight, they should be relocated to
lower cabinets and stored with only a few in
each drawer.


The park has also placed work on the Texas
Beyond History (TBH) website
(http://www texasbeyondhistory.net). Based
out of the Univeristy of Texas at Austin’s
Texas Archeological Research Laboratory
(TARL), TBH is one of the largest
archeology related websites in North
America. As of November 2005, the site

pages. According to the TBH editor. Dr.
Steve Black, the pages with Amistad
National Recreation Area (AMIS) materials
on the website are requested at least 250,000
times per year. Using this number, he
projects a minimum of 100,000 web visitors
requesting AMIS-related pages on TBH
each year,

offered over 6,000 images and hundreds of

Dhar rede Le mitiney

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aes Ore ee meee esas Seo a"
Tid UNIVERSITY Oy TENAD AY MUNIN © COLLEGE GP LINUAAL ARTS

Sy TEXAS BEYOND HisToRY hin

e Lower Pecos

= Lower Pevos Ram ww Gane Worl w Rocket Rock arr = teanoom
Cvaryeny, Eerransatinary Things ab Areneslous o Balire haueing o# Create & Rources

Everyday, Extraordinary Things

we irre

rae ard proticcet mete
menredliy Bue aN

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Figure 26; In addition to the objected pictured on the website, Texas Beyond History has a link to AMIS-NPS
Web Catalog found at the bottom of the page shown above

National Park Service 75


The content of the Witte Museum archives
includes:

Seventy-four paper tab file folders and
accordion files containing 20 to 40 loose
pages each. The folders contain
handwritten field notes and specimen
lists in fountain pen, pencil, and ball
point pen.

Approximately 15 typed manuscripts of
40 to 60 pages each in paper file folders,
accordion files, or removable slide clip
bindings.

Four files of approximately 200 pages
each (single-sided) which are either
slide- clip bound or in paper file folders.

Seventy-five 3 by 4-inch black-and-
white photographs in three steno pad-
sized notebooks (made from window
shade material). There are 25
photographs per notebook, one photo per
page. Each photo has a typed caption,
The notebooks are from 1940 and are in
fair condition.

Filty 4 by 5-inch glass plate negatives
(which may be lantern slides).

Six record cases of black-and-white
photographs and negatives, There are all
types of photographs and negatives in
these cases (e.g. sile overviews,
excavation profiles), The cases contain
an average of about fifty 4 by 5-inch
negatives and photographs cach. The
photo logs are not in the boxes and are
either missing or mixed in with the files
and manuscripts. Also, many of the
images may be from sites outside AMIS

property.

One collection of Trans-Pecos Region
archeological reports dating from 1929

to 1931. Portions of at least two of the
reports deal with areas outside AMIS
property.

Texas Archeological Research Laboratory

The Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory (TARL) at the University of
Texas at Austin is the central repository for
archeological data and collections for the
state of Texas. The archives include site
documentation forms, manuscripts, reports,
photographs, slides, base maps, site maps,
and collections data for most sites in AMIS.

The archives that have been cataloged as
NPS property are most of the materials
generated and used before and during a
specific archeological project dating from
1958-1970, There are 467 archive catalog
records in the Automated National Catalog
System Plus (ANCS+); catalog numbers
used to date are AMIS 30002-30004, 30007-
30008, 30012, 30015-30020, 30022-30038,
and 30040-30478.

The content of TARL archives includes:

* Project files, There are 3.3 linear feet of
archeological project files. The files
contain an undetermined number of
loose and stapled pages. Pages are typed
and handwritten in pencil and ink.

* Oversized map files. There are three 3.5
by 4.5-foot drawers — containing
archeological base maps, field maps,
oversized site maps and profile
drawings, and technical report figures.
Each drawer contains approximately 100
items. At least a quarter of the field
maps and profiles are originals in pencil.
Many consist of 8.5 by I l-inch sheets of
paper taped together.

National Park Service 11


Callaction Management Plan

To Submit Collections with Photographs For Publication:

The Index to American Photographic Collections is both a published guide and a database
maintained by the International Museum of Photography in conjunction with the Rochester
Institute of Technology. Write the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman
House, 900 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 or call: 716-271-3361 or fax: 716-271-3970.

To Submit Collections with Motion Picture Film Footage For Publication:

The National Moving Image Database (NAMID) of the American Film Institute is a national
registry and database of motion picture films, Write the American Film Institute, Louis B. Mayer
Library, 2021 N. Western Avenue., PO Box 27999, Los Angeles, CA 90027: or call: 213-856-
7660; or e-mail: hkm@erl.com.

How to Manage Official Records

If. Then...
the collection is official, you may not acquire it for the
(see Section B.2) museum collection but must instead

dispose of it according to NPS-19,
Records Management Guideline

official material is scheduled you must certify if to the
for destruction or shipping to archivist of the U.S, (at NARA)
federal records center, but ts that it is needed for current use.

still actively needed in the park, For example: museum accession,
cataloging, und Joun records

How to Manage Non-Official Records

If. Then.

the collection is non-official, compare it to the park's Scope of

it fits the park's SOCS and has add it to the park's museum
permanent value to the park, collection.

the collection 1s: in good shape take the collection into the museum
without mold, insects. or work space for accessioning:
vermin,

the collection is in bad shape, don't bring it into the museum
such as infested with mold, work or storage space a3 you may
Insects, or vermin, spread the infestation.

Instead, have the collection
stabilized via freezing or treatment
by a-conservator be

128 Amistad National Recreation Area


Collection Management Plan

Checklist for Preservation and Protection of
Museum Collections, October 2005

In 2004 the park submitted the checklist for
five facilities. Most of the facilities listed on
the checklist are no longer in use. With the
move of collections to the curatorial facility,
only two facilities are being used - TARL
and the curatorial facility. For FY2005, the
park submitted checklists for the curatorial
facility and TARL. On the 2005 checklist,
each room at TARL was submitted as a
separate facility as they all had unique
issues. Almost all the planning documents
are identified on the checklist as a need to
help guide the park in museum collection
management efforts.

Collection Management Report (CMR), 2004

It is important that these figures are correct,
especially the backlog collections remaining
to be cataloged. The CMR reports only
2,133 backlogged archives; this does not
include the estimated 67 If identified during
the archives survey. The Backlog Cataloging
Program fund distribution is based on the
CMR so it is critical that it accurately reflect
the total park collection, especially in regard
to the uncataloged backlog. The reallocation
of Backlog Cataloging Program funds will
take place next fiscal year and the
distribution of funds for each region will be
based on the backlog reported in the CMR.

Natural Resource Challenge — Inventory and
Monitoring Program

The park is not likely to house natural
resource specimens. The archival collections
(field notes, maps, photographs, electronic
data, etc.) related to this research, however,
should be added to the park museum
collection as the depository for all
documentation about park resources.

Collections Management Plan (CMP)
scheduled 2005

As noted in the Museum Handbook, Part 1,
chapter 3, a CMP “...is a review of your
park’s collection management program to

70 Amistad National Recreation Area

identify problems and make
recommendations on the management and
care of the collections.” The current CMP
planning effort is building on the collections
information at AMIS. Professionals have
been brought together to review all aspects
of the museum program and to provide a
plan for park management. The CMP is to
be finalized by the end of fiscal year 2005.

Other Planning Documents

Several other planning documents pertain to
museum collections but will require
integration with other park staff and
operations. These are discussed further in
other sections of this CMP and outlined in
the Museum Handbook, Part 1: Museum
Collections:

= Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM)
[Chapter 8]

= Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) [Chapter
10)

* Museum Housekeeping Plan [Chapter 8]

While these documents must include
guidance specific to NPS museum
collections, they must also be completed
with a view to the park as a whole. For
example, the museum Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) plan must be part of the
parkwide IPM program and conform to NPS
guidance on integrated pest management.
Preservation and protection of the museum
collection is a park concern and requires the
collaboration of staff from all areas of the
park. Thus, museum staff must have the
cooperation of other divisions and park staff
to make the planning documents work for
the park.

Staffing

Museum management is a complex,
interdisciplinary park function __ that
interfaces with all park activities, but
especially with resource management
(research specimens and associated records)


Callaction Management Plan

(Dibble 1965; Dibble and Lorraine 1968),
Eagle Cave (Ross 1965), the Nopal Terrace
site (Sorrow 1968), Parida Cave (Alexander
1970), the Javelina Bluff site (McLurkan
1968), Conejo Shelter and the Perry Calk
site (Collins 1969), and Coontail Spin,
Zopolite Cave, Arenosa Shelter (Dibble
1967), and Mosquito Cave (Nunley, et al.
1962),

Several major pictograph surveys and
documentation projects were completed as
part of the preinundation studies. Including
those by Gebhard (1960, 1961, 1965) and
Grieder (1965, 1966a, 1966b).

Figure 11; Thirty foot stratagraphic profile at Arenosa Shelter Archeological Excavation, 1965

28 Amistad Nations! Recreation Area


Hester, Thomas R.
1989a Texas and Northeastern Mexico; An Overview, In; David H. Thomas, ed.,
Columbian Consequences, Vol. \, pp. 191-211. Smithsonian Press, Washington D.C.

1989b Perspectives on the Material Culture of the Mission Indians of the Texas-
Nartheastern Mexico Borderlands. In: David H. Thomas, ed., Columbian
Consequences, pp. 213-229. Smithsonian Press, Washington D.C.

Holden, William C.
1937 Excavations at Mirah Cave, Bulletin of the Texas Archeological and
Paleontological Society 9:48-73.

Jackson, A. T.
1938 Picture-Writing of Texas Indians. University of Texas Publication 3809, Austin.

Johnson, Leroy, Jr.
1959 Palynology at Diable Reservoir, Part I; Analysis of Sites 41VV189 and
41VV191. Division of Research in Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin. Report
submitted to the National Park Service,

1961 The Devils Mouth Site: A River Terrace Midden, Diablo Reservoir, Texas.
Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society 30:253-285.

1963 Pollen Analysis of Two Archeological Sites at Amistad Reservoir in Texas.
Texas Journal of Science 12(2):225-230.

1964 The Devils Mouth Site: A Stratified Campsite at Amistad Reservoir, Texas.
Archeology Series 6, Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin.

Kaluarachehi, Warna, Joe Labadie, and John Russ
1995 A close look at the rock art of Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas:
Pictograph paint and accretion analysis techniques improve cultural reconstructions and
the interplay of preservation and deterioration processes. In Park Science, Vol. 15, no.
4:1, 16-17. Washington.

Kenmotsu, Nancy A., and Mariah F.Wade
2002 Amistad National Recreation Area: American Indian Tribal Affiliation Study
Phase I: Ethnohistoric Literature Review. Jointly published by the National Park Service
and the Texas Department of Transportation, Archeological Studies Program, Report No.
34. Austin.

Kirkland, Forrest

1937a A Comparison of Texas Indian Pictographs With Paleolithic Paintings in Europe.
Central Texas Archeologist 3:9-26.

National Park Service 105


included in the collection’s description and
catalog record. It is recommended that the
park use the Copyright Statement included
in ANCS+

Park access rules should be presented to
researchers as they check in, just before they
sign the visitor log. The researcher's
signature can then serve to document his or
her awareness of the regulations and his or
her agreement to abide by them. Access and
supervision procedures should be discussed
with all park staf’ who assist and supervise
the researchers. Museum staff should also
prepare a research room SOP that addresses
requests for duplication, research assistance,
and permission to publish. Reference
questions and monitoring procedures as well
as general security measures should also be
included in the rescarch room SOP. A
security plan also needs to be prepared so
that staff members know what to do in the
event of an attempted theft. Never leave
collections unattended or oul overnight in an
unsecured room. Park staff should be
familiar with the applicable federal and state
laws regarding theft of archival materials. A
sample Access Policies and Rules
Governing Use statement for archival
collections is provided in appendix D, Also
refer to. the Museum Handbook, Part Il,
chapter 1 - Evaluating and Documenting
Use, and chapter 2 - Legal Issues for further
assistance.

As public institutions, NPS archival
repositories are open without qualifications
as to the academic or professional status of
the researcher. Certain types of documents,
such as locational data for archeological
sites and endangered or threatened species
habitat are not generally available to the
public under the guidance of the Freedom of
Information Act. Materials that were
published or made available to any
individuals (including park staff) for

research must be equally available to all
outside researchers. Although archival
material must be available for research, the
park is also charged with the responsibility
of preserving these collections. The aim is
to establish and implement policies that
substantially reduce the risk of damage or
loss to the collection at the same time that
access is provided. Park staff must identify
records that reveal sensitive site locations, or
records for which the park docs not have
copyright or legal custody; access to such
material must be restricted for publication.
Publication venues include park exhibits and
web sites.

Archival materials cannot be checked out
like library items and should never leave the
park except when the collections must be
taken offsite where NPS personnel or a
contracted professional archivist will
preserve or catalog them. Even park staff
members are restricted from removing
archival materials. They can and should,
however, make and use copies they need for
carrying out their work. Any archival
collections that have to leave the park for
conservation, processing. or other
mandatory reasons, must be placed on loan
and the person(s) taking the records offsite
must sign a receipt for property. In addition,
access to the archives must be controlled
and researchers using the materials need to
be supervised. Never provide written
permission to researchers to publish
materials unless absolutely certain that NPS
holds the copyright. In addition, use NPS
consent forms when granting permission,
rather than signing any forms the requestors
may provided. Never grant all copyrights,
all rights in perpetuity, all international
rights or similar statements allowing endless
usage. Also, do not provide high-quality
photographic copies or allow the researcher
to copy any materials that have publication
restrictions by any mechanical means

National Park Service 35


Collection Managemant Pian

The loan agreement with the University of
Nebraska needs to be finalized. Most of the
collection except for those items on the list
of missing has been returned. Once the park
has received the entire collection, park staff
should close out the loan as returned.

The status of TARL loan 200,03/AMIS loan
200.03 could not be determined. The loan
with the Brazos Valley Museum expired
June 16, 2000 and the item was returned.
The loan agreement is to be updated
accordingly.

A request for loaning an obsidian flake too!
to the Texas State History Museum was
found, but no loan agreement could be
located.

Projects have been completed by the staff of
the WACC. The statuses of these projects
could not be determined from the museum
documentation. No loan agreements could
be identified for the Low Water Survey by
Steve Baumann. The center was also
involved in the Backcountry Management
Plan, which should have generated archives
to be added to the museum collection. The
materials are still being processed at
WACC, and. upon completion will be
returned to AMIS.

Automated Inventory Program

The required NPS Annual Inventory of
Museum Property (AIP) checks the physical
location, condition, and documentation of
objects in the museum collection. The
annual inventory identifies systematic
object-specific accountability collections
management _ problems, The park
superintendent is responsible for insuring
that park staff conducts the inventory.
Instructions for completing and submitting
the annual inventory of museum property
are found in the Museum Handbook, Part |1,

80 Amistad National Recreation Arne

chapter 4. The controlled property, random
sample, and accessions inventories are
generated with the ANCS+ software. See
the ANCS+ User’s Manual, Appendix F,
The Automated Inventory Program for
instructions. The annua! inventories are due
by September | of each year,

The park completed the FY2004 Annual
Inventory of Museum Property. A random
sample inventory was also completed and no
items are missing. Park staff has not
identified any items in the museum as being
controlled property. Controlled property are
any objects valued at $1,000 or more; items
subject to theft; firearms; natural history
specimens that are rare: and NAGPRA
items. The collections should be reviewed
to identify any controlled property. The
park has also completed an accessions
inventory. The accessions inventory is to be
completed for the accessions that are
uneataloged,

Annual inventories in 2002 and 2003 were
generated by TARL staff. These annual
inventories must be generated from the main
ANCS+ database at the park, not off site.
Park staff will contact the non-NPS
repositories for object location verification
for future inventories.

Collection Management Report

The Collection Management Report (CMR)
is an annually required museum report; as
such, it provides information on the makeup
and activity of the museum collection.
Collection activity consists of new
accessions, new cataloging, outgoing loans,
exhibits, deaccessions, and research
requests. The park’s CMR data are to reflect
the entire museum collection, including
materials on Joan to universities or
repositories.


CHAPTER 6: Archives and Resource Management Documentation

It was immediately apparent during the site
visit that Amistad National Recreation Arca
(AMIS) is making excellent progress in
managing the park's library, managing
recent official records, initially preserving
archival materials, and educating the public
in outreach programs. The park’s library has
little, if any backlog, and continues to
catalog new books into the database and to
apply Library of Congress (LOC) numbers.
The park’s outreach program. via the
digitization of slides and reports, which will
be accessible through the park's website, is
currently one of the best developed and
organized in the National Park Service
(NPS). In addition, the park has initiated the
appropriate preservation methods, such as
storing oversized maps, drawings, and plans
in map cabinets so that they lie flat, as
opposed to being left rolled; enclosing the
photographic prints in polyester Mylar
sleeves; and rehousing many files in acid-
free folders.

Figure 14: Map cabinet in Cultural Resource
Management office

The first major step the park needs to take is
to bring the museum collection archives
together into one physical location. The next
step will then be to process and catalog these
identified archival collections by means of a
backlog-cataloging project. Processing the

collections and creating finding guides will
further the long-term preservation of the
archival items and make the collections
physically accessible for generations to
come. Using archival methods to catalog
will dramatically improve the collections’
accessibility and will allow for faster
retrieval, greater organization of the
archives, and increased compliance with
public access laws.

The term Archives refers both to the
repository and to the material with
permanent value stored in the repository. In
the NPS, a park’s museum collection
archive is composed of documentary
materials of different origins. For example,
non-NPS created historical documents
relating to the park’s mission, such as
personal papers and manuscripts; park
generated manuscripts and reference
material, associated records that supplement
the museum objects or specimens in some
way, and records with permanent value that
pertain to the park"s resource management
history are just a few of the many types of
documentation found in a museum
collection. The latter type refers to. resource
management records, which document the
history of management decisions and actions
concerning the park’s natural and cultural
resources. Such documents include research
project reports, associated records (i.e. field
notes), administrative materials, planning
documents, interpretation documents, and
other documents needed to guide future
decisions affecting resource management.
Other examples of resource management
records include those records that document
land acquisition and management, planning
and development, those records that
document the changing image of the park or
resources, materials reflecting a condition,
and the use or modification of the natural

National Park Service 31


CHAPTER 8: Storage

An understanding of how archives and
museum collections are related is central to
a discussion of collection storage and work
facilities. Also pertinent are the special
preservation needs of each resource as well
as the linkages among resources that help to
provide the staff and public with access.

Archives and museum collections both
contain information relating to the park's
resources, For example, the archives should
house the written reports, maps,
photographs, and plans that result from
research. The museum collection should
contain objects related to the history and
archeology of, and the specimens collected
from, research activities in the park.
Although the information in the archives and
museum collections may be in different
formats, this information is interconnected.
The objective of collections management is
to facilitate user access to these materials.
From one place in the park, a user should be
able to view specimens in the museum
collection, find the data in park archives
concerning those specimens, and access any
electronic information available via
computer.

Simply having sufficient storage space for
these materials satisfies only part of the
collections management mandate. The
Museum Handbook, Part 1, chapter 7,
provides guidance and standards for the
storage of collections. The park needs to
dedicate space for the preparation, study,
and preservation of objects and specimens,
and for the study of the archives. The park
should have additional space for
administrative functions related to these
collections, and for other specialized needs.
Some of these spaces, such as the general
administrative storage areas, meeting, and

conference rooms can be shared with other
park or public functions. Having the study,
storage, and work areas adjacent to public
areas such as exhibits, conference rooms,
and administrative offices is also desirable.
In fact, public viewing of specimen
preparation and preservation in the
laboratory is extremely popular when
provided at NPS sites, such as Dinosaur
National Monument and Fort Vancouver
National Historic Park.

Another collections management objective
is to facilitate the use of these archives and
museum data. Simply having sufficient
storage space for this material satisfies only
part of the management goal. In addition to
storage, dedicated space is also required for
preparing, preserving, studying specimens,
and for study of associated materials in the
archives and library. Sometimes, this space
needs to be specialized. with equipment
installed such as sinks, drying racks, and air
exchange units,

Curatorial Facility

The museum program has recently
consolidated the museum collections into
the former conference building (a 20' x 30’
portable steel building), having removed
them from several locations in the
headquarters area. This area is now called
the Curatorial Facility and is the main park
collections storage and work area.

The park will continue to have a small
sample of its collections on site. The bulk of
the collections will continue to be stored at
the TARL facility.

The Curatorial Facility has two air-
conditioning units installed, These units are

National Park Servics 63


Collection Management Pian

1937b A Stucly of Indian Pictures in Texas. Bulletin of the Texas Archeological and
Paleontological Society 9:98-119.

1938 A Description of Texas Pictographs, Bulletin of the Texas Archeological and
Paleontological Society 10:11-40.

1939 Indian Pictures of the Dry Shelters af Val Verde County Texas. Bulletin of the
Texas Archeological and Paleontological Society 11:46-76-

Kirkland, Forrest, and W. W. Newcomb, Jr.
1967 The Rock Art of Texas Indians. University of Texas Press, Austin,

Labadie, Joseph H.
1990a Current Rock Art Research at Amistad Recreation Area, Southwest Texas. In:
Solveig A. Turpin, ed., American Indian Rock Art 16:81-92. Proceedings of the
Intemational Rock Art Conference and 16th Annual Meeting of the American Rock Art
Research Association.

1990b Petroglyphs in the Lower Pecos Region of Southwest Texas. Paper presented at
the 60th Annual Texas Archeological Society Meeting, October 28 1990, Dallas, Texas.

1994 Amistad National Recreation Area: Cultural Resources Study. U.S. Department of
the Interior, National Park Service. Southwest Regional Office, Santa Fe. New Mexico.

Labadie, Joc, Kathy Labadie, Terry Sayther, and Deborah Stuart
1997 A First Look at the E] Caido Site: A Historic Rock Art Site in Far Northern
Coahuila, Mexico. La Tierra Vol. 24, No. 1:14-32.

Martin, George C,
1933 Archeological Explorations of the Shumla Caves. Witte Memorial Museum
Bulletin 3, San Antonio.

1935 Report on Four Shumla Cave Packets. Bulletin of the Texas Archeological and
Paleontological Society 7:115-117.

Martin, George C., and Samuel Woolford
1932 Painted Pebbles of the Big Bend. Bulletin of the Texas Archeological and
Paleontological Society 4:20-24.

McGregor, Roberta
1992 Prehistoric Basketry of the Lower Pecos, Texas. Monographs in World
Archaeology No. 6; Prehistory Press. Madison, Wisconsin.

McLurkan, Bernie B.

1968 Test Excavations at the Javelina Bluff Site (41VV11), Fall, 1966. Report submitted
to the National Park Service.

104 Amistad National Recreation Area


Collection Managament Pian

Cultural Resource Project Documentation Submissions Checklist
Director's Order 28

Chapter 3; Research — Report —
Standards (p, 21)

a

Object collections, field notes, sketches,
plans, maps, photographs, computerized
databases, interview tapes, and
transcripts are properly curated and
maintained as part of the park’s museum
collection and its information base, with

confidentially ensured when appropriate.

Section 106 Compliance (p. 60)

Q

Documentation of no-efTect findings and
evidence of consultation with SHPO’s
must be retained in park files

Archcology (p.60)

Qa
a

Artifacts
All associated paper records

Cultural Landscapes (p. 111)

gooucgs

All associated records
Maps

Field notes
Photographs

Soil or pollen analyses

goooc

Construction files

Cultural Landscape Report

Reports

Publications

Record of Treatment (copy; including all
specifications. plans, work procedures)

Historic Structures (p. 136)

o

oco

uo

Material (structure) samples.

Field notes

Photographs

Construction Files (including all plans
and specification)

Reports

Publications

Ethnographic Resources (p. 165)

onooocode

(Summaries of) Field notes
Oral history tapes
Transcripts

Videotapes

Photographs

Draft report

Final report

Publications

National Resource Project Documentation and Research Activities Materials for Placement
in Museum Collection Checklist:
NPS-77

Natural Resources Management Guideline

onunbvndoubacuoeo

Field notes

Daily journals

Maps

Drawings
Photographs, negatives, slides
Videotapes

Raw data sheets
Remote sensing data
Copies of contracts
Correspondence
Repository agreements

128 Amistad National Recreation Area

cocooaoa

ooudgo

Specialists’ reports and analyses
Reports and manuscripts
Collection inventories

Field catalogs

Analytical study data

Sound recordings

Computer documentation and data
Tabulations and lists

Specimen preparation records
Conservation treatment records
Reports on all scientific samples lost
through destructive analysis


folders with the accession number, catalog
number or number range. collection. title,
box number, and folder number. A folder
title and an annotated folder title should be
added as warranted. This information allows
a folder to be returned to its exact box
location if removed for research purposes
and the information can be used as part of
the finding aid, For specific guidance, refer
to the Museum Handbook, Part Il, appendix
D, and Conserve O Grams 19/16 - Housing
Archival Paper-Based Materials. Any
finding aids generated should then be placed
in the front of the box to assist in locating an
item or document within the box and for
completing the NPS annual inventory,

Once the archives collections are cataloged,
the park will still need to care for, and
preserve, these records so that they do not
become disorganized, lost, or infested. The
park will also need to monitor and control
the production of future records continually.
In addition to textual documents, records
will also include electronic records and
databases. To defend agains! the various
biological agents of destruction (Museum
Handbook, Part 1), the best alternative to
having paper collections at the park would
be to microfilm the archives collection. The
original documentation can remain at the
park once it is microfilmed. but the
opportunity for storing the paper collections
more stably is now possible. Microfilm will
ensure that the park has access to needed
resource management records onsite.
Duplicating the microfilm and storing
backups offsite is recommended to guard
against catastrophic loss.

In conjunction with an archives cataloging
project, park staff need to establish a number
of SOPs as well as a committee for
reviewing the disposition of inactive park
records. The needed policies include
archival Access and Use Policies,

Guidelines for Researchers, Researcher
Registration Form, copyright and privacy
statements. duplication forms. and computer
data migration policy. The park may create
a number of these policies. Examples of
policies can be found within ANCS+, and
the Museum Handbook, Part ll, appendix D
may be consulted as appropriate.
Specificully, use the updated Statement of
Copyright form incorporated into ANCS+
(not the one in appendix D), Establish a
SOP and checklist form for checking in or
establishing project files for deposit into the
archives or museum collection, Upon the
creation of a park archives, an access and
use policy will be needed to guide the park
staff's use of the project files. The park also
needs to develop an SOP for digitizing,
storing, and backing-up digitized images
(for instance how often and by whom’),
The SOP should also specify the software to
be used; the resolution quality, that is, dots
per inch (dpi); the type of file (TIFF files are
recommended as the current archival
medium); and who is responsible for
migrating these files. It should also specify
When the files should be migrated and in
what medium they will be stored (j.¢., on the
park server, compact disc, etc.) should also
be specified in the SOP. It will need to
indicate who is responsible in the event that
the park no longer has a filled Information
Technology (IT) position, and it should be
sufficiently clear that other park employees
will be able to perform or assume this duty.
The park will need to be vigilant in this
application because trying tw rescue
obsolescent software can be prohibitively
expensive.

All Park Divisions
Because records at AMIS are dispersed
throughout the park in different divisions,

records normally found in only one division,
such as maintenance, administration,

National Park Service 41


AMIS Photograph/Siide Collections at TARL

The Negative and Slide Collections stored at
TARL should have an AMIS catalog
number written on them (AMIS 3082) if
they belong to the NPS. If they do not have
this number, they do not belong to AMIS.
Some slides are checked ont to the park,
Some negatives are missing from their
respective envelopes or enclosures and are
either misfiled or lost. Also some slides,
instead of negatives, are in the negative
enclosures. This is likely the result of
making a slide from a print that had no
negative and then placing the slide in the
envelope as the master. It is recommended
that the slides stay in the envelopes (instead
of being placed with the slide collection) to
avoid any confusion regarding the slides*
origins and maintain the association between
the slides and the original print. There are
three full and two partial drawers that
collectively hold approximatly 4,000 prints
and/or negatives. About 60 to 70

percent of the 4,000 images stored at TARL
belong to AMIS. All are cataloged at the
collection level.

Within the photograph/negative collection,
the only way to distinguish whether the
image originated at AMIS or belonged to
TARL is from the photo logs in the site files,
or by seeing which site files produced NPS
artifacts/collections (thereby ascertaining
that the accompanying images are a part of
that collection), Otherwise, the other
deciding factor is the date of the image, or
the identity of the photographer. The
majority of AMIS collections at TARL dates
between 1958 and 1986, although the park is
also sending more recent material. The
photograph collection still needs a little
more processing, as it still has some acidic
envelopes and negatives without acid-
free/Mylar polyester enclosures. The
collection also has a total of six mostly
Kodachrome slide cases.

Figure 30: A 1932 aerial photograph of the confluence of the Pecos and Rio Grande, note flood plains

National Park Service 87


Catlection Management Plan

Archives and Resource Management
Documentation

Using data from the Archives Survey, the
park may begin the process of accessioning
and cataloging recently identified archives.
Emphasis will be placed on applying for
Backlog Cataloging funds to hire an
archivist who will lead the archives
cataloging process.. Additional attention

cataloging of archival documentation
pertaining to cultural resources such as
maps, drawings, field notes, photos,
negatives, digital files (photos, maps, GPS
data) and reports that result from
archeological projects.

Documentation and Record Keeping

Although limited museum-management
planning or programmatic support was
afforded to the park in the past, the park has
successfully obtained project funds to
continue cataloging efforts and the housing
upgrades of the collections at TARL.
Currently, about one-third of the collections
housed at TARL are cataloged and the large
backlog of the archeology collections
especially, deserves continued attention.

Storage

The park has made great progress in
consolidating the museum collection in the
curatorial facility. Improvements to be made
to this facility include the adding of a wall to
separate the storage area from the
research/working area, securing or adding
centralized alarm protection to the windows,
and organizing the collections within the
museum cabinets.

4 Amistad National Recreation Area

Planning, Programming, and Staffing

The park has been very successful in
applying for and receiving Backlog
Cataloging funds for cataloging archeology
collections. The park should expand the
requests for funding to include the
cataloging of the newly identified archives
collections. Facility improvement requests
are to be made to the MCPPP funds,

The park’s extensive collection needs
require the attention of a professional
museum curator. The work load associated
with this large museum collection is
considerable and is more than can be
effectively accomplished by an additional
duty assignment to a current staff member.

Security and Fire Protection

The park’s security and fire protection issues
appear to be adequate, but additional
attention, including the administration of
surveys in these areas would assist the park
in refining the issues.

Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory (TARL)

‘The established working relationship
between the park and TARL is already in
good standing. Additional written guidance
about park service policy should be provided
to TARL for such issues as loan policies and
research requests.

‘The TARL facility needs to be replaced with
a new facility to house the AMIS collections
in a structure that will meet NPS curatorial
standards. The Intermountain Region (IMR)
Museum Collection Facilities Strategy
supports AMIS in its ongoing partnership
with TARL to acquire a new facility.


COLLECTION MANAGEMENT PLAN

AMISTAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

Recommended By:

cthech_ 7, Pee aan ja/ia_/a00as”

Heather Young, Mifseum Gjirator, Curation Program Date
Intermountain Region, Santa Fe Office

Concurred By:
Jee Kou tet 14/15 [ 2065~
Joe Labadie, Cultural Resources Program Manager Date

Amistad National Recreation Area

Approved By:

(Rae. (u a ftefes-

Alan Cox, Superintendent
Amistad National Recreation Area


Collection Management Plan

According to DO-28 and NPS-77. project
documents are to be accessioned and
cataloged into a park’s museum collection
regardless of who conducted the project —
whether it be park staff. contractor,
cooperator, or nonpark NPS staff at regional
offices or service centers. While project
managers may wish to retain project files for
their own reference, originals or acid-free
copies must be placed in the museum
collection. Whether originals or duplicates
are archived is a decision that may be made
between the park staff and the project
researcher, In addition, copyright release
information should be included in the
contract and the cooperative agreement to
ensure that the park owns all copyrights to
documentary materials produced by
contractors and cooperators (to include
slides, negatives, and digital images). For
copyright information, refer to the Museum
Handbook, Part I11, chapter 2 - Legal Issues.

The park managers are to consider requiring
all park staff in charge of park records/files
to take basic records management training.
The park managers are to consider
establishing parkwide guidance on records
handling and records disposition, especially
concerning Privacy Act compliance with
regard to handling personal data that may be
subject to identity theft or to dealing with
personnel-file materials for VIPs and all
other park staff.

Appendix E contains a checklist for project
file indexes, which are included for staff
reference and use. These checklisis have
been developed from NPS-77, DO-28, DO-
12, and DO-2 policies to assist staff in
identifying and archiving permanent project
records as stipulated in these NPS
regulations.

38 Amistad National Recreation Area

Proposed Resource Management
Plan

At the time of the first site visit, resource
management records were not systematically
identified for retiring as archives to the park
museum collection(s). Upon review of park
records and general park operations, it was
ascertained such a model was needed.

The park needs to develop a proactive
process to identify mission-critical
documents for archiving at the inception of a
park project. not its project's completion.
Such documents should include materials
dealing with natural and cultural resource
management, land management, compliance
review, and park planning. By including
these documents, records management/data
management would become a kind of
critical business process for park resource
management. The parameters for such
mission-critical documents are set out in
DO-28, NPS-77, DO-2. DO-12, and DO-19.
All pertinent documents and related
materials to be placed in a project file need
to be clearly specified. This will ensure that
the appropriate documentation is preserved
and described for long-term access and use
by all interested park staff and outside
researchers, A possible methodology is
presented here for the park’s consideration.

A protocol is suggested for linking
compliance files with implementation files
between the Education and Resource
Management Division and all the other
divisions that may be implementing project
work, in particular the Natural Resources,
Maintenance, and Administration Divisions.
The recommendation is for these other
divisions to create comprehensive project
files that will carry a NEPA compliance or
PMIS project number for identification
purposes, For those projects funded through
PMIS, the recommendation is that the PMIS


timely manner. With these data, park staff
will be able to develop effective, integrated
programs to identify, program for, and meet
park needs, These data will also document
where project or temporary staff may be
needed to accomplish backlogged work or to
make the overall program more efficient.

Quality documentation of the collections,
including accessioning and cataloging, is
essential to the organization and use of the
information the collections contain. A park
can eliminate a large part of the collection's
documentation backlog by hiring
professional or technical personne! who are
trained toa perform this work to NPS
standards.

Observations

The museum collections of AMIS are in the
park curatorial facility and at TARL in
Austin, which is four hours driving distance
from the park, The AMIS collections at
TARL are considerable. consisting of almost
14 million objects. Furthermore, the
museum collections are going (o increase in
number, as is indicated by the 67 linear feet
of archives and as they will be identified
through the 1&M program as discussed in
chapters 6 and 4, respectively.

Planning

Amistad National Recreation Area, General
Management Plan, 2005

This document is currently a draft only and
is scheduled to be finalized in December
2005. This plan will address museum
collections issues.

Strategic Plan, 2005-2008

The parks’ Performance Management Data
System (PMDS) plan adequately addresses
the two main goals associated with museum
collections: by 2008. 251 preservation and

protection standards in NPS museum
collections will meet professional standards
and an additional 410,044 museum
collections will be entered into ANCS+.

Resource Management Plan (RMP), 1998

The RMP identifies the six projects that
relate to museum collections, These projects
correct museum deficiencies, continue
backlog cataloging. purchase a new ANCS+
computer, implementing the CMP, and
develop a museum collection finding guide.

The NPS is in the process of revising the
resource management plan guidance and
integrating it with PMIS to require less
duplication of effort. Some form of narrative
outlining the plans for preserving and
protecting park resources will be required,
This will be an important planning
document for the management and
preservation of park resources, including
museum collections.

When the RMP guidance is made available,
the museum collection needs to be an
integral part of the sections on park
resources. The museum program that is
developed as a result of the guidance
provided in this CMP could easily be made
part of the plan.

Amistad National Recreation Area, Long-
Range interpretive Plan, Draft 2004

Although this document is in draft it is in
the format of the new NPS standard,
Comprehensive Interpretive Plan. It is
apparently current. This is a critical
document informing park staff on what the
park should collect for interpretive reasons.
It sets out the interpretive themes of the park
and outlines the media to communicate these
to the park visitor. In writing or revising (the
SOCS, this document must be consulted the
SOCS is covered in a separate chapter of
this CMP),

National Park Service 69


Collection Management Piart

* In working with other divisions in the
park, ensure the inclusion of museum
needs and standards in housekeeping
plans (for all spaces where muscum
collections are exhibited, stored, or
used), IPM plan(s), security plans, and
emergency Operations plans.

One year after issuance of new
guidance

As soon as the NPS issues new guidance
on resource management plans, write
plans for AMIS, Include the museum,
archival, and library collections in the
narrative about the resources,

78 Amistad Nationsl Recreation Area

Intermediate, 2-3 three years

* Ensure that appropriate staff receives

current preservation training in essential
duty areas: to include emergency/
disaster preparedness, handling of
archival and object collections, pest
control.

Long term, 3-5 years

* Working with the WASO Museum

Management Program and/or — the
Harpers Ferry Center Division of
Conservation, establish an intemship
program and contact pertinent graduate
programs for candidates.


G4 | D-c%

Intermountain Region National Park Service
Santa Fe, New Mexico U.S. Departmant of the interior

Collection Management Plan

Amistad National Recreation Area

December 2005



108 Amistad National Recreation Area

Coliaction Management Plan


US Department of the Interior Page 2 of 2
National Park Service (NPS)

Access Policies and Rules Governing Use
Amistad National Recreation Area (AMIS)

Reading Room Rules (continued)

* Researchers may not remove any archival or manuscript materials from the reading room,

* Researchers may work with archival or manuscript materials only in the reading room, not
in museum storage or staff work spaces.

* Researchers must submit prepaid written requests for copies or duplicates.

= Researchers must submit for inspection all materials carried into and out of the reading
room.

« The park reserves the right to limit access to fragile or restricted collections.

= The park archive is not a lending library. All materials must be used in the reading room.

* Researchers will work with only one document from one folder from one box of materials at
@ time to avoid damaging a callection’s original order.

* Researchers who disregard these rules or endanger the records or the work of others will
be denied access.

Permission to obtain a copy for scholarly purposes does not constitute permission to
publish

[See Copyright and Privacy Restrictions Statement.)

Handling

* When handling the archival and manuscript materials, only one folder may be removed
from a box at a time, and folders must be laid flat on the table.

* Documents should be handied with utmost care and viewed only one at a time.

= Manuscripts and books may not be leaned on, written on, folded, traced over, or handled in
any manner that may damage them,

» Researchers must maintain the original order of documents within their folders. Attending
staff should be contacted if there is any sign of damage or if items appear to be out of
order.

= No attempt should be made to reorder or rearrange the documents or folders or to repair
any physical damage.

* Cotton gloves must be used when handling pholographic Images.

= Only one box or volume of material will be issued at one time.

* Latex gloves must be worn when working with materials that may pose a health hazard.

| understand the rules listed above and will abide by them.

inted Name of Researcher Signature of Researcher Date

National Park Service 131


Mt

Sy


APPENDIX A: Archeology Site Numbers

The exact archeological site numbers for which NPS museum collections exist is not known. At
“minimum, there are 373 site numbers that have NPS museum collections curated by TARL.
Cataloging is still in the process of being completed, which may result in additional site

numbers.

4IVV 1-162
4IVV162A-193
4IVV 195-197
41VV201
41VV203
4iVV211
AlVV213
41VV2I5
41VV218-224
41VV237

4IVV258
4IVV261-318
41VV322
4IVV323
41VV332
4IVV345
41VV347-350
41VV382-393
41VV422
4lVV426

4)VV428
41VVA29
41VV452
41VV621
41VV671
4IVV850
4IVV903
41VV912-914
AIVV951-955
41VV962

41VV1202-1203
41VV 1205-1229
41VV1I312
AIVV 1652-1655
41 VV1057
41VV1698
41VV1752
41VV1835
41VV1837-1843
4IVV 1845-1848

National Park Service 109


Collaction. Management Pian

periods differs greatly from the others in
terms of research orientation and published
works.

The Early Research period (1881-1957)
generally concentrated on acquiring perfect
specimens for museum and private
collections. Little attention was paid to
stratigraphy or cultural interpretations of the
materials.

The Preinundation Research period (1958-
1970) marked the first full-scale regional
surveys aimed at understanding the larger
cultural processes associated with changes
in artifact types and rock art styles.

The Current Research period (1971-present)
is characterized by multi-disciplinary
projects required under state/federal laws.
syntheses of previous research, and a focus
on rock art.

A closer look at each of these general
research periods will help explain the
current knowledge on the roughly 12,000
years of human history occurring in the

region.
Early Research Period (1881-1957)

The eradication of Native Americans from
the Lower Pecos region by the U.S. Army
was essentially completed by 1881! when the
first survey crews from the Southern Pacific
Railroad entered the reservoir basin
(Labadie 1990a). With the coming of the
railroad, the first permanent European
settlers entered the region. On January 12,
1883, east and west sections of the first
southern transcontinental railroad were
joined with a silver spike about 1.6 km (1
mile) north of the mouth of the Pecos River
at the Rio Grande (Patterson 1980), The
railroad built several buildings at Painted
Caves Station adjacent to a large rockshelter

26 Amistad National Recreation Area

(known today as Parida Cave and open to
the public as a self-guided interpretive site)
just south of the bridge that crossed the
Pecos River. With the coming of the
railroad, vandalism to archeological deposits
and painted graffiti over rock art began
throughout the region.

Figure 9: Painted Cuves Station, 1883 is known
today as Parida Cave

Several nineteenth century explorers.
military men, and railroad travelers noted
the presence of rock art and “Indian Caves"
(Turpin 1984a), In 1901 Louis Fuertes,
while collecting bird specimens for the U.S.
Biological Survey, included in his’ field
notes a drawing of a rock art panel at
Painted Caves Station (Fuertes 1901).
Fuertes’s original drawings and notes belong
to the Dallas Museum of Natural History in
Dallas, Texas. Fuertes also noted that recent
graffiti obscured much of the rock art on the
shelter’s rear walls. Gutzeit and Carson
(1931) are generally credited as being the
first to accurately document some of the
major rock art sites in the region. Sponsored
by the Witte Museum of San Antonio, they
produced 18 watercolor paintings that are
still part of the museum's permanent
collection of Lower Pecos region materials.

The best known early pictograph researcher
in the Lower Pecos region is Forrest
Kirkland (1937a, 1937b, 1938, 1939), who
produced detailed watercolors at many of


complete the cataloging of the archeological
collections and the related archives.

Because the relationship is long standing
and because most of AMIS collections are
stored at TARL, park staff relies too much
on TARL staff to complete the required NPS
annual nuuseum reports. As NPS employees
park staff members are responsible for
maintaining the accession book, all the
accession files, completing the annual
reporting requirements, and applying for
funding. The money provided for backlog
cataloging is to be spent to employ TARL
staff in completing the cataloging. The
park’s main ANCS+ database is to be
maintained by park staff and not by TARL
staff. All annual museum reports must be
generated and submitted by park staff.

In the past TARL staff has maintained the
main ANCS+ database and has generated
the annual museum reports. Annual reports
generated by TARL staff were also sent to
the park for formal submission. Although
work completed by TARL staff is very well
done and maintained, it is not appropriate
for the non-NPS person to be completing the
park's reports.

Staff at TARL maintain three books to track
the use of catalog numbers; one is
referenced by object name. another by item
counts, and the third by provenience:
Because TARL is cataloging everyday, to
prevent the duplication of catalog numbers,
TARL should continue to maintain the
catalog number's log books. Cataloging al
the park happens rarely and park staff
contacts TARL for catalog numbers.

Certain paperwork at TARL should be
copied and given to AMIS to update its files.
For example, several loans previously
mentioned under Outgoing Loans in this
CMP. have updated paperwork at TARL.

Records at TARL show that Loan 2000.3 to
Brazos Valley Museum was returned
September 14, 2000; Loan 2001.4 to Texas
State History Museum was terminated
February 2004. The park's copy of this
paperwork does not reflect this same
information.

Since the first CMP visit, TARL and the
park haye done a better job of sharing the
ANCS+ database. The database at AMIS
now has the more up to date TARL data.
The TARL database also has images of
cataloged objects attached to the records.
The park has not yet loaded these images
into its database.

The TARL database should made more
consistent in the way the data are recorded.
For example, location information is
sometimes entered into the database
indifferent ways:

TARL RM 19 CAB 6 DR 38
TARL GC TP 5 DR 02
TARL GC/ROOM 19/CAB 8

A major issue for the collections stored at
TARL is the fact that the largest collection is
accession AMIS-00001, This one accession
consists of about 373 different archeological
sites from which thousands of artifacts were
callected and associated records were
generated over many years. Separating out
the archeological sites individually would be
very time consuming and difficult.

Adjacent to TARL is Vertebrate
Paleontology (VP) lab. These archeological
collections are stored at VP because a
decision was made internally many years
ago to do so. Those collections that are
AMIS property should be removed to the
TARL facility. Although most of them are
cataloged, some are not. The Arenosa
Shelter, the largest collection, is cataloged.

National Park Service 89




Collection Management Plan,

public programs. These images date
from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s.

* Electronic copies of original documents
held by the [BWC which include over
7,000 photographs and 10,000 pages of
scanned documents, real estate records,
maps, and construction data for Amistad
Dam, This collection dates from the late
1950s to the early 1970s.

Figure 5: Result of the IBWC Records Scanning
Project

* Electronic copies of original materials at
the Witte Museum (San Antonio, Texas)
which include 375 photographic images
and 3,870 pages of scanned documents.
This. collection dates from the early
1930s through World War IL

= There are 467 catalog records for
materials from University of Texas,
Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory (TARL) which includes
3,215 black-and-white photos for the
preinundation research (1958-1970) and
archeological site documentation paper
work for 1,792 sites (1958-2005).

= Electronic copies of roughly 100

historical documents, maps. and
photographs from original materials at

8 Amistad National Recreation Area

the Whitehead Museum (Del Rio,
Texas). This collection has items from
about 1910-1970.

* From Fort Clark (Bracketville, Texas),
the park has a digital copy of the 1896
Spoedler Photo Album, that contains 30
historic photos of the fort and Seminole
Negro Indian Scouts.

* The Texas Historical Commission
(THC), ‘Texas State Historic
Preservation Officer. has approximately
100 pages of compliance documents
related to more than a dozen federal
undertakings at the park (1970-2005)
and a collection of approximately 500,
35mm slides that document the 1987
joint NPS/THC archeological survey
project at the park. The park has a
duplicate set of these images which were
provided to the park by the THC.

Image Collection

The park has a single collection of about
2,500 35mm color slide images that is
commonly referred to as the park’s Image
Collection. The collection consists mainly
of images shot by various park staff
members with only a few images
Tepresenting the early years of the park.
Historically, this collection has been used
for interpretive, education, and public
programs.

This collection of images has been scanned
at 300 dots per inch (dpi) and saved as
compressed (.jpeg) files for routine use by
staff members. These electronic files serve
as a finding guide for original photos and are
not intended to be a digital archive, The
original slides are stored in archival holders
and are no longer used. The originals are
sorted into the following categories:


Collection Management Plan

50 Amistad National Recreation Area


Caliaction Management Pian

or tray; stabilize objects within boxes
using ethafoam or rolled acid tree
tissue; separate objects from one
another to avoid abrasion.

oReplace non-archival materials in
drawers, such as cardboard and
paper, with archival materials;
encapsulate tags contacting artifacts.

oPlace acid free tissue underneath
painted pebbles to avoid abrasion on
cut ethafoam surface.

% Housing of Objects in Building 33:
o Secure shelving units.

oRemove dust and dirt from tops of
boxes on open shelving: place plastic
sheeting over shelves to protect from
water and dust; plastic can be
secured to metal shelving using
magnets.

oReplace boxes with seams for
archival boxes with solid bottoms.

o Store all boxes so that contents are
not at risk when box is removed
from shelf; limit weight, especially
on upper shelves; store boxes
horizontally so that only opening is
at the top.

o Larger lithics not stored in boxes
should be secured on shelving using
cavity-fitted ethafoam and covered
with polyethylene sheeting to protect
from dust.

Housing of Objects in Human Osteology
Room:

o All changes in housing materials and
techniques in the Human Osteology

96 Amistad National Recreation Area

collection should be consistent with
NPS protocols for storage of human
remains spelled out in the Museum
Handbook.

oUnidentified foam padding on
remains should be replaced with acid
free tissue or cotton muslin (washed
in plain water to remove sizing).

oPlace muslin covered cthafoam
under all remains to protect from
vibration.

Issues for Further Study and/or
Treatment by a Conservator:

% Possible removal of friable vegetal
materials from polyethylene bags and
mat board and Mylar housings.

Treatment of insecure and/or separating
vegetal materials, such as sandals and
mat fragments.

Investigation of consolidant material
previously used on vegetal materials.

Vertebrate Paleontology (VP) Laboratory

Information about conservation and
preservation conditions in VP is limited.
The following was obtained from a site-visit
and very limited discussion with the
director, Dr. Tim Rowe. Two spaces within
VP house AMIS materials, including
unmodified faunal material and bone. The
larger faunal material and unprocessed field
materials are stored in the basement.
Materials from sites VV162 and VV218
have been removed to TARL. since the first
CMP team visit. The basement has recently
been equipped with temperature and
humidity control, An HVAC unit and
monitoring equipment (probably


and interpretation (education and the
development of visitor use areas). A
properly run museum program with a large
collection in many facilities requires a full
performance museum curator. But even that
person cannot do the entire range of
necessary tasks.

Although the full performance museum
curator will know about museum
documentation and record keeping,
preservation, and protection, this person will
probably not have the professional expertise
for all the disciplines represented in the
collection. The key components for AMIS to
be successful are in understanding the
professional nature of muscum management;
in the coordination, cooperation, and
communication with park staff; and in
obtaining the appropriate level of
professional assistance, possibly from
TARL and other institutions.

The park currently has 36 permanent
employees organized into five divisions. The
management of the museum collections and
the cultural resources is under the chief of
Education and Resource Management. The
approved organizational chart does not
include a museum position. ‘The proposed
organizational chart identifies a museum
technician position.

The Cultural Resource Program manager is
assigned museum responsibility as a
collateral duty. This duty is not mentioned in
the position description. The Cultural
Resource Program manager position ts
primarily responsible for completing
archeological compliance work and
coordinating with other program areas that
might impact archeological resources. In
addition, the collateral museum
responsibilities include ensuring
accountability for the museum collections:
providing technical oversight of the museum

collection-related tasks and special projects;
serving as the contracting officer's technical
representative for some project work;
supervising a temporary museum technician
at TARL; and managing project and
seasonal staff archeologists, The Cultural
Resource Program manager must maintain
professional contacts with museum
professionals both inside and outside of the
NPS and must coordinate the partnership
with TARL in the management and use of
the AMIS collections,

The large size and accessibility of the
museum collection make it imperative that
AMIS have a full performance curator to
oversee a museum management program
that has an emphasis on cataloging projects.
Because the majority of park collections are
stored at TARL, the curator should logically
be duty stationed in Austin, spending one-
quarter of the time at the park, depending on
park activities. The curator would have the
responsibility to participate in planning
projects that will result in collections and/or
archives, Every project performed on park
lands produces collections, whether these
collections are objects or archives. Curation
of those collections needs to be a cost
element that is factored into each project to
avoid creating a backlog. Taking an
approach in which planning and
programming are considered necessary
allows the staff to finish the work will help
preserve park resources and educate the
public.

Currently, no permanent staff directly works
on the collections daily, except as project
funds provide for cataloging collections at
TARL,. Archeological salvage projects,
natural resource projects and maintenance
activities, continue to produce collections
and archives. The park will submit an
Operations Formulation System (OFS)
statement for a base increase to cover
museum management in FY2007.

National Park Service 74


Collection Managamant Pian

and. cultural resources. According to
legislation, all archives retained on site are
part of the museum collection. As such,
these collections must be preserved,
cataloged into the ANCS+ (a.k.a.
Rediscovery Software), and made
accessible to staff and to the public. A park
archive, an invaluable resource when
properly cared for and preserved, embodies
the institutional history of the resources and
the park's decision-making process,

This chapter will focus on the identification,
preservation, and management of the
archival documents at AMIS and TARL. It
will also provide an overview of archival
definitions and expand on the purpose and
importance of records management,
resource management records, and project
files. Because records are currently
dispersed throughout the park, a survey was
made of all divisions and structures lo
account for them. The survey was inclusive
of all active, sémi-active, and inactive
records, accessioned and nonaccessioned
material, and both official (i.e., central files)
and nonofficial records (i.c., reference
material, and records created outside of the
park such as newspapers, donated items,
etc.), The records were analyzed on a
location-by-location basis. A summary of
these records along with recommendations
for their treatment is included as a too! to
help guide the park in planning for these
archiva! collections.

Legislation

Records management within a government
agency is regulated by the following
legislation: Records Disposal Act of July 7,
1943, as amended (44 USC 366-376, 378-
380); Federal Property and Administrative
Services Act of 1949, as amended (44 USC
391-401); Federal Records Act of 1950 (44
USC 3301); Federal Property Management

32 Amistad National Recreation Area

Regulations, Subchapter B, Archives and
Records, Part 101-11, Records Management;
Department of Interior Manual, Parts 390-
384, Records Creation and Disposition; and
the Federal Property Management
Regulation, Subchapter B, Archives and
Records; and the Museum Management Act
of 1955. National Park Service guidance
includes Director's Order #19:Records
Management; Director's Order #28: Cultural
Resource Management, Chapter 9
Director's Order #24: NPS Museum
Collections Management, the Museum
Handbook, Part II, appendix D; and NPS-77,
Natural Resources Management. All
personnel-related materials are to be retired
to the National Personne! Records Center
(civilian) in St. Louis, Missouri,

National Environmental Protection Act
(NEPA) regulations require certain record-
keeping procedures. For example, Council
on Environmental Quality regulations for
compiling a Record of Decision is m 40
CFR 1505.2 and 40 CFR 1505.3; guidance
for creating an administrative record is in
the National Parks Omnibus Management
Act (Public Law 105-291, 16 USC 5936).
As there is no statute of limitations for
compliance actions taken by the NPS, all
NEPA, NHPA, and related compliance
records are to be considered permanent and
to be archived. National Park Service
guidance includes Director's Order #2: Park
Planning, and Director’s Order #12:
Conservation Planning, Environmental
Impact Analysis, and Decision Making.

NPS Archives

Archival practices differ from those applied
to object collections in that archival work
does not focus on the item level or
individual object, but rather examines the
collection of records, manuscripts, or
personal papers as a whole. Manuscript


Collection Management Pian

reservoir was created. The park plans to
digitize these images to make them more
accessible.

The IT staff person for the park is
responsible for Geographical Information
System (GIS). Global Positioning Satellite
System (GPS), and oversees the digitization
of images and assists an Education and
Resource Management staff member with
the park's website. A full backup of the
server is conducted four nights a week,

A copy of the backup is kept off site.
Digitized images originating from outside
the park (these images are not automatically
in the public domain) are kept in a specially
marked folder on the park's server. An
original digitized image needs to be time
stamped and stamped with information
about the photographer, the date. and the
subject. An SOP is needed, especially for
the migration or backup.

Natural Resources

The natural resource office has a large
amount of archives, and potential archive
projects, that are active and in current use-
Once these files become semiactive or
inactive (or once the project has been
completed) they will need to be moved to
the park’s museum collection archives. The
park should consider placing a large amount
of reference material in a central location,
such as the library, to establish a reference
collection.

Photograph Collection

Photographs are dispersed throughout the
park. The majority of archival photographs
are in interpretation, cultural resources, and
natural resources offices, and TARL.

44 Amistad Natlonal Recreation Area

No nitrates were found in the collection and
there was no evidence of vinegar syndrome
in the acetates (the majority of the negatives
wre 35mm), Not all the prints and negatives
are properly housed. Photographs not
properly housed will need to be housed in
acid-free envelopes or enclosed in Mylar
polyester sleeves. The prints placed in
scrapbook pages will also need to be
rehoused as the adhesive is acidic. Cure
must be taken to insure that the
accompanying documentation below each
print is kept with the print when it is
rehoused, The images do not appear to be
accessioned or cataloged. Project images
must be kept together with the rest of the
project records and documentation, Further,
copyright authority must be established for
any donated or nonpark-created images.
The photograph collection needs to be
accessioned into the archives and should be
processed and cataloged as part of the park’s
backlog-cataloging _ project. Future
donations will need to have a deed of gift,
Form 10-830, and a release of copyright.
These forms and information are provided in
ANCS*.

Many older prints are in an advanced stage
of deterioration, as evidenced by silvering.
The park needs to determine if negatives
exist of these prints, If there are no
negatives, the park needs to consider
creating negatives from copies of the prints
to help preserve the image in a long-term
medium. A few prints have ink writing on
the backs. Over time, the ink will migrate
through the emulsion and discolor the face
of the image. This is also true of adhesives
(labels, scrapbook pages, glue, and tape)
because the adhesive is highly acidic and
will bur and discolor the print, often
turning the image yellow or white.

As the park receives photographs, it will be
critical that these images be kept together by


APPENDIX C: Suggested Museum Procedures for Natural History
Collections

The park should integrate the issuance of research and collecting permits with the museum
management program, Even if the issued permit does not authorize the collecting of specimens
there should still be field data and a report that will be obtained from the researcher at the
conclusion of their work. The archives should be added to the park archives collection.
Disposition of project documentation and collected objects/specimens should be carefully
considered in the conditions of each permit. The following procedures outline the steps to follow
to integrate the permitting process with the museum management program.

1. Park accessions the project when the collecting permit is issued. Accession as a "field
collection”. Even if no specimens will be collected, there will be field records that should
become ani archives collection within the museum collection. For guidance on accessioning
procedures, refer to the Museum Handbook, Part Il, chapter 2.

nN

The collecting permit states whether or hot specimens will be collected. If collected, it states
whether or not they will be consumptively used or saved. If saved, why they will be saved,
how they will be preserved, and where they will be stored.

3. Determine responsibility for cataloging collections prior to issuing the permit. If the permit
authorizes the collection of specimens, the permittee must contact the park before any
fieldwork or collecting begins to discuss NPS and park-specific cataloging requirements. If
the investigator will be cataloging, the park-must provide the collector with a copy of
ANCS+ (software and instructions),

4, The collecting permit or contract should identify records to be created as part of the
collecting activity and specify the disposition of the field records. Records include
investigator field notes, maps, slides, photographs, charts/graphs, and data (including GIS
data and associated metadata), Ideally, original records should be obtained by the park and
made a permanent part of the museum collection. If original records are not available, high
quality archival quality copies should be obtained.

5, During collection it is essential to gather complete information required for cataloging
specimens. A museum catalog worksheet, Form 10-254 B, could be used during field work
for documenting pertinent data on-site, thus assuring that the collector has recorded all
pertinent data. This will also make later data entry in ANCS~ casier and quicker.

6. The preservation of natural resource specimens begins with field collecting techniques.
Collecting biological specimens involves several steps that include techniques for killing.
fixing, mounting, and preserving. The methods for preserving specimens depend on the
intended use and should be spelled out in the permit conditions. It is essential for the
collector to provide park curatorial staff with documentation on the techniques and materials
used in the field collecting activity. Future maintenance of the specimens may depend on this
information.

National Park Service 117


park or created as part of a contract project
must stipulate in the deed of gift that the
copyright is transferred to AMIS. Transfer
of copyright to the park must be stipulated in
all NPS contracts, Further, when photos or
oral histories are donated to the park, the
donor will sign a deed of gift that states that
the copyright is also being transferred to the
park, Images or oral histories without this
release, or images of unknown origin, will
be restricted from publication, or any other
us¢, except in-house basic research,

Newly acquired and secessioned items will
be physically separated from the archived
collections until they can be inspected and
cleaned. Adherence to this practice will
ensure that clean collections remain
uncontaminated.

Recommendations
immediate, 1 year

~ Freeze the archives collections to
eliminate insect and mold infestations.

Identify those cabinets and drawers in
unique locations.

When the library is moved to the new
office space, create a central location
within. the library for the reference
collection to be stored.

Bring those archives together that are
dispersed throughout the park and
control access to these materials.

Institute an IPM program to protect the
collection from additional infestation
and mold.

% Establish and implement SOPs for
handling the park archives,

*% Submit a PMIS request for backlog
cataloging of the park archives. Hire a
term or seasonal, or contract a
professional archivist to complete the
work.

“* Determine which items in the oral
history collection and the photographic
collection for which the park does not
have deed of gift or copyright.

“ Check to see which IBWC park records
are at Regional Office in Santa Fe,

Intermediate, 2-3 years

* Those maps, plans, and drawings not
already on file at DSC-TIC should be
sent there and microfilmed.

** Migrate the audio cassettes to reel-to-
reel, CD, and transcribe if possible.

Long term, 3-5 years

Catalog the library holdings into Pro-
Cite software, and submit all the Pro-
Cite catalog records to the NPS
Combined Library Catalog.

“> Migrate the park's resource management
records and archival material onto
microfilm or microfiche for long-term
preservation,

Nationa) Park Service 49


donor, project, or file, as opposed to being
separated by — subject. Organizing
photographs by subject is not an uncommon
method employed by institutions to gain
access to the photos. This system, however,
breaks the images into an imposed
organization, instead of an organic
organization, and is not consistent with
archival principles, All collections should
be kept together (regardless of type of
medium or subject) to insure that
provenance and the original order are
maintained.

Oral History Collection

The oral history collection is with other
interpretation materials in the mobile home.
Currently, the 21 audio cassettes that make
up the oral history collection are in a cigar
box in the bottom (fourth) shelf of the
bookcase housing the interpretative
collection of slides. None of the oral
histories are transcribed. The bulk of these
cassettes date from the mid-1970s, These
items will need to be appraised by an
archivist or historian, then accessioned into
the park’s museum collection archives and
migrated to insure continued preservation
and accessibility. Reel-to-reel tape is still
the ideal long-term archival medium for
audio files. Due to the degradation of these
cassettes, however, transferring to reel-to-
reel is not recommended. Selected cassettes
with valuable long-term information should
be transcribed, and if the quality of sound
has not degraded beyond the point of
usefulness, these cassettes could be migrated
to compact disc. Compact disks (CDs) are
just as susceptible to degradation as audio
cassettes and will also need to be preserved
and migrated regularly. If the CDs are
properly managed, however, there will be no
further degeneration between successive
generations of copies (as opposed to audio
cassettes. which degrade with each

successive copy). It is recommended that a
master and a use-copy be made.

Slide Collection

Most of the slide collection is currently in
the Cultural Resource Program manager's
office, There are roughly 3,000 slides that
compose this collection (2,000 are in the box
in the Cultural Resources Office), Slides
that are a part of other projects and files are
dispersed throughout the park and should be
left where they are. For the locations of
these additional slides, The bulk of them are
35 mm Kodachrome. The box of slides in
the Cultural Resource Program manager's
office is digitized and several of these
images will be displayed as part of the
park's outreach program. The majority of
the slides reviewed during the site visit have
long-term value and need to be accessioned
into the park’s archives as soon as possible.
Several of the slides in this collection have
severe degradation, however, and will need
to be evaluated and appraised before they
ure accessioned. According to AMIS staff
several years ago, the chief of Interpretation
purged a sizeable portion of the park's slide,
map, and historic-record collections. Not all
of the original items were recovered from
the garbage by other park staff. The ideal
long-term storage method for color slides is
freezing them. At this time, the park is not
equipped with the staff or dedicated freezer
to initiate such an operation. Now that the
slides have been digitized, however, the
slides could be stored offsite. The slides
have been organized into subject files and
given an alphanumeric code.

Library

There are currently 500 titles in the library.
Created and organized largely by park
volunteers, the library currently is cataloged
in DBase (DOS-based software) and will
need to be migrated to ProCite software.

National Park Service 45


Collection Management Pian

environment, and complete the needed
object conservation treatments.

The NPS has been developing opportunities
for highlighting park museum collections.
Although not involving direct funding for
AMIS collections, opportunities are

currently available that has modern this writing),
technologies that the park may use to give
2

its collections more visibility and to make
them intellectually accessible. The park has
successfully put images of its collections on
the web, The park has posted approximately
1,200 object photos to the Web Catalog
(http://www.museum.nps.gov/amis/browse.h

tm): the most by any single NPS unit (as of

Ss

ou:

=i : a == on
= REVIOD os

PT SCSI SE 5c) htt mc 2 SD

Figure 25: National Park Service Web Cataiog

74 Amistad National Recreation Area

cats
==»



Callaction Management Plan

The archives at TARL also houses UT
photographs of the AMIS area before it
became a unit of the NPS in the late 1960s.
Dating from 1932, these document some of
the earliest known expeditions and
excavations to sites in the park as well as the
surrounding area, One hundred three glass
plate negatives and 309 nitrate negatives are
also in the UT photo collection at TARL.
The glass plate. negatives document
archeological objects that were excavated
from prehistoric sites at AMIS. It is
recommended that AMIS initiate a PMIS
funding request to have copy negatives
made of the glass plates, nitrates, and any
other 1932 prints for which no negatives
exist. These negatives should be black-and-
white (or sepias, depending on the original)
4 by 5 inch or 8 by 10 inch in size,
depending on the image size to be copied.
Since these images belong to TARL, it
would be advantageous (o the park to see if
two copies of the negatives may be made,
one for TARL and one to be housed at the
park, While a copy would be at the park,
these images would need to be identified as
belonging to TARL. Permission to use these
images in publication would be obtained
from TARL and credited to them in any
reference or citation. These images would
be invaluable to help provenience objects
and document changing conditions of sites
and objects. In some instances, these
images may be the only surviving source of
documentation.

Vertebrate Paleontology Lab at TARL

In a separate facility, next door to TARL, is
the Vertebrate Paleontology (VP) lab and
collection storage building. Park collections
are stored in this facility. Twelve archival
folders, dealing with 12 archeological sites,
are directly related to AMIS and AMIS
collections. These folders contain field
notes and some images. Bonfire Cave is the
largest of the twelve folders (totaling 0.5 If).

88 Amistad National Recreation Area

The VP lab receives between 30 and 150
researchers a year.

Future AMIS Archives Projects / Possible
PMIS

Housed at TARL are 309 nitrate negatives.
103 glass plates, and about 100 prints
without negatives from a 1932 archeological
excavation at prehistoric sites currently
administered by AMIS. These images pre-
date the creation of AMIS, and are currently
owned and stored at TARL as part of UT's
archives, These 512 images are in unstable
mediums, but are invaluable to the park and
its history, Ifa funding source can be found,
the park should approach TARL about the
possibility of supporting a project to produce
4 by 5 inch black-and-white or sepia copy
negatives (Depending on the negatives sizes,
most will be 4 by 5 inch and some may be 5
by 7 inch or 8 by 10 inch), Normally this
procedure would cost about $25-$35 to
produce two 4 by 5 inch black-and-white
copy negatives (for a grand total about
$12,800 - $17,920). A professional vendor
who could complete this project is probably
in Austin. This project will not be easy to
fund because the collections do not belong
to the NPS, Perhaps the best opportunity
would be through MCPPP, or possibly
TARL, if it could match funds with AMIS.
Even though costly, the 4 by 5 inch black-
and-white negative is-a very stable archival
medium (if properly cared for) and captures
detail infinitely better than 35 mm film.

Documentation and Record Keeping

The staff of TARL has done an excellent job
of improving the storage and the cataloging
of the AMIS collections. The relationship
between TARL and AMIS has _ been
productive for the last 18 years. The park
has successfully applied for and received
$581,100 in Backlog Cataloging funds.
These funds are obligated to TARL to


project files created by the administrative
officer serve as the node for the resulting
project files dealing with compliance and
implementation, Upon closeout of a project
file (either compliance or implementation), a
checklist should be completed and submitted
with it to the PMIS file. Once the overall
project file ts no longer needed for active
reference (¢.g., one year), the project file,
bearing the PMIS project number, should be
fetired to the park archives. This action will
facilitate catuloging and — description,
according to the Museum Handbook, Part 11,
appendix D. (Assigning one accession and
catalog number to cach project file will
simplify cataloging, should the clearance of
@ project entail the collection of an
archeological or natural resource specimen
or Section 106 mitigation.)

For files documenting compliance actions
that were generated by the review of
nonpark projects (projects not completed on
NPS lands), a tracking system should be
implemented. Numbers for in-house
compliance projects may be assigned and
used with the project summary sheets.
These may then be accessioned into the
museum collection project by project, or
annually.

To this end, project file checklists are
provided in the appendix E. The checklists
were developed to enable staff to track the
documents generated and gathered for a
compliance project. Each program area
usually involved in compliance, has a
different checklist. The various documents
created by routine compliance actions may
be checked off the checklist after the copies
are submitted by program staff. According
to the NPS regulations/DO-19, NEPA
Compliance file should note when a
Completion Report for a Maintenance
project is sent to Denver Service Center-
Technical Information Center (DSC-TIC).

The checklists may be used to ensure that all
pertinent documentation is received both at
the compliance/pre-implementation end and
at the implementution/execution phase of the
project.

As project implementation materials, the
checklists may be used to track which
documents were project initiated bul may
also be used to request the typical project
created records. Once the project
implementation file is completed and no
longer needed for active use. it may be
retired to the park archives or to the PMIS
project file. Again, the chief of Education
and Resource Management may use a
program checklist to track the document
inventory and use it as a preliminary finding
aid in accessing the collection, The
checklists would then serve as readily
available prompts for staff use. At some
point, the project file checklist(s) could be
incorporated into a parkwide database or
finding aid for staff reference.

Possibly the compliance project file would
be retired = separately = from —_the
implementation project file. Thus, it is
suggested that the in-house project number
be used as a linking field to tie the two
project files together, both in terms of staff
communications and in terms of ensuring
that both sets of project files are retired as
warranted to the park archives.

It is recommended that the administrative
officer establish a records review committee.
When reviewing all the materials in the
current park files for their appropriate
disposition, the park’s resource
management, maintenance, and
interpretation staff, as well as the
administrative officer should be involved.
These staff members should form the
nucleus of a records disposition board, to
review all records before the administrative

National Park Service 39


PHASE ONE:

Gain Preliminary Control Over the Park Records

| © Survey and describe collections
© Identify official/non-official records

¢ —Appmiise collections and check them against the Scope of Collection Statement (SOCS)
.

Accession collections
Order supplies

| PHASE TWO:
Preserve the Park Collections

| © Conduet the Collection Condition Survey
¢ — Write treatment or reformatting recommendations
© Contract to conserve or reformat
© Rehouse
*® Prepare storage, work, and reading room spaces
PHASE THREE:

| Arrange and Describe the Park Collections

¢ Arrange collections
© Create folder lists
¢ Edit and index folder lists
¢ Update collection level survey description
© Produce finding aids
| © Catalog collections into the Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+)
| PHASE FOUR:
Refine the Archival Processing

© —Lovate resources

© Prepare processing plan und documentution strategy
« Develop a guide to collections

¢ ~ Publicrze collections

PHASE FIVE:

Provide Access to Park Collections
e = Review restrictions
* Write access and usage policies
© = Provide reference service

National Park Service

129


b. Does introductory paragraph state thal an
object or archival/manuscript collection
from site or directly associated la person(s)
or event(s) commemorated by the unil is
more desirable than a similar object
without such primary association?

c. Is major category subdivided into disciplines
pertinent to the unit (Archeology, Ethnology,
History, Archives)?

d. Is each discipline subdivided into collecting
categories thal reflect the unit's purpose
for collection?

é. If appropriate, under each callecting category
1) Is current representation of object or archival

types described?
2) Are priorities established to fill identified
deficiansies (gaps) in existing collection?
3) Are limits (quantities) defined?

f. Does archeology discipline include collecting
categories for “artifacts and specimens” and
“associated records?”

g. Dogs archeology discipline Include a statement

relevant to uncontrolled surface collecting?
D. Does the SOCS have MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

SUBJECT TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES

PROTECTION & REPATRIATION ACT OF 1990

section?

1. Does section contain appropriate statement
regarding the required summary of unassocialed
funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of
cultural patrimony?

2. Does section contain appropriate statement
regarding the required inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects?

—. Does the SOCS have ACQUISITION section?

1. |s there a statement describing types of
potential acquisition sources?

2. Does section include statement that
acquisition of objects is governed by the
unit's capability to preserve its museum
collection in accordance with NPS
Management Policies (2001), DO #28,
and the NPS Museum Handbook, Part |?

3. Is there a statement that prohibits gifts with
restrictions or limiting conditions?

“Seo additional notes pertaining to this question on attached pages.
NPS Checkiist for Evaluating Scope of Collection Statements

xx

Page 3 of 5

National Park Service 113



Collection Management Plan

lf project-generated collections cannot be accommodated in available storage space, and new
storage space construction is necessary, program to construct new space to accommodate the
expanded collection. If interim storage is needed, specify in the project task directive the location
of that storage, and state that it must meet NPS standards, Identify the funding source for interim
storage,

4.3.17 Systematic Collections

Add collections made through systematic research to the museum collection. House those
associated with a single accession at the same repository to facilitate research and use. As
appropriate, lend these collections for exhibit, research, conservation, and other approved uses.
Superintendents may authorize housing of collections from the same accession at different
repositories if by so doing preservation, research, and use will be improved,

Note: Director's Order #12; Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and
Decision Making, its attendant Handbook, and draft Director's Order #88, Administrative
Records, direct the creation of administrative records and project files for all compliance actions.
These files are permanent and so to be retained in perpetuity, as per DO-19. These files should
then be linked to the collecting permit project file, tile creation of which is outlined in the RPRS
Guide "Administrative Guide for Park Research Coordinators" (see below),

Director’s Order #99: Records Management
4. General Records Management Requirements

4.4 Records and data that are collected, created or generated by other organizations working for
the NPS under contracts, interagency agreements, coopcrative agreements or other agreement
instruments with the NPS, are considered NPS records unless the contract or agreement
specifically states otherwise. All partnership agreements, contracts or other agreement
instruments should clearly state this. Copies or originals of all project documents and data
generated under these agreements should be obtained and retained by the NPS office managing
the project.

4.5 Contracts, interagency agreements, and cooperative agreements and similar agreement
instruments should address copyright issues of any material produced under the agreement.
Copyright is not necessarily vested with the NPS unless specifically obtained under the terms of
the contract or other agreement,

§. Mission Critical Records

5.1 Mission critical records are those records that are most necessary for fulfillment of the NPS
mission. Mission critical records are permanent records that will eventually become archival
records. They should receive the highest priority in records management activities and resources
and should receive archival care as soon as practical in the life of the record.

3.2 Mission critical records include:

122 Amistad National Recreation Area


APPENDIX F; Archive Management Tools

‘This appendix includes basic tools the park will use to manage its archives. The following
figures are modified from information found in “Museum Archives and Manuscripts
Collections” from the Museum Handbook, Part II, appendix D.

DOCUMENTARY RECORDS
MUSEUM ARCHIVAL & MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS OFFICIAL RECORDS
(NON-OFFICIAL RECORDS)
See NP3-19. Records Management
See NPS Maneurm Handbook Guideline
INACTIVE ACTIVE
ORGANIZATIONAL | ASSEMBLED ‘RESOURCE RECORDS: RECORDS
PERSONAL ARCHIVES manuscaeT | [MANAGEMENT| | SUB-OFFICiaL Teonater te

PAPERS Acquired COLLECTIONS. RECORDS: RECORDS Federw Keverde Managed by

Archivast Cemtec/WARA ‘NPS, 208

we WPT wes-19

ASSOCIATED susEUM

RECORDS RECORDS

Figure 36: Types of Documentary Records

To Submit General Finding Aids For Publication:

National Union Catalog of Manuscrip( Collections (NUCMC) of the Library of Congress will enter
a collection-level description of the materials described in the finding aid into the Research Library
Information Network, the largest network of archival source material in the world, To be included in
NUCMC, send your finding aids to Library of Congress Special Matcrials Cataloging Division,
NUCMC Team, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540-4375 or fax: 202-707-7161 or call the
NUCMC office at 202-707-7954 or 202-707-0383,

Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositortes in the United States by the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), (Updated irregularly via questionnaire.) Write or call the NHPRC,
National Archives and Records Administration, 7th and Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Room 402,
Washington, DC or call 202-501-5600.

National Park Service

127


COLLECTION MANAGEMENT PLAN

AMISTAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

Joe Labadie, Cultural Resources Program Manager
Amistad National Recreation Area
Del Rio, Texas

Paul Rogers, Staff Curator/Archivist
Southeast Regional Office
Atlanta, Georgia

Virginia Salazar-Halfmoon, Curation Program Manager
Intermountain Region, Santa Fe Office
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Martha Simpson Grant, Art Conservator
Austin, Texas

Heather Young, Museum Curator
Intermountain Region, Santa Fe Office
Santa Fe, New Mexico


Collection Management Plan

Shafer, Harry J.
1986 Ancient Texans; Rock Art and Lifeways Along the Lower Pecos. Texas Monthly
Press, Austin.

Shafer, Harry J..and Vaughn M. Bryant. Jr.
1977 Archeulogical and Botanical Studies a1 Hinds Cave, Val Verde County, Texas.
Annual Report of Research to the National Science Foundation. Texas A&M University
Anthropology Laboratory, Special Series |.

Silver, Constance
1985 The Rock Art of Seminole Canyon State Historical Park: Deterioration and
Prospects for Conservation. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Contract 340-299,

Sorrow, William B,
1968 The Devils Mouth Site: The Third Season. Miscellaneous Papers of the Texas
Archeological Salvage Project 14. University of Texas at Austin.

Story, DeeAnn, and Vaughn M. Bryant, Jr., eds.
1966 A Preliminary Study of The Paleoecology of the Amistad Reservoir Area. National
Science Foundation Report GS-667.

Taylor, Walter W-.
1958 Archeological Survey af the Mexican Part of Diablo Reservoir. In; John A.
Graham and William B, Davis, Appraisal of the Archeological Resources of the Diablo
Reservoir, Val Verde County, Texas, Appendix A. A Project of the Inter-Agency
Archeological Salvage Program Office, Austin. National Park Service, U.S. Department
of the Interior.

Taylor, Walter W., and Francisco Gonzales Rul
1961 An Archeological Reconnaissance Behind the Diablo Dam, Coahuila, Mexico.
Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society 31:153-165.

Thomas, Sidney J.
1933 The Archeological Investigation of Fate Bell Shelter, Seminole Canyon, Val Verde
County, Texas. MA Thesis, University of Texas at Austin.

‘Turpin, Solveig A.
1982 Seminole Canyon; The Art and Archeology. Texas Archeological Survey
Research Report 83, University of Texas at Austin.

1984a Prehistory in the Lower Pecos River Region: An Overview, Texas Archeological
Survey Research Report 90, University of Texas at Austin.

1984b Smoke Signals on Seminole Canyon: A Prehistoric Communication System?
Plains Anthropologist 29:131-138.

108 Amistad National Recreation Area


Collection Management Pian

62 Amistad National Recreation Area


Colisction Management Plan

prevent the spread of silverfish, dermestids,
and possible mold spores. the collections
will need to be frozen before being placed in
archival holdings. The park cun initiate the
freezing process and more than one box can
be frozen at a time. Instructions for freezing
can be found in the Conserve-O-Gram
series. Only paper items can be frozen,
Each box will need to be checked to insure
that there are no electronic records, prints.
negatives, glass, or wood objects. Before
they are frozen; the boxes will need to be
wrapped in garbage bags to reduce the
amount of moisture fluctuation on and in the
paper, This process involves freezing for
three days, dethawing for two days to allow
any larvae to hatch, and then freezing for
another three days to kill the larvae.

Once the archives have been centralized at
the park, the museum integrated pest
management (IPM) program will be much
easier to implement and maintain, As part
of the museum IPM program, there will be a
housekeeping plan, The archives must be
stored in a stable environment that has low
temperature and relative humidity (RH)
fluctuations. Paper is very susceptible to
infestation via insects or molds and fungi.
Sticky traps can be used and monitored
regularly, Data loggers should also be used
to monitor the temperature and RH. Light
Jevels and any ultraviolet (LIV) exposure
will need to be limited, as even moderate
levels degrade ink, alter colors, or turn paper
yellow or brown and brittle). Ideally, the
park should have a curator or muscum

specialist who can perform the
housekeeping duties.
Summary

The park needs to overcome a few obstacles
if the park archives are to be preserved and
made accessible for research as required by
law. The most pressing concern is proper,

48 Amistad National Recreation Area

secure storage. Archival materials are
fragile. They require controlled
temperatures and relative humidity (low or
little daily fluctuations) and must remain
free from mold and pest infestations.. The
AMIS archives collections will need to be in
@ permanent location to best sustain a stable
and clean environment. The only available
space to house the park’s museum
collections and archives in one location is
the portable building/conference room
behind the current park headquarters, The
decision to make this building the museum
storage facility was made by the park
superintendent in early 2005. The building
has a semistable environment and jt has
lower potential for water damage from
drainage than the site of the new park visitor
center,

The majority of the park archives are not
accessioned or cataloged. Each archival
collection should receive a unique accession
number and a unique catalog number. To
accomplish this task, PMIS statements
should be submitted for processing and
cataloging the archival backlog. Records
and collections created before 1987 can
receive Backlog Cataloging funding.
Another source would be Cultural Cyclic
funding. Consult with the Regional Office
for help in writing and submitting these
PMIS project requests.

Another difficult task that needs to be
performed js determining the origins of the
many collections of photographs, slides.
negatives, and oral histories. The legal
ownership of each collection, group, or item
should be identified so that copyright and
intellectual property nights can be
deciphered.. Images that were created by
park employees as part of work
automatically fall under public domain;
these images can be used without
restrictions. Images that are donated to the


REFERENCES CITED

Alexander, Robert K.
1970 Archeological Investigations at Parida Cave, Val Verde County, Texas. Papers of
the Texas Archeological Salvage Project 19, University of Texas at Austin,

Anderson, Bruve A.
1974 An Archeological Assessment of Amistad Recreation Area, Texas. Division of
Archeology. Southwest Region, National Park Service,

Blackard, Sandra R.
1994-1995 Conservation Assessment of the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory
(TARL), Austin, Texas.

Campbell, Thomas N.
1988 The /ndians of Southern Texas and Northeastern Mexica; Selected Writings of T.
N. Campbell, Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin.

Chadderdon, Mary F.
1984 Baker Cave, Val Verde County, Texas: The 1976 Excavations, Center for
Archeological Research, Special Report 13, University of Texas at San Antonio,

Collins, Michael B.
1969 Test Excavations at Amistad International Reservoir, Fall 1967. Miscellaneous
Papers of the Texas Archeological Salvage Project 16, University of Texas ar Austin.

Davenport, J. W.
1938 The Archeological Explorations of Eagle Cave, Langtry, Texas. San Antonio:
Witte Memorial Museum Bulletin 4.

Davenport, J. W., and Carl Chelf
1941 Painted Pebbles from the Lower Pecos and Big Bend Regions of Texas. Witte
Memorial Museum Bulletin 5, San Antonio.

Dibble, David 8.
1965 Bonfire Shelter: A Stratified Bison Kill Site in Amistad Reservoir, Val Verde
County, Texas. Miscellaneous Papers of the Texas Archeological Salvage Project
5, University of Texas at Austin.

1967 Excavations at Arenosa Shelter, 1965-66. Texas Archeological Salvage Project,
The University of Texas at Austin, MA 14-10-0333-1530.

Dibble, David S., and Dessamae Lorrain

1968 Bonfire Shelter: A Stratified Bison Kill Site, Val Verde County, Texas. Texas
Memorial Museum Miscellaneous Papers 1, University of Texas at Austin.

National Park Service 101


‘Collection Management Plan

report or results from this project were
found.

®  AMIS-2003-SCI-00005 — Michael R.J,
Forstner, Texas Cooperative Wildlife
Collection, A study of murtles with
perhaps, no collections made. No final
report or results from this project were
found,

* AMIS-2003-SCI-00006 — Lincoln Allen.
University of Texas, Arlington. Snake
study. No final report or results from this
project were found,

* AMIS-2003-SCI-00007 — Bruce Moring.
No collections made. No final report or
results from this project were found.

* AMIS-2004-SCI-00001 — Alan Groeger.
No collections made. No final report or
results from this project were found,

= No permits were found for these other
natural history projects:

* Glenn Longly, Southwest Texas State
University. Macroinvertebrate sampling.
Accession number AMIS-00284,

= Sul Ross State University. Faunal/
Vegetal (F/V) collection. Accession
number AMIS-00285, This collection
was cataloged through a project at Big
Bend National Park.

= Chris Casaday, Sul Ross State
University (SRSU), A range inventory of
plants, Accession number AMIS-00286.
Catalog numbers AMIS 41009 - 41099
are reserved for this collection that is
housed at SRSU under a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU), 2005,

22 Amistad National Recreation Area

Natural history collections from AMIS may
be housed at the following non-NPS
repositories:

California State University
Christian University

Museum of Southwest Biology
Sam Houston State University
Smithsonian Institution
Southwest Texas State University
Sul Ross State University

Texas A&M

Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection
University of Nebraska
University of Texas, Austin
University of Texas, Arlington

The major issues facing the management of
the AMIS natural history collection
management are essentially the sume for
most parks in the IMR. First, the park was
inconsistent in communicating with
researchers once the studies were begun.
Second, researchers ignore guidance
established for reporting on cataloging, and
curating specimens collected in the park.

As of this writing, the park has few natural
history specimens cataloged into the
museum collection. However, after
reviewing the previously issued permits,
numerous ‘specimens will be added to the
natural history collections.

In 2000, the park began implementation of
the servicewide Natural = Resource
Challenge, which was designed to create a
vouchered baseline for park biota. The park
is in the Chihuahuan Desert Network.
Known as the [&M program, it authorizes
researchers to conduct herpetological,
mammalian, and flonstic surveys in the
park. Collections made in the park are
curated at non-NPS facilities chosen by the
individual researcher. As of this writing,
there are three formal MOUs in place with a
hosting institution.


Collection Management Plan

48 Amistad National Recreation Aree


Newcomb, W. W., Jr.
1961 The Indians of Texas. University of Texas Press, Austin,

Nunly, J, P., L. F. Duffield, and E. B, Jelks
1962 Excavations at Amistad Reservoir, 1962 Season. Miscellaneous Papers of the
Texas Archeological Salvage Project 3, University of Texas at Austin.

Parsons, Mark L.
1962 Testing and Reconnaissance in the Amistad, 1962. Manuscript on file at the Texas
Archeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin.

1965 The 1963 Test Excavations at Fate Bell Rockshelter, Amistad Reservoir Area, Val
Verde County, Texas. Miscellaneous Papers of the Texas Archeological Salvage Project
4, University of Texas at Austin.

Patterson, Patience E,
1980 Relocation and Restoration of a Baking Oven (Site 41 VVS588) in Val Verde County,
Texas. State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, Publications in
Archeology, Highway Design Division Report 18. Austin,

Pearce, J. E.. and A. T. Jackson
1933 A Prehistoric Rockshelter in Val Verde County, Texas. University of Texas Press
Bulletin 3327, Austin.

Ross, Richard E.
1965 The Archeology of Eagle Cave. Miscellaneous Papers of the Texas Archeological
Salvage Project 7. University of Texas at Austin.

Salinas, Martin
1990 Indians of the Rio Grande Delta; Their Role in History of Southern Texas and
Northeastern Mexico, University of Texas Press, Austin.

Sayles, E. B.
1935 An Archeological Survey of Texas. Globe: Medallion Papers 17.

1941 Some Texas Cave Dweller Artifacts. Bulletin of the Texas Archeological and
Paleontological! Society 13:163-168.

Setzler, Frank M.
1933 Prehistoric Cave Dwellers of Texas. Explorations and Fieldwork of the
Smithsonian Institute in 1932, pp. 53-56.

1934 Cave Burials in Southwestern Texas. Explorations and Fieldwork of the
Smithsonian in 1933, pp. 55-57.

National Park Service 105


Collection Management Plan

2B
8 Se
1000 — bul
UKE

B.C./A.D.

1000

1500

2000

Figure 13: Lower Pecos region pictograph styles in chronological order (Labadie 1994: 8)

30 Amistad National Recreation Ares



3. Does section state NPS policy relevant to
keeping confidential identities of community
consultants and information about sacred
and other culturally sensitive places and
practices?

4. is there a statement regarding use of
objects subject to copyright?

5. lt appropnate, is there a statement relevant
to the collecting of endangered. threatened,
or rare species?

6. Is there a statement concerning the disposition
of type specimens?

T. Does section identify any legal restrictions on
disposition or uses of the unit's museum
collection?

H. Does the SOCS havea MANAGEMENT ACTIONS
section?

1. Are there statements that require the following:

a. Periodic raview of SOCS?

b. SOCS remains supportive of and
consistent with unit's mission?

¢ Unit superintendent's approval of any
revisions to SOCS?

2. Does section document existence of or need
for a Collection Management Plan?

3. ifany collections are located outside the unit's
boundaries, is a brief description of each
collection and name and location of each
repository identified?

|. Comments/Recommendations (If needed, attach additional pages. ):

NO

x «x «K x

See attached copy of unit's approved or draft Scope of Collection Statement for editorial

comments.

_X_ Revise the SOCS to correct the deficiencies noted on this checklist. See NPS Museum
Handbook, Part |, (MH-f) Chapter 2, Scope of Museum Collections (2003), Section D, for
guidance on writing a Scope of Collection Statement. You can also consult the sample
Scope of Collection Statement in MH-/, Appendix E, Scope of Collection Statement (2003)

for additional assistance,

See additional notes on attached pages.

"See additional notes pertaining to this question on attached pages.
NPS Checklist for Evaiuating Scope of Collection Statements

Page 5 of 5

National Perk Service 115



Collaction Management Pian

During the first CMP team visit, the team
recommended a 100 percent inventory be
done. With the move of the collections from
the old storage trailer to the new curatorial
facility, park staff has inventoried the park's
entire collection. Park staff is working
towards documenting this inventory and the
results in the accession book and on catalog
records.

Accession number AMIS-00001 was
assigned to the archeological collections that
were collected between 1958 and 1970
during the preinundation study, Stored at
TARL, these collections are made up of
several years, archeological sites, and
principal investigators. Within this one
accession are 228 individual projects, Fach
project should have been accessioned
separately at the time of acquisition.
Because of the size of this collection,
changing how the collection is accessioned
would be an undertaking. A compilation of
the various archeological sites and principal
investigators, sorted by catalog numbers,
should be devised and filed with the
accession folder.

The early accessions, AMIS-00002-00065,
are from unknown sources and unknown
dates. These collections were found in
Emery (Smokey) Lehnert’s museum cabinet
and were accessioned at one time. Because
these collections are from unknown sources,
it can only be assumed that the items are
really from parklands. Each item was
accessioned with its own accession number.
Because these items were all from unknown
sources and dates, they could have been
accessioned as one collection with one
accession number. Great care should be
given to acquiring collections from
unknown sources and it should be avoided if
possible.

54 Amistad National Recreation Aree

The accession book has numerous pieces of
paper and self-stick notes placed within it.
Some notes are duplicate information for
specific accession entries. Each piece of
documentation should be reviewed for its
relevance and removed from the accession
book if it is not pertinent. If the
documentation is related to specific
accessions, it should be filed with the
appropriate accession file. Other pieces of
documentation relate to catalog numbers
being assigned to the collections, Park staff
began reviewing this documentation after
the first CMP team visit. They are working
towards resolving the issues and have made
good progress in eliminating these random
pieces of paper.

After the team reviewed the accession book,
it became apparent that various personnel.
over many years, were accessioning the
museum collections at AMIS. Because of
this, the accessions have been done in as
many different ways as (here were personnel
entering the accessions. And not all the
accessions are completed according to
policy. The person identified us having
museum responsibilities in his or her
position description (PD) should be the only
one completing the accessioning. This
person should be aware of the scope of
collections statement (SOCS) and the items
that should be acquired for the museum
collection. Also, all other personnel,
including for example, the biologist or
archeologist. should provide project
documentation to the museum person. The
museum person would then provide
accession and catalog numbers for the
project. One person is to be responsible for
accessioning materials into the museum
collections.


Collection Management Plan

10. Are other laws, regulations, conventions,
and special directives felavant to acquisition
of museum objects cited?

11. Ifapplicable, are any special unit designations
(e.g,, Biosphere Reserve, National Historic
Landmark, World Heritage Site) that may be
pertinent to museum collection cited?

C. Does the SOCS have TYPES OF COLLECTIONS

section?
4. Is there a brief profile of the unit's museum
collection?

2. Is there an introductory statement indicating
that the INTRODUCTION section states the
purpose of collection?

3. 1s section divided Into two major categories:
Natural History Collection and Cultural
Collection?

4. Natural History Collection Category:

a. If appropriate, |s there a statement thal the
unit does not collectmaintain a natural
history collection for its own purposes?

b. If unit collects/maintains a natural history
collection Is there an introductory paragraph
that briefly outlines the purpose of this
collection?

¢. Is major category subdivided into disciplines
(Biology, Geology, Palsantology) pertinent
to unit?

d. ls each discipline subdivided into collecting
categories that reflect unit's purpose for
collection?

8. If appropriate, under each collecting category:
1) Is current representation of abject types

described?
2) Are priorities established to fill identified
deficiencies (gaps) in existing collection?
3) Are limits (quantities) defined?

f. Is there a collecting category for “associated
records" under each discipline?

g. Does paleontology discipline include a
Statement relevant to uncontrolled
surface collecting?

5. Cultural Collection Category:

a. Does introductory paragraph include a statement

that describes the purpose of this collection?

“See additional notes pertaining to this question on attached pages.
NPS Checklist! for Evaluating Scope of Collection Statements

YES NO NA

x xx x

Page 2 of §

112 Amistad National Recreation Area


Collection Management Plan

The park does not have a formal muscum
management program, Clearly the collateral
duty approach has provided some attention
to the level of care required for the proper
documentation, preservation, protection, and
accessibility (intellectual and physical) as
project funds provide. Given this rich
cultural collection, however, a full
performance position dedicated to the
management of the collections is absolutely
necessary, Current NPS policy identifies the
journeyman level for independent
professional work to be the GS-11 level;
day-to-day technical supervision lowers the
grade level. A full professional curator (GS-
1015-11) is needed to develop: and manage
the museum program for AMIS. It is
recommended that a curator with a resources
background be the choice to manage the
program because both cultural and natural
collections constitute the park's museum

Property.

The needs of the collections are documented
in this CMP. Numerous projects are
identified in this plan, from updating the
accession files to museum housekeeping to
upgrading the museum collection storage.
These projects require —_ professional
curatorial staff on site to supervise the
contractors or to accomplish the actual
work, The management of the associated
records for the natural history collections
requires professional archival training.
Although a need for a full-time archivist
may not be needed at this time, an archivist
services are urgently required. Those
services may be obtained by contract or by
hiring term or temporary staff.

Once professional staff is on-board. several
graduate programs may be contacted to
provide intems to do the professional level
project work under the supervision of the
professionals. The American Association of
Museums. (AAM) has a list of these

72 Amistad National Recreation Area

accredited programs. The NPS has a
cooperative agreement with the National
Council for Preservation Education that
provides a clearinghouse with parks for
interns from appropriate college and
university programs. Finally. the American
Institute for Conservation has a list of
conservation programs, If the park can
provide housing without charging the
program, it might be possible to find free, or
nearly free, staff professionally trained to
work on specific park projects. It is
recommended that these sources be
reviewed for possible assistance. Stipends
can be funded through project money,
depending on the funding source, or even
through the support from the park's
cooperating association.

Programming

The park has an annual NPS operating
budget of approximately $3,136,000 for
FY2005. OF that total, $493,300 is for the
Division of Education and Resources
Management. The overall increases to the
park’s base budget have, undoubtedly, not
kept pace with increasing personne] and
operating costs or with the expanding
resource management responsibilities and
educational programs.

With that in mind, it is important to note that
the AMIS budget was increased by $3,000
in 1998 through special congressional
authorization that mandated those funds be
used to support cataloging related activities.
This is not a huge dollar figure, and it may
be tempting to consider the $3,000 as part of
the park's overall base budget. This small
amount of funding, however, is essential to
ensuring that the park’s ANCS+ program
remains functional, using updated
technology to its advantage, and that
progress is made either in reducing the
existing cataloging backlog or in keeping up


Collection Management Plan

24 Amistad National Reccoation Area


Collection Management Pian

activity temporarily in the area, and a
pesticide was applied to the floor area.!
The exterior perimeter of the building is
sprayed quarterly since 2003.

Dust and External Pollution Control

Dust and external pollution are also serious,
on-going problems in building 33. The
building, which is often open to the outside,
is shared with other UT departments, over
which there is no control of issues such as
materials storage and housekeeping.
Vehicles regularly drive in and out of the
building.

Figure 35: Building 33 has boxes stacked from
floor to ceiling on sturdy metal shelving

' Product used was Delta Gard, Suspend SC. Notes
entitled fumigation in Building 33 are located in
TARL files.

94 Amistad National Recreation Area

Housekeeping

The floors in the TARL storage area of
building 33 were reported to have been
cleaned using an oily sweeping compound
after the pesticide application in 2002.
Since then, the floors are regularly swept,
The boxes and shelves are not dusted. No
other housekeeping is reported.

Housing of Objects

Boxes of cataloged and unprocessed AMIS
material are stored on open, metal shelving,
12 shelves high. Neither the bottom nor the
top of the shelves are secured at this time.
Most of the cataloged and unprocessed
materials are stored in regular, corrugated
boxes. There are some large lithics stored
directly on shelving. Some are in plastic
bays. Some do not have any housing
During cataloging, materials are moved
from paper field sacks and plastic bags into
polyethylene bags. Bulk material and
debitage are stored together in one bag. The
bottom seam on the cataloged boxes is
secured using hot melt glue. Some boxes of
unprocessed material, which are not securely
sealed, are stored vertically. Contents are
placed at risk when these are moved.

Light Contral

Light control is not an issue for AMIS
objects stored in Building #33. Except for
lithic materials, which are not light sensitive,
artifacts are stored in closed boxes.

Human Osteology Room

The Human Osteology Room, which houses
human remains, was moved into its present
location in January and February 2003 when
its previous location within building 5 was
condemned. The Human Osteology Room
is divided off from administrative areas with
a chain link fence. A work area inside the
space is also used for research purposes.


CHAPTER 1; Collection History
Park History

In 1944, the United States International
Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC)
and the government of Mexico signed a joint
water treaty that affected the Rio Grande
from El Paso to Brownsville, Texas. The
original treaty proposed lo construct,
operate, and maintain three international
hydroelectric dams on the Rio Grande. Two
reseryoirs were created, Falcon and
Amistad.

The NPS began involvement at Amistad
Reservoir on November I1, 1965 under a
cooperative agreement with the U.S. section
of the IBWC. The agreement, effective until
November 27, 1990, allowed the NPS to
manage the natural, cultural, and
recreational activities adjacent to the
reservoir. On November 28, 1990, Public
Law 101-628 was enacted by Congress and
provided the park's enabling legislation
while changing the park name to Amistad
National Recreation Area (AMIS).

Amistad Intemational Reservoir is on the
U.S./Mexico border about 290 km (180
miles) west of San Antonio, Texas.
Construction of the 9.6 km (6 mile) long
Amistad Dam northwest of Del Rio was
completed in 1969 with Presidents Richard

Figure 2: Amistad Dam

Figure 3: President Richard Nixon and Mexican
President Diaz Ordaz dedicating the Amistad
Dam May 31, 1969

Nixon and Diaz Ordaz dedicating the
structure on May 31, 1969. Ata normal pool
level (1117 feet above mean sea level),
impound waters creates a 68,000 square acre
reservoir which extends in the United States
about 40 km (25 miles) up the Devils River
valley, 22 km (14 miles) up the Pecos River
valley, and 118 km (73 miles) up the Rio
Grande valley.

The Museum Collection

The park’s museum collection includes
muscum objects (archeology materials and
natural history specimens); paper archives
(resource management files, a wide
assortment of maps in various formats and
historical records); photographic materials
(negatives, prints, and slides); and magnetic
and electronic media (floppy disks, tape
backups, CD ROMs, and DVDs).

Archeological Materials

On the AMIS FY2004 Collection
Management Report (CMR), the park
collection was estimated to contain
1,479,396 objects making if among one of

National Park Service 5


with new acquisitions to prevent a
cataloging backlog,

The park is very successful in applying for
and receiving Backlog Cataloging Program
funds, having received $581,100 since
FY 1988, These funds have gone to TARL in
support of cataloging archeology collections
stored there. The park is receiving $87.900
in FY2005 for backlog cataloging. The park
will not receive any project funds for
museum collections in FY2006.

The park has submitted the following
projects to compete for future finding. The

museum projects will each have curatorial
workloads as related to archives.

The park is to be commended for its efforts
at identifying cataloging needs and
incorporating them into the PMIS. This
CMP also makes recommendations for
additional projects covering work which
should be documented in new PMIS
statements. Project budgets should include
appropriate funding for the curatorial
workload as all resource management
projects (both cultural and natural) create
new records (see DO 24),

PMIS # | Description Fund Source Funding
Reseatch grazing impacts and implement corrective actions at
116467 archeological sites: CRPP Base, FY 2007 109,500
116471 | Continue cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, phase V_| CRPP Backlog. FY2007 | 29.300
116469 | Finalized backlog cataloging for Coontail Spi Rockshelter CRPP Backlog, FY2007 | 29,300
116474 nee Fesource study of the southern transcontinental mailroad | (pip Gace FY 2007 5,000
116219 | Finalize backlog catuloging for two accessions Backlog. FY2007 29,300.
116217 sen backlog cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, Backlog, FY2007 29.300
116187 | Begin cataloging of Arenoss Rockshelter collection Backlog. FY2007 29,300
116477 _| Research and prepare park administrative history CRPP Base, FY 2008 5,000
116480 | Correct museum checklist deficiencies at AMIS facility MCPPP, FY2008 3,300
116473 | Continue cataloging of Arcnosu Rockshelter collection, phase VI_ | CRPP Backlog, FY2008 | 29.300
116472 _| Finulize cataloging for Damp Rockshelter CRPP Backlog, FY2008 | 29,300
116232_| Finalize cataloging for three accessions Backlog, FY2008 29300
116228 en backlog cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, Backlog, FY2008 29,300
116620 ries backlog cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, Backlog, FY2008 29,300
116269 | Finalize backlog cataloging for Coontail Spin Rockshelter Backlog, FY2009 29,300
116267 Sean: backlog cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, Backlog, FY 2009 29.300
116233 ae backlog cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, Backlog, FY2009 29,300
116308 | Finalize Backlog Cataloging for Damp Cave Backlog, FY2010 29,300
116271 poorer cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, Backlog, FY2010 29,300
116270 aS cataloging of Arenosa Rockshelter collection, Backlog, FY2010 29,300

By continuing and expanding its excellent
project programming, the park will secure
additional special project funds to catalog its

museum collections, complete museum
Preservation projects, upgrade its storage

National Park Service. 73


Collection Management Plan

CHAPTER 10: Security and Fire Protection

This chapter (pages 79- 84) contains
sensitive information about the security
of the collections. Restrictions have
been placed on its dissemination.

Copies sent to NPS and non- NPS
repository libraries (in accordance with
instructions in DO #28, “Cultural
Resource Management Guidelines”) do
not contain this chapter. Those copies
contain a single page inserted in place of
the chapter to alert readers that the
original text has been deleted for
security reasons.

If the copy of this document which you
are reading does not contain the full
chapter and you wish to read it, you may
request a copy directly from the
Superintendent, Amistad National
Recreation Area. Full consideration will
be given to bona fide, written requests
for copies. Write to:

Superintendent

Amistad National Recreation Area
HCR 3, Box 5J

Del Rio, TX 78840- 9350

92 Amistad National Recreation Area


INTRODUCTION

This museum collection management plan
(CMP) is the result of several site visits. The
first site visit to Amistad National
Recreation Area (AMIS) was conducted by
an interdisciplinary team the week of
September 8 — 12, 2003. This same team
also completed a site visit the week of
September 15 ~ 18, 2003 at the University
of Texas, Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory (TARL) in Austin, Texas. TARL
is the primary repository of archeological
collections and documentation for the park.
One of the original team members
conducted a second site visil to the park the
week of March 23 ~ 30, 2005, The project to
complete a CMP for AMIS was approved by
the park and fiinded with fiscal year 2003
Museum Collection Preservation and
Protection Project (MCPPP) funds,

The project will result in an approved CMP,
one of the basic planning documents for
parks. As such, this CMP will provide
programmatic museum management
guidelines for AMIS. It will also serve to
provide support for future funding requests.
The CMP is a comprehensive review of the
park’s museum management program. The
plan typically inciudes not only observations
of current conditions but also actions that
are recommended to improve the program.

Due to time limitations, the CMP team did
not provide a draft document to park staff
during the first site visit. The team did a
close-out briefing with park staff after the
first visit. Recommendations for improving
the park’s collections management were
provided and park staff began implementing
these recommendations, making great
progress toward improving the oversight of
the collections. With the implementation of

the recommendations. some of the original
chapters completed in 2003 for the CMP
became outdated. One of the original team
members conducted a second on-site visit to
the park in 2005 to revise this document into
its current form.

The park’s collections team members and
their respective areas of responsibility
include the following persons. Each
individual was selected as a team member
for his or her expertise as it fit with the
anticipated nature of the team's needs:

= Virginia Salazar-Halfmoon —
Introduction (draft), Executive Summary
(draft), Questionnaire Sumimation,
Planning, Programming. and Staffing
(draft),

« Heather Young ~ Introduction (final),
Executive Summary (final), Scope of
Collection Statement, Natural Resources
Collections, Documentation and Record
Keeping, Fire and Security, and
Planning. Programming, and Staffing
(final).

* Paul Rogers — Archives and Resource
Management Documents, Scope of
Collection Statement Checklist,
Vertebrate Paleontology Checklist.

* Martha Simpson-Grant— Collection
Preservation and Environment at TARL.

¢ Joe Labadie — Collection History,
Archeological Collections.

« Angela Johnson (Amistad SCA Museum
Intern) — Editing and Layout (final)

National Park Service 1


APPENDIX B: Checklist for Evaluating Scope of Collection Statement

=| National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATING SCOPE OF COLLECTION STATEMENTS
Unit's Name: Amistad National Recreation Area (AMIS)
Draft __XX_ Approved Date:1976

Reviewed by. Paul Rogers Staff Curator/Archivist Date9/12/2003
Name Title

A. Does the SOCS have TITLE PAGE?

4. 1s Title Page format correct?

2. Does Title Page include all required signatures and
dates?

B. Does the SOCS have INTRODUCTION section?

Does SOCS have an Executive Summary?

Is purpose of SOCS stated?

Are NPS legal authorities (laws) to acquire

and preserve museum objects cited?

a. Is unit's mission stated?

b. Is unit's enabling legislation cited?

c. If applicable, is subsequent legislation cited?

5, \f applicable, is there a statement indicating that a
museum collection is mandated by the unit's
enabling or subsequent legislation?

§. Unit's Interpretive Themes:

a. Are interpretive themes listed?

b. Are interpretive periods listed?

c. If available, are appropriate planning documents
(title/date) cited?

7. Unit's Resource Management Goals and Objectives:
a. Are pertinent cultural and natural resource

management goals and objectives listed?
(title/date) cited?

8. Mandated Collections:

a, Is statement, citing 43 CFR 7.13 and NPS
Management Policies (2001), made that archeo-
logical collections are managed as part of the
unit's museum collection? x ——

b. Is there a statement citing permit conditions and
curatorial requirements pertaining to 36 CFR 2.59? x a

9. Is there a discussion of the significance and history
of the collection? x _

- Sis

LITT LITT Te

ss5e% >| | x6

lll =~ |{tl px alF
HE Ud] te

lll |
lll |

|

|
|

*See additional notes pertaining fo this question on attached pages. Page 1 of §

National Park Service 111


Recommendations

Ongoing

°

Ensure that the CMR and the checklist
accurately reflect the current status of
the park’s needs on an annual basis.
These documents determine the regional
distributions of the national funds and
the distributions are recalculated every
four years.

Revise the park organization chart to
show a professional level curator, GS-
1015-9/11, rather than a GS-1016-05/07.
Continue to update PMIS and OFS
statements to meet the evolving needs of
the program as well as to add new
projects based on this plan.

Ensure that museum collections are
adequately addressed in all park-
planning documents.

Immediate, 1 year

*

Assess a proportion of each natural
resources, archeology, and maintenance
project to hire a term GS-11 curator to
address the immediate needs in the
collection. This term curator will also
ensure that collections resulting from
current projects are appropriately
documented to avoid an additional
backlog. This position could continue to
be filled in this way until a base increase
allows the hiring of a permanent GS-11.

Develop a museum management
program by following these steps:

1. Develop a list of essential museum
management activities (such as
registering collections, inventorying,
cleaning exhibit cases, downloading
data loggers, and replacing and

recording insect traps) and begin a
time and cost documentation and
analysis for each activity.

2. Determine which activities require
professional attention and which are
technical.

3. Prepare staffing and/or funding
proposals for the technical assistance
required to provide adequate support
for the professional program.

4. Develop a list of regularly scheduled
collateral duties not directly
associated with the museum program
and begin a time and cost
documentation and analysis for each

duty.

5. From the previous exercises,
determine whether the completion of
collateral duties adversely affects the
completion of primary museum
management functions, such as basic
registration. The data may support
the addition of technical staff as just
mentioned or may support moving
collateral duties to other staff
members.

Determine which jobs should be
performed by NPS positions (full-time
permanent versus term or temporary)
and which could be contracted.

Complete an annual workplan for the
museum program for inclusion in the
park-wide annual workplan. Note that
much of museum work lies outside the
PMDS_ categories for museum
collections (Ia6 and Ib2d) and should be
subsumed under other, seemingly
unrelated, goals.

National Park Service 77


1984¢ Red Linear Style Pictographs of the Lower Pecos River Region, Plains
Anthropologist 29:181-198.

1985a_ Pictograph Support for the Smoke Signal Hypothesis. Plains Anthropologist
30:165-166.

1985b Seminole Sink: Excavation ofa Vertical Shaft Tomb, Val Verde County, Texas.
Texas Archeological Survey Research Report 93, University of Texas at Austin.

1986a An Example of a Mythical Creature in the Lower Pecos River Region, Texas. La
Tierra 13(4):15-19, San Antonio,

1986b Pictographs of the Red Monochrome Style in the Lower Pecos River Region,
Texas. Bulletin of The Texas Archeological Society 55:123-144.

1986¢ Absolute Dating of Red Monochrome Pictographs: A Failed Experiment. Texas
Archeological Survey Technical Bulletin 88, University of Texas at Austin.

1986d Toward a Definition ofa Pictograph Style: The Lower Pecos Bold Line
Geometric. Plains Anthropologist 31:153-162.

1986¢ The Meyers Springs and Bailando Shelters: Iconograph Paralles. La Tierra
13(1):5-8. San Antonio.

1988a Arroyo De Los Indios: A Historic Pictograph in Northern Coahuila, Mexico.
Plains Anthropologist 33(120):279-284.

1988b Rock Artof the Despoblado. Archeology 41(5):50-55.

1989 The Iconography of Contact: Spanish Influences in the Rock Art of the Middle Rio
Grande. \n: David H. Thomas, ed., Columbian Consequences, Vol. |, pp. 277-299.
Smithsonian Press, Washington D. C.

1990 Speculations on the Age and Origin of the Pecos River Style. \n: Solveig A.
Turpin, ed., American Indian Rock Art 16:99-122. Proceedings of the International Rock
Art Conference and 16th Annual Meeting of the American Rock Art Research
Association.

Turpin, Solveig A., and Joel Bass
1999 The Lewis Canyon Petroglyphs. Special Publication 2. Rock Art Foundation, Inc:
San Antonio, Texas.

Woosley, A. M.
1936 Excavations of a Rock Shelter on the Martin Kelly Ranch Six Miles Southeast of
Comstock in Val Verde County, Texas. Manuscript on file with the Texas Archeological
Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin.

National Park Servica 107


Collection Management Pian

(projectile points, scrapers, thin bifaces,
painted pebbles, etc.) and modified vegetal
material (basket, mat and sandal fragments;
knotted fibers and cordage.) Metal (mainly
iron), glazed ceramics, and glass bottles
compose the historic artifacts from AMIS.

Figure 32: Room 19 contains compact storage
cabinets and has an HVAC system

Climate Control

Room 19 has a dedicated HVAC system
providing control of temperature and
relative humidity. A hygrothermograph
with a chart visible outside the room
monitors conditions inside, The target
conditions for the system are 65 ° F and 40
percent relative humidity (RH.) A
fluctuation of approximately 2-3 percent RH
was noted during the time the door to the
room was opened and closed for the site
visit. A relative humidity reading taken with
an aspirating psychrometer during the site
visit confirmed a relative humidity level of
40 percent. Hygrothermograph records are
stored in files at TARL.

Pest Management

There is no IPM program currently at
TARL. The outside perimeter of room 19
was reportedly sprayed with pesticide at
least once. Sticky traps are inside room 19.
Monitoring of the sticky traps is reportedly
ad-hoc.

Dust and External Pollution Control: The
threat to artifacts from dust and external

92 Amistad Natlonal Recreation Area

pollution are minimal in room 19. Objects
are stored in closed cabinets with intact
gaskets. The room itself is well sealed with
intact gaskets and caulking. The HVAC
system is filtered and the filters are
reportedly changed regularly. Dust that
does accumulate is most likely brought in
when the room is being used,

Housekeeping
Room 19 is occasionally swept with Swiffer
cloths.

Housing of Objects

The AMIS objects are stored in drawers
inside gasketed, baked enamel metal
cabinets. Several drawers containing
artifacts were stuck and could not be opened
at the ume of the site visit. The drawers
appear to be inconsistently filled: some are
over-crowded, and in other cases, they are
not completely filled or padded, allowing
movement of artifacts as the drawers are
opened. Fragments on some of the vegetal
materials, such as sandals and mat
fragments. appear to have been displaced
from this movement. Some artifacts are too
tall for the space and hit the bottom of the
drawer above as the drawer is pulled out.
The majority of housing materials inside the
cabinets appear to be archival quality,
though a small number of non-archival
materials are mixed in and in some cases
have direct contact with artifacts.

Figure 33: Example of a drawer with fragile items
in the AMIS collection


Collectian Management Plan

The “Objects/Specimens Received by” line
on the accession receiving report is to be
signed by the person who recetves the
objects, Typically this is the person
assigning the accession number. The
“Designated Receiving Officer” is the
official receiver of the collection. Typically
this person is the superintendent

Although the guidelines stipulate that only
one accession receiving report will be
completed for each accession, several AMIS
accessions have multiple receiving reports.
For example, accession AMIS-00253 is filed
with three separate receiving reports. These
reports document each individual item in the
accession, Similarly, accession AMIS-
00255 has two receiving reports; AMIS-
00256 has three, AMIS-00257 has six, and
AMIS-00258 has two.

The accession folders also contain the
original catalog worksheets from each
accession. Some of these worksheets have
original illustrations of the objects. The
catalog worksheets could be sorted out from
the accession folders into catalog folders
created just for the worksheets.

Some documents are contained within the
accession folders should perhaps be added to
the archives collection. Some materials may
be duplicates of items already archived. The
documentation within accession folders
AMIS-00066 through AMIS-00068. AMIS-
00152, and AMIS-00163 should be
reviewed.

Accessions AMIS-00066 through AMIS-
00068 were previously stored at the former
Southwest Regional Office. The loan
agreements for these accessions have no
signatures acknowledging that the
collections were returned to the park.

58 Amistad National Recreation Area

Incoming Loans

Incoming loans are another form of park
accession, Parks may request incoming loans
of materials for exhibition or research
purposes, Parks may not loan out materials
received on loan (a “third-party” loan).
Incoming loans at parks must be returned or
renewed after three years, and the materials
inclided with incoming loans must be
cataloged as controlled property, The park has
no incoming loans.

Unaccessioned Materials

The backlog of unaccessioned material that
is destined for the museum collection is
likely to grow after the park’s SOCS is
revised, as is recommended in this CMP,
The greatest component of unaccessioned
material that is likely to enter the museum
collection is the  park’s resource
management files. The resource
management files are addressed in detail in
chapter 6 of this CMP.

At the time of the first CMP team visit,
many archeological and biological
specimens were stored in various areas of
the park headquarters area, these specimens
needed consideration of their suitability for
adding to the museum collections.

A park visitor center was situated on the
Amistad dam when the first CMP team
visited. The exhibits at this facility have
since been relocated a new visitor center.
The items on exhibit are all reproductions.
Reproductions, such as the projectile points
and sandals, should be marked as such.
Depending on the valic of these
reproductions or the need for tracking them
because of security issues, park staff may
want to consider accessioning and
cataloging the items. The reproductions
consist of four projectile points and two
sandals.


Caliection Management Plan

scientific research constitute the principal
kinds of specimens obtained by field
collection at AMIS. All museum collections
of artifacts and documents resulting from
field studies conducted within a park’s
boundaries remain the property of the
government. Reports, research, and studies
prepared for AMIS by NPS or non-NPS
staff become resource management archives
to be accessioned into the collections. These
projects generate items such as reports, field
notes, correspondence, contracts, financial
agreements, lab results, and so forth — and
might also contain photographs and artifacts.
Other museum accessions found at AMIS
include donations.

Accession Book

The accession book, Form 10-256,
documents the source for every object in the
park's muscum collection. It contains the
sequential log of transactions that prove
NPS ownership of museum collections and
temporary custody for incoming loans. All
material in the park’s museum collection
must be part of an accession in the accession
book, It is a legal document that may be
used in a court of law,

The park's accession book is currently
stored in a locked supply cabinet within the
Cultural Resource Program manager's
office. The accession book must be stored
in a locking, fire-resistant filing cabinet that
is located in a secure room. The park is
working to move a fire-resistant filing
cabinet to the newly acquired curatorial
storage facility, Once the cabinet is in place,
the accession book will be stored there.

The current accession numbers range from
AMIS-00001 to AMIS-00294. Most entries
are appropriately made with permanent ink,
but there are seven entries in pencil, AMIS-

52 Amistad National Recreation Area

Figure 18: AMIS Accession Book

00287 and AMIS-00289 to AMIS-00294,
These penciled cntrics must be
redocumented using the proper pen and ink.
Several other entries are made with black
ball point pen or black marker, AMIS-00166
to AMIS-00216, AMIS-00230 to AMIS-
00245, and AMIS-00251 to AMIS-00257.
All these entries are to be redone with
permanent ink using a fountain, quill, or
tapidograph pen or with a fine felt-tip
permanent ink pen (Pignia ink pen),

All the accessions are field collections with
the exception of one donation. Accession
AMIS-000163, is a collection of water
colors that were donated to the park. The
donator signed a letter of donation. Future
donations are to be documented using the
deed of gift.

One accession entry in the book is a
duplicate. Accession AMIS-00164 has been
entered with the exact same information on


Collection Management Plan

* File folder with notes on faunal
analysis, 25 to 50 pages.

* Six 8x11 ledger pads of data and
notes on Bison antiquus research

(many blank pages).
* Devils Rock Shelter, 41VV264.
reprint.

= File folder containing administrative
correspondence. 100 pages.

« Fifteen paper notebooks containing
specimen inventories, 50 to 100
pages each.

Record Case 8.

Records from Dr. Robert K. Alexander,
This record case contains materials from
the Texas Archacological Salvage
Project, 1967-1970, site 41VV162. An
inventory of the materials in this case
was completed in 1993.

A Brief History of the Park’s Museum
Management Program

Prior to 1987, the park had little to no
involvement in the management of federal
collections from park lands. The park
managed a small collection (less than 200
objects) of materials that had been
accumulated since the early 1970s by
various park staff. The primary use of these
materials was for evening interpretive
programs for park visitors. In (987, a
portion of these objects were cataloged and
remain today in the collection curated at the
park.

14 Amistad National Recreation Area

The prereservoir (1958-1970) portion of the
AMIS collection has been curated under
several different long-term MOUs at TARL
since 1958-1959. The collection was
amassed incrementally during NPS funded
(1958-1970) preinundation research for
Amistad Reservoir As the original
contractor for these many years of
prereservoir salvage excavations, TARL has
curated the collection in its entirety since the
materials were first excavated. The NPS did
not provide any finding to TARL for
curation and cataloging of the collection
from 1970-1987 which is a testament to
their long term commitment to the park's
collection.

The current Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) and Cooperative Agreement (CA)
for collections management were established
in 1999 between TARL, the University of
Texas at Austin. and AMIS. The MOU
between the agencies is for a 25-year period.
Park collections at TARL are housed in
three locations: Building 33 (general
collections. human osteology. archives),
Building 5 (long-term curation), and the
Vertebrate Paleontology Lab (adjacent to
Building 33). The CA between the two
agencies began in 1999 and was recently
(2004) extended for another five years to
continue backlog cataloging using NPS
funding on an annual basis.

At the park, portions of the collection
(acquired after 1987) are maintained at one
location, the curatonal facility.


Task Force Documentation Files, Native
American Liaison Files, National Register of
Historic Places, Compliance, Vandalism
Files, Graffiti, and Historic Samples.

Visitor and resource protection files include
Annual Dive Report, Correspondence,
Adjacent Land Qwoners, Special Use
Permits, Consent Forms for Land Owners,
Grazing Permit, Monthly Public Use,
Record of Evaporation and Climatological
Observations, Annual Reports, ARPA, Site
Vandalism, and Statistical Data.

Concessions haye such files as Water
Programs, Park Stats, Water Records, Old
Plans, Special Use License, Commercial
Use and Complaint; Commercial Use
License. Fishing Guide Permits,
Correspondence. Maintenance Plans,
Operation Plan, Marina, Contract Files,
Litigation, Construction, Land/Boundary
Special Uses, Waste Dump. Evaluations,
and Solicitor Correspondence.

Administrative files include Superintendents
Annual Reports, Reading Files,. Accidents,
Injury, or Death, 10 Millionth Visitor,
Interagency Agreements, Cooperative
Agreements, Loans, Compliance, Design,
Contract Files, Integrated Pest Management
(IPM). Alterations, Modifications,
Correspondence, Lands, Establishment,
Fencing, Right of Way, Acquisition,
Projects. Salvage, Grazing and
Environmental, Dryden Landfill, and Toxic
Waste.

In the newly revised DO-19, appendix B,
resource management records are identified
with a Y in the resource management
column next to the central file code (or an NV
if they are not resource management). All
resource management records are considered
mission critical and are therefore needed
permanently on site for the proper and

continual management of the park's
resources (i.e, fesource management
records are archival).

Park Headquarters and Visitor Center
Administrative Office/Central Files

The park’s central files are in four filing
cabinets and date mostly from the 1980s to
1990s (there ure also records from 1960s
through the 2000s). A folder has been
created for each central file code and
category, whether or not the actual files
exist, These excess files can be disposed of
if the park no longer needs them.

Cultural Resources

Within this division are the park’s 106-
compliance log and files. The 106 files
constitute about | If of archival records.
When these records become inactive (which,
in most cases, occurs every three years
depending on the file), they should be
systematically moved and accessioned into
the archives. Due to the current archive’s
backlog at the park, it is suggested that 106-
compliance files not be removed until the
backlog project begins so that they remain
accessible.

A two-door metal cabinet contains small,
minivideo tapes, each sixty minutes long.
Some of these videos document
archeological sites; therefore, they will need
to be migrated to VHS or DVD. The cabinet
also contains two green binders of [BWC
photo documentation of land before it was
transierred into NPS custody. The IBWC
currently has four cabinets of this
documentation (check to see if Regional
Office in Santa Fe has similar
documentation). Such documentation
includes land realty black-and-white prints
that document the homes and land before the

National Park Service 43


their disposition date should be shredded.
Resource management records that are
inactive, or were part of a project that was
completed, need to be removed from
central files and division offices and placed
in a central location with the rest of the
AMIS museum collection archives, The
files should not be removed from their
current location until the  backlog-
cataloging project is initiated. so that the
files can remain accessible for as long as
possible. Once the collections have been
moved to the archives, they should be
immediately processed and cataloged to the
file level (folder) unit or item level (for
maps and images), as appropriate, in the
ANCS+ archives module. This project
could be funded through backlog-
cataloging money (only  pre-1987
documents are eligible), although about
two-thirds of the collection predates 1987,
it may need to be funded through Museum
Collection Protection and Preservation
Program (MCPPP) instead.

As a result of performing this project,
permanent archives collections will be
preserved, better secured against accidental
loss, theft, or degradation from the
environment, and, just as importantly, these
records and documents will be more
accessible to staff in daily operations and
the general public in educational outreach.
This project is a large effort to save the
remaining institutional history of the park.
A total of 67 If of museum collection
archives constitute roughly 2,000 prints,
slides, and negatives and 850 maps,
drawings, and plans. The work may be
performed by a GS-9 (1420 or 1421 series)
archivist or archives specialist, or someone
with an extensive background = in
appraising, surveying, processing, and
cataloging within the ANCS+ archives
module, preferably for the NPS. If there
are staff available to assist the archivist in

processing and cataloging, the work can be
accomplished within one year. The total
cost of this project should not exceed
$55,000 (including basic archival supplies),
2) ‘Park staff need to investigate other
repositories to find AMIS related museum
collections and archives, namely at the
Witte Museum, the Santa Fe Regional
Office, the IBWC, the University of
Nebraska, Sul Ross, TARL, the Whitehead
Museum, and the Institute of Texan
Cultures, This would involve researching
any repository that may have museum
collections, associated museum records, or
historical documentation related to AMIS.
These may include repositories that
currently house AMIS collections, but may
also include institutions that house records
on the history of the area, before the
creation of the reservoir, the recreation area
or the national recreation area. The project
would involve about one month to research
known and potential repositories, two
weeks to travel to these repositories, and
the time it takes tw photocopy the
documentation. All research into the
known repositories and into finding the
potential repositories would need to be
documented (to avoid duplicating work in
the future). My recommendation would be
to have a Student Conservation Association
(SCA) or volunteer do the research, and
write a PMIS or grant for the travel and
photocopying expenses. Most likely the
project funds would come from MCPPP.
The travel allowance (two weeks) would be
$3,000; photocopies may cost $1,000 (as
some institutions charge as much as .25
cents per copy).

Preservation

Signs of infestation, such as the desiccated
remains of insects, dirt, and dust, and a
potential for mold or fingus were apparent
at AMIS. To eliminate the infestation and

National Park Service 47


Collection Management Plan

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National Recreation Area (AMIS) materials is viewed on the Texas Beyond History website

CRPP Base Museum Collection Backlog
Cataloging or the Museum Collection Backlog
Cataloging fund sources. Similarly, the park's
Checklist needs to reflect the park’s needs
accurately if it is to compete for funds from

The park's Museum Management Program
(MMP) has access to funds earmarked for
eliminating the backlog of collections needing
to be cataloged and for museum collection
projects related to certain collection planning,

preservation, storage, and protection activities.
The park must accurately document its
cataloging backlog within ANCS+ and the
CMR if it is to be able to access either the

78 Amistad National Recreation Area

the MCPPP Fund Source. Both the CMR data
and the Checklist require annual review and

updating.


Amistad Dam Construction (183 images)
Animals (1,485 images)

Archeology (82 images)

Geology (25 images)

Miscellaneous (1! images)

NPS Facilities and Destinations (502
images)

Other National Parks (19 images)

* Plants (413 images)

Programs, Projects. and Staff (895
images)

Recreation (42 images)

Scenic (219 images)

Signage (10 images)

Val Verde County area (192 images)

International Boundary and Water
Commission

The International Boundary and Water
Commission (IBWC) was responsible for
the design and construction of Amistad
Reservoir and today manages the dam
operations. The NPS assisted with land
acquisition for the reservoir beginning in the
mid-!960s and directed archeological
investigations conducted by the NPS
Salvage Office in Austin through 1970. The
IBWC maintains administrative offices.
warehouses, and employee residences
adjacent to Amistad Dam, Administrative
and historical records associated with the
dam construction are located on site at
several different buildings.

The park has no hard copy records, archives,
or deed records associated with the
construction of the dam. Previous formal
inquires to the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA) and the
NPS regional offices failed to locate any
substantial or meaningful records associated
with the early history and administration of
the park. Beginning in 2003, park staff,
Student Conservation Association (SCA)
members, and several volunteers began a

cursory inventory project of the primary
IBWC records areas in an attempt to identify
archives of direct importance to the park
which includes land acquisition, real estate
records, and historic photographs of
prereservoir landscapes and structures that
were acquired by the government for
Amistad Reservoir, The 2003 IBWC
records survey did not inventory engineering
data, geological core samples, or
construction records.

The inventory project has established that
the amount of records and photographs that
are of direct importance to the park
maintained by the IBWC is staggering.
There are at least 50 bankers* boxes and 135
linear feet of paper records, roughly 100
map cabinet drawers, over 100 3-ring
binders, an estimated —6,000-7,000
photographs and slides, and over | mile of
16mm movie film

As of this writing, the park has begun a
long-term project to prioritize and digitize
critical documents, maps, photographs, and
land acquisition records. To date,
approximately 30 linear feet of documents
{mostly land acquisition and real estate
records), over 5,000 photographs/slides, and
at least 300 individual maps have been
scanned and organized into a digital finding
guide for IBWC original records. The 6,000
feet of old movie film has been converted to
DVDs.

Texas Historical Commission

The Texas Historical Commission (THC)
has all of the pre-1990 survey site records
for AMIS in their electronic Site Atlas
program. They also have electronic shape
files for all research and compliance projects
completed at AMIS, The THC maintains
files on compliance activities at the park
back to 1990, All compliance records

National Park Service 9


CHAPTER 7: Documentation and Record Keeping

Museum records are a vital part of park
operations: they provide proof of the park's
legal ownership of its collections, facilitate
intellectual and physical access to the
collections, and preserve —-valuable
interpretive and research data about the
collections. The NPS sets forth very
detailed instructions about museum record
keeping policies and procedures, Park
superintendents are responsible to see that
they are carried out. Relying on the
institutional memories of staff or oral
traditions is not an effective method of
museum record keeping

Museum property is accountable property.
The accountable officer for museum
property is the park superintendent who
holds overall responsibility for the museum
collections and records. The superintendent
is responsible for verifying and signing the
Annual Inventory of Museum Property
(AIP) and the annual Collections
Management Report (CMR). _ Director’s
Order #28, Cultural Resources Management
Guideline, mandates that every museum
object be accessioned as soon as it is in NPS
custody, It should be cataloged promptly
thereafter, with paper records and ANCS+
magnetic media kept in secure fire-resistant
storage.

Summary of Previous Activity

Since the park opened in the mid-1960s, the
duties associated with the AMIS museum
collections have been previously assigned to
numerous people in several different
divisions. The museum tasks were always
assigned as a collateral duty. Completion of
the museum records was inconsistent for this
reason and for lack of training,

Accession Records

Accessioning is the process of officially
accepling items into the NPS museum
collections. Accessioning establishes legal
custody and ownership and provides
information on how the NPS acquired the
items, All items that are part of the park’s
permanent museum collections and all
incoming loans must be  accessioned
according to NPS standards. Information on
the accessioning process is found in the
Museum Handbook, Part Il, chapter 2,
Accession records are generated within the
ANCS+ software program and should be
printed on acid-free paper for storage inside
acid-free folders in a locking, fire-resistive,
file cabinet.

Figure 17: Accession files are stored in a fire
resistant lockable file cabinet

A museum accession generally refers to a
single object or group of objects received
into the museum collection from one source,
under one type of transaction, on one date.
Objects collected on park property by park
staff and researchers constitute field
collections. Archeological artifacts and
natural materials collected in the service of

National Park Services 51




Collection Management Plan

Park staff who are assigned responsibility
for collections management have the
primary responsibility for producing the
planning, programming, and reporting
documents necessary to ensure that the
primary functions previously mentioned are
adequately staffed, funded, and performed.
To achieve this goal, the staff must
understand the interrelationships of the
various reporting and planning documents
such as the Collections Management Report
(CMR), the Checklist for the Preservation
and Protection of Museum Collections
(Checklist), the Project Management
Information System (PMIS), and various
other program-specific documents. By
understanding these relationships, the staf
can produce effective —_ programming
documents that will enable them lo secure
funding from the available sources.

The documentation of time and costs to the
Museum Management Program for the
individual elements of the four primary
functions noted above is an essential
element of planning and programming.
Increasingly, park managers are asked to
show “value received for value given” in
their operations, The response “to comply
with regulations" is often not sufficient
justification for funding in today’s climate
of lean budgets and reduced _ staff.
Sometimes it is difficult for the nonspecialist
reviewing budget requests to perceive
exactly what the “value received” to the
park actually is, so illustrations of “value” in
planning documents, budget requests, and
reports must be both overt and proactive.

Museum collections management staff must
do cost analysis for both the current and the
projected activities of their division as a
means to establish credibility for the
management of park museum collections
(including archives and artifacts), Some very

66 Amistad National Recreation Ares

basic time and cost analysis questions might
include the following:

= How many accessions were processed
over the past three years’?

« Is the rate of new accessions entering the
collections increasing or decreasing?

*» Are we keeping up with basic
registration, or is a backlog being
created?

= What is the average time/cosl to process
an accession?

= What is the average time/cost to catalog
an object?

= What is the time/cost to provide
storage/inventory for each cubic foot of
storage for each year?

= What is the time/cost to provide IPM
and environmental monitoring for each
year?

* How many requests for research access
to the collections are received each year
from both staff and the public, and what
is the time/cost for cach request to
provide that access?

* Have the requests for access increased or
decreased over the past three years?

* Have collections and/or documentation
been used for educational purposes?

After the staff collect, analyze, and format
these types of data for presentation, park
management will begin to recognize more
clearly the direct costs associated with the
various facets of collections management
and will begin to determine whether the
essential work is being accomplished in a


The completed MOU between AMIS and
Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas,
also includes Big Bend NP (BIBE) and Fort
Davis NHS (FODA). The agreement is to
store the plant specimens at the Powell
Herbarium and the mammal specimens at
the Scudday Vertebrate Colleetion, The
specimen data are being entered into the
NPSpecies database and will be entered into
ANCS+,

Staff with the L&M program is working on
additional MOUs with the following
organizations for AMIS collections:

* University of Texas (UT), Lundell
Herbarium (plant specimens)

* Texas Memorial Museum, Ichthyology
Collection (fish specimens)

* Museum of Southwestem Biology
(MSB), University of New Mexico
(herpetology specimens)

The major issues with the 1&M program
include the following items:

* The [&M program is mute on some critical
information for loan agreements and MOUs.

* The I&M program is allowing the non-NPS
repositories to conduct third-party loans.

* The 1&M program is mute on the conditions
and standards of the identified repositories,

* Which organization is responsible for
insuring that specimens housed in the non-
NPS repositories are properly labeled as
NPS property is unclear,

* The 1&M program is not providing any
guidance on the management or the status of
the archival collections generated from these

projects.

Recommendations

Immediate, 1 year

Integrate the issuance of research and
collecting permits with the museum
management program,

* Ensure that all research projects
generating museum specimens and/or
records include funding to catalog,
initially preserve, and store them,

% Identify and review the backlog of
natural history specimens. Accession
and catalog the materials associated with
those specimens added to the museum
collection,

a

Continue to work with 1&M program
staff on finalizing MOUs, preparing
outgoing loan agreements, and obtaining
catalog data.

Intermediate, 2-3 years

* Contact the documented institutions to
determine if specimens from AMIS are
in their facilities. If specimens are
present, the park should obtain, at a
minimum, a listing of the specimens and
information about when and by whom
they were collected.

Long term, 3-5 years

Work with those institutions holding
undocumented park collections to
accession the collections. catalog and
record the specimens into the park's
museum collection, and obtain copies of
all the associated project records. If the
decision is made to leave the specimens
and records at the institution, the park
should prepare an outgoing loan
agreement. for the collection and indicate
on the catalog record that the specimens
and archives are on loan,

Nationai Park Service 23


Callection Management Plan

Long-term Collections Management
Facility

The bulk of the AMIS collections are
currently stored at the TARL facility. As
stated in the draft IMR Museum Collection
Facilities Strategy. the park should continue
its long-term relationship with TARL,
Because of its growing collections, lack of
space, and the age of its buildings, TARL
collections staff are working toward
obtaining a new facility, an objective the
NPS supports,

If the collections division at TARL ts unable
to acquire a new facility, the park should
begin to investigate other options for long-
term storage of its museum collections.
Other options could be to use WACC or to
partner with other national parks in Texas.

Recommendations

Immediate, 1 year

*% Investigate the possibility of installing
thermostat controls on the heating/air
conditioning units.

% Acquire monitoring equipment; a
datalogger system.

Install locks on the nonlocking cabinets.
Dispose of the cabinets that are in poor
shape, rusting.

* Transfer the wet specimens to Sul Ross
State University.

Construct a wall to divide the curatorial
facility into separate spaces for
collection storage and for research or
working.

88 Amistad National Recreation Area

Intermediate, 2-3 years

* Rehouse the stone tools in clear
polyethylene zip-lock bags (4 mil
thickness); include acid-free tags with
accession and catalog number
information, Line the drawers with
polyethylene foam drawer liners for
padding.

*» Reorganize the collections into cabinets
by material type. After the artifacts are
rehoused all the stone materials will
likely fit into a standard museum
cabinet. Larger stone or fossil materials
are currently in upper cabinets in the
upper drawers. Because they are heavy,
recommend these be moved to lower
cabinets with fewer items stored in each
drawer.

* Determine if the two cabinets that do not
lock are needed — surplus them if they
are not needed. Or, purchase locking
mechanisms for them.

* Assess the collection for what will stay
in the park. Transfer the remainder to
TARL.

Purchase a chest freezer for IPM
purposes,

Purchase 4 to 6 inch risers for the
cabinets,

Purchase additional shelving for supplies
and for the collections.

Long Term, 5-10 years

*% Continue to work with TARL to obtain a
new facility.


AMIS HQ COLL LAB

AMIS HQ CB

AMIS Coll Lab

AMIS NRA COLL LAB

AMIS NRA HDQTRS, COLL.
CAB. |, DRAWER |

AMISTAD NRA

AMISTAD NRA COLL CAB

During the first CMP team visit, the
accuracy of the storage locations in ANCS+
was spot checked. Several storage locations
were pulled at random from the database to
try to find several objects. Some items could
not be found. The project to update the
storage locations is ongoing and a list of the
potentially missing objects is being made.
Once the project is completed, TARL will
be consulted to see if the missing items are
at their location, otherwise the items will be
deaccessioned as lost.

The object status field in the AMIS ANCS+
database is not up-to-date. The items stored
at TARL are listed as being in storage. All
museum collections that are on loan need to
be noted as such in the object status field,
When sending ANCS+ data back and forth
between the park and TARL, the TARL
records on the AMIS ANCS+ database
should always be noted as being on loan.
These data are important when running the
CMR to. show all the objects that are on
loan. As park staff continues to update the
storage locations, the object status field will
also be updated.

When the CMP team first visited, duplicate
catalog numbers were among the cataloged
items from UNEB and TARL. These issues
are resolved now.

At the time of the first CMP team visit. the
natural history ANCS+ database was
missing from the park ANCS+ system. The
TEMP NH directory was reloaded at that

time. The park has since added natural
history data to that directory.

Previously, the resource trailer next to the
collection storage trailer contained several,
different museum collections of some
potential, One natural history collection is
noted as being from AMIS-00283, inclusive of
catalog numbers AMIS 41001 to 41008, and
41134 t 41139. Catalog records are not
entered into the ANCS+ database for these
specimens, which are all road kills. Before
entering the catalog records into ANCS+, the
specimens should be reviewed for their
scientific value. If they have none, they
should be disposed of. If they are added to the
museum collection, it is recommended the wet
specimens be loaned to Sul Ross State
University for jong-term storage. The 14 wet
specimens will require special storage
conditions and monitoring that the park staff
and equipment cannot provide.

Outgoing Loans

Outgoing loans are provided to NPS and
non-NPS institutions for exhibition.
research, cataloging, conservation, and
storage. Loans are not made to individuals,
Information on outgoing loans can be found
in chapter 5 of the Museum Handbook, Part
I.

All loan forms should be generated using the
ANCS+ Loans Out Module. The loan forms
should be printed on archival paper. The
superintendent approves all loans and
verifies via signature the retum of
collections after the loan period expires.

All loan paperwork should be reviewed to
determine loan status. For example, all the
collections that were stored at the former
Southwest Regional Office (SWRO). were
transferred to TARL. The loan paperwork
for these accessions does not reflect that the
collections have been moved.

National Park Service 59


Collection Management Plan

16 Amistad National Recreation Area


PHASE ONE:
jain Preliminary Control Over the Park
Records
* Survey and describe collections
= Identify official/non-official records
* Appraise collections and check them against
the Scope of Collection Statement (SOCS)
© Accession collections
* Order supplies

PHASE TWO:
Preserve the Park Collections
* Conduct the Collection Condition Survey
« = Write treatment or reformatting
recommendations
© — Contract to conserve or reformat

* Rehouse
© Prepare storage, work, and reading room
spaces
| PHASE TIIREE;

Arrange and Describe the Park Collections
* — Amange collections

* Create folder lists
* Edit and index folder lists
* Update collection fevel survey description
* Produce finding aids
* Catalog collections into the Automated
National Catalog System (ANCS*)
PHASE FOUR:
Refine the Archival Processing
* Locate resources
« Prepare processing plan and documentation
strategy

* Develop a guide to collections
| © Publicize collections

PHASE FIVE:
Provide Access to Park Collections
* Review restrictions
| * Write access and usage policies
© Provide reference service

Figure 15; Archival work is broken down into five
phases, ‘Table adapted from the Museum Handbook
Part I, appendix D

collections and project records must be kept
together, in the same order as acquired, until
intellectual control is gained through the
cataloging and description process. This
section of the CMP will provide park staff
with a brief overview of how to process,
arrange, describe, and catalog an archival
collection in accordance with archival
principles and methods. Access and
reference services will also be briefly
addressed.

Detailed instructions for establishing a park
archives are delineated in the Museum
Handbook, Part ll, appendix D. Before they
are formally —acquisitioned. archival
materials are to be evaluated against the
park’s Scope of Collection Statement
(SOCS) and in accordance with NPS
muscum and records mandates. General
guidelines for processing, describing, and
providing access to archival collections are
presented here and in Conserve O Grams
19/15 ~- Storing Archival Paper-Based
Materials, Conserve QO Grams 19/16 -
Housing Archival Paper-Based Materials.
The Museum Handbook, Part Ill, outlines
NPS access policies = and _—_—egal
considerations.

Processing archival materials usually
involves preparing an initial inventory of all
files, maps, photographs, and so forth, in the
order in which the records or documents
were first maintained by their creator. An
inventory should be completed of the
contents of each container that forms the
collection. The inventory then provides an
initial context to begin identifying the
potential series within each individual
collection. Processing also involves
reviewing the collection a second time and
documenting its condition, the eminent
figures or organizations associated with the
collection, the range of dates for the
material, why the collection was created

National Park Service 33


two separate pages. One of these entries
should be lined through with a single line.

Three accessions are noted on a self stick
note as being duplicates of three other
accessions in the book. These accessions
and their duplicate are AMIS-00115 and
AMIS-00143, AMIS-00114 and AMIS-
00078, and AMIS-00113 and AMIS-00077.
The note in the accession book states that
AMIS-00113 through AMIS-00115 should
be voided, but this action should only be
taken after reviewing all the documentation
on each accession. A determination of
duplication should only be made after a
careful review of the accession and catalog
documentation. All of these accessions
contain human remains, If any duplication
has occurred, the AMIS. Native American
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA) Inventory of Human Remains
and Associated Funerary Objects will be
affected.

Several entries have been completed for
more than one accession within the book.
For example, AMIS-00266 has several
entries listing each piece of archeological
provenience information along with a list of
the objects recovered from each
provenience. Other similarly completed
accessions are AMIS-00273 to AMIS-00277
and AMIS-00280 to AMIS-00282. These
sorts of entries are unnecessary. Instead,
one line, containing a short general
description of the entire collection and from
whom that collection was received, should
be given to each accession.

In other instances, an entry is made for one
accession but additional information for the
same accession is continued out of sequence
on another page. For example, AMIS-00165
has two entries. One entry is in sequential
order while the second entry to continue the
information is listed after AMIS-00214.

The same has happened to accession AMIS-
00209, which has two entries. One entry is
in sequential order and the second continues
the information after the second entry for
AMIS-00165. Accession AMIS-00168 also
has two entries. One is in sequential order
while the second entry continuing the
information is listed after AMIS-00209,
Unnecessary entries like these are confusing.
Each accession should be described briefly
in one entry and its contents listed in general
terms,

The “Remarks” column of the accession
book may be used to document the storage
location of the collections. Because the
largest part of the collection is currently
being stored at TARL, tracking this
collection could be made easier by noting
this in the Remarks column.

Through a comparison of the park and
TARL’s databases the following accessions
were identified at the park: AMIS-00012,
AMIS-00018, AMIS-00030 to AMIS-
00038, AMIS-00040 to AMIS-00047,
AMIS-00049 to AMIS-00064, AMIS-
00070, AMIS-00072 to AMIS-00152,
AMIS-00154 to AMIS-00159, AMIS-00163
to AMIS-00188, AMIS-00190 to AMIS-
00206, AMIS-00208 to AMIS-00213,
AMIS-00215 to AMIS-00258, and AMIS-
00261 to AMIS-00282.

The following accessions are at TARL:
AMIS-00001 to AMIS-00011, AMIS-00013
to AMIS-000!17, AMIS-00019 to AMIS-
00029, AMIS-00039, AMIS-00048, AMIS-
00065 to AMIS-00069, AMIS-00071, and
AMIS-00214.

Where the following accessions are stored
could not be determined: AMIS-00153,
AMIS-00160 to AMIS-00162, AMIS-
00189, AMIS-00207, AMIS-00267 to
AMIS-00277,. AMIS-00259, and AMIS-
00260.

National Park Service 53


CHAPTER 4: Natural History Collections

Natural history museum objects are
specimens taken from the living and non-
living components of the natural world and
have heen collected and curated as examples
of the natural features of an area. A natural
history specimen records the occurrence of
particular natural features, ¢.g., a species of
animal or a type of mineral, in a particular
location at a particular time. Natural history
specimens also provide the material
necessary to verify and to authenticate the
published references to the specimens. The
specimens also serve as references for the
identification and comparison of other
similar specimens, Although natural history
specimens or objects usually are only
indirectly related to human culture, they
may occasionally bear a strong relationship
to it, e.g., a wild plant used for medical
purposes, Even in such cases, it is the
specimen, not its use, which is of primary
concern, Natural history specimens are
valuable for ongoing research programs, as
well as for their historical significance.

Natural history specimens are important
within several disciplines, including,
biology, paleontology, and geology. The
specimens in the park museum collection
must always be accompanied by the
associated project documentation: the data,
records, and reports including field notes.
maps, drawings, photographs, and digital
files.

Natural history specimens are important for
documenting existing species and for the
management of the park’s natural resources.
The scientific community strongly
recommends voucher specimens collected as
part of a research project be permanently
retained. These specimens serve as
documentation of the project, provide

Figure 7: Natural History specimens stored in
finids

reference for future validation of previous
studies, and function as proof of the
existence of a species at a specific location
ata given point in time.

Natural history collections must be factored
in to all phases of the park's scientific
research planning. This is especially
important when collection permits are
issued. When specimens are collected, the
following information should also be
gathered: taxon, locality (geographic
coordinates), habitat, collection information,
preservative and/or pest fumigation
information, and copies of all the permits.
Even if the specimens are housed at non-
NPS repositories, the data must be recorded
and copies of the data files kept with the
specimens as well as in the park’s museum
collection, Further, the park should request
that all researchers, park staff included, tse
the current, professionally accepted, fluids
when ‘fixing’ and preserving wet specimens
to maintain their research value.

A biologist position is identified on the park
organizational chart. This position has been
vacant for about two and one-half years.
The previous biologist was the first biologist
employed by the park,

National Park Service 19


Collection Management Plan

The VP does not use the ANCS+ program; it
uses Microsoft Access instead. The Access
database contains a field to document
collection ownership, but this field is not
completed for the AMIS collections.
Though they are organized by site, the
collections are distributed variously between
the upstairs and the basement.

41VV82
6 boxes downstairs
6 drawers upstairs uncataloged
41VV87
half of the drawer upstairs
3 boxes basement
4IVV162A
13 to 15 drawers upstairs uncataloged
14 boxes downstairs
41VV215
5 drawers upstairs uncataloged
AIVVI88
1 drawer upstairs uncataloged
41VVI87
‘4 drawer upstairs uncataloged
4IVV 191
5 drawers upstairs uncataloged
41VVI189
5 drawers upstairs cataloged
41VV 167
4 drawers upstairs cataloged
41VV99
12 drawers upstairs partially cataloged
16 boxes downstairs partially cataloged

Recommendations

* Continue to share ANCS+ backup files
with the park, minimum once a year.

“ Download ANCS+ images to the park
database.

“ Transfer the AMIS collections stored at
VP to the TARL facility.

90 Amistad National Recreation Area

Conservation Assessment

The assessment addresses conservation and
preservation issues related to the cultural
and natural history collections belonging to
AMIS. The materials covered within this
report are stored and curated at TARL and
Vertebrate Paleontology (VP). The two labs
are in adjacent buildings on the J. J. Pickle
Research Campus (PRC) in Austin,

Figure 31: Locational map for the Vertebrate
Paleontology (VP) Lab and the Texas
Archeological Research Lab (TARL) on the J.J.
Pickle Research Campus in Austin

Within the two labs, the AMIS collections
are divided among five different areas, cach
with widely varying conditions that affect
the preservation of the collections. The
conservation assessment took place over a
four day period; the conservator visited the
five areas over about two days. Site visits
included inspection of the storage housing at


Collection Management Plan

officer formally disposes of them. The
board affords the opportunity to ensure the
retention of important documents pertaining
to resource management, the history of
interpretation in the park and approved
research projects: The board will also
ensure that ineligible records, such as
personnel-related documents. will not be
incorporated into the park archives. The
records disposition committee also needs to
review any division or program files
formally established and maintained by the
staff, and should thoroughly document any
disposition actions taken, If the staff
members are unwilling to mect the records
management criteria for division or program
files, the files need to be relocated to the
central files.

Amistad National Recreation Area
(AMIS)

As of 2003, thirty-eight years after the NPS
began managing the resources at Amistad
Reservoir, little has been done to develop
and organize the park’s archival holdings,
and they likely were never previously
examined. The FY2004 CMR states that the
park has 38,271 archival items. The totals
given for the current backlog of archives in
the CMR are extremely low and
underestimated. The backlog noted in the
CMR is limited to only archeological
archives; it does not address any other
record groups.

As a result of the first site visit, the archivist
on the CMP team ascertained that there were
approximately 67 linear feet (1f) of archives
and potential archives, which document
107,200 items. This figure does not include
an item count of the images or maps (about
850 maps, plans. and drawings are archival
or potentially archival), The Technological
Information Center (TIC) has a few of the
AMIS plans and maps on microfilm. The

40 Amistad National Recreation Area

unique AMIS code assigned by TIC is 621.
All AMIS maps, plans, and drawings that
lack this number will need to be sent to TIC
for coding.

The park will need to conduct a project to
catalog the backlog to preserve the archive’s
collections identified in the informal survey
completed for this report and make the
collections accessible. Processing and
cataloging the collections may be performed
by a professional archivist, who follows
NPS archival standards, as set forth in the
Conserve O Gram series and the Museum
Handbook, Part I, appendix D.

As part of the backlog cataloging, the AMIS
archives will need to be processed and
rehoused. This involves removing staples
and paper clips, placing files in acid-free
folders, housing prints in Mylar polyester
sleeves, housing negatives in acid-free
sleeves, and flattening or unrolling maps and
oversized materials that are not already in
the map cabinet/flat files, and placing the
maps and oversized materials in the map
drawers (avoid overfilling them as this can
damage the maps during retrieval), The
items should be rehoused in uniform
envelopes and boxes to prevent sliding and
possible damage. Boxes and drawers need
to be properly filled, or an unbuffered spacer
can be used to prevent any slumping of the
folders. {f folders or documents are too
loose in a container, they will slump and
soon become permanently curved. High-
quality boxes may also be beneticial to
absorb the acids off-gassed by newspaper
clippings and other acidic documents that
may be treated later. Rehouse bulk-stored
collections (including the newspaper
clippings) into acid-free folders to prevent
over-handling. All cabinets and drawers
will need to be Jabeled with unique numbers
or letters in order to provide a unique
identifying location. Label all boxes and


CHAPTER 11: Texas Archeological Research Laboratory

The Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory (TARL) is located in Austin,
Texas and is part of the University of Texas
(UT) off-campus facilities. The repository
was created in the early 1960s as an offshoot
of the UT's Anthropology Department. The
building that houses the collections was
constructed in 1942 as part of World War II
magnesium _ production. Collections
currently held at TARL are roughly one-
third each Federal, State (SHPO) and
University owned.

The pre-reservoir (1958-1970) portion of the
AMIS collection was curated under several
long-term memoranda of understanding at
TARL since 1958. The collection was
amassed incrementally during NPS funded
(1958-1970) pre-inundation archeological
research for Amistad Reservoir. As the

original contractor for these many years of

salvage excavations, TARL has curated the
entire collection since the materials were
first recovered. The NPS did not provide
any funding to TARL for either curating or
cataloging the collection between 1970 and
1987, a duration that is a testament to
TARL’s long term commitment to the park's
collection.

The current Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) and Cooperative Agreement (CA)
for collections management were established
in 1999 between TARL and AMIS. The
MOU between the agencies is effective for
25 years. The park collections at TARL are
housed in three places: Building 5 (general
collections, Human Osteology, archives),
Building 33 (long-term curation), and the
Vertebrate Paleontology laboratory
(adjacent to building 5). The CA between
the two agencies began in 1999 and was
renewed for another 5 years in 2004.

Figure 28: TARL is located at the University of
Texas at Austin's J.J. Pickle Research Campus

Archives and Resource Management
Documentation

The staff of TARL has done an excellent job
of processing and cataloging the AMIS
archives collections at TARL, They have
rehoused the materials into acid-free
archival folders, eliminated staples and
paperclips, enclosed prints and drawings in
Mylar polyester sleeves, and have cataloged
these records into ANCS+. The repository
possesses approximately 13 filing cabinet
drawers or 14 If of site files; 4,000
photographic prints and/or negatives; 1,500
slides; and 3 flat file drawers of profiles.
maps, drawings, manuscript illustrations,
and sketches. Staff at TARL currently
reports 38,000 AMIS items are in the
archives. The TARL library has reports and
books on AMIS, but nothing from AMIS
{ie,, these items all belongs to TARL). The
bulk of AMIS/NPS records at TARL date
from 1958 tol986. The temperature in this
room, 70° F and the relative humidity of 50
percent, are higher than the ideal for paper
records.

National Park Service 85


Collection Management Plan

The hard copies of the catalog cards or
“blue” working copies are in the green metal
ammunition boxes within the curatorial
facility. They were previously stored in the
maintenance trailer, but were relocated
during the move. The contents of these cards
should be evaluated against the park's data
in ANCS+ to determine whether they
contain catalog record information that may
not yet be entered into the electronic
database.

Catalog Data in ANCS+

At the time of the second CMP visit, the
ANCS+ cultural = resource —_ directory
contained 35.507 records and catalog
numbers AMIS 1-44,170 (non-consecutive).
The ANCS+ natural history directory
contained 1,458 records; including catalog
numbers AMIS 133-41,866.

Creating backup disks of ANCS+ databases
should be regularly scheduled by park staff.
Backups were made at the time of the
second CMP visit but not weekly, In the
current system the backups are copied to
CDs; one copy is sent to TARL and a
second copy is stored in the locking supply
cabinet in the Cultural Resources Program
manager's office. This is the start of good
protocol, but additional steps are to be taken
to maintain safe backups. Because the park
does not have a magnetic media box, one
should be purchased for storing the backups
that will be completed by museum personnel
and also for storing all the computer
program disks in one place. The magnetic
media box is to be stored inside a fire-
resistant filing cabinet, which the park is
planning to move to the curatorial facility.

The AMIS database has draft records: they
are AMIS 154, 155, 477, 547, 672, 709, 714,
857, 1091, 40288, 40880-40910, 41001-
41008, and 41134-41139, Park staff should

58 Amistad National Recreation Area

review and correct these records to reflect
their current object status,

Some catalog records contain several
material types in one catalog record: for
example. AMIS 101 contains both metal and
ceramic materials. Fach material is a
separate item that should receive its own
individual catalog number, All the catalog
records for the human remains and
associated funerary objects should also be
reviewed, Catalog number AMIS 142 is
assigned to human remains and is also
assigned 10 a hammerstone. Catalog
numbers AMIS 169 to 171 are assigned to
other NAGPRA items that must be
reviewed,

Several catalog records note that the
museum property under went destructive
analysis. These records are AMIS 16052
through 16053, 16055, 16057 to 16059,
16064. 16066, and 16069. No
documentation could be found for
deaccessioning these objects; no final report
or other product of the analysis could be
found either, The catalog records do not
note the objects as deaccessioned.

The AMIS ANCS+ database should be
reviewed for data entry consistency, For
example, the object storage locations should
be more consistent. With the move of the
museum collections to the newly designated
curatorial facility a 100 percent inventory of
the items was completed. As part of that
process, the ANCS+ database is being
verified and the storage locations are being
updated. This is an ongoing project to make
the storage locations consistent. For example
the new locations will be similar to “ANRA
CAB 1 DR 1.” Previously this location
could mean that an object is at any of the
following locations:


‘Colléction Management Plan

Figure 29: TARL Records Room

Currently, TARL backs-up ANCS+ database
once a week. The park and TARL share
back-up files of ANCS*+ at least once a year,
keeping both databases updated. Staff at
TARL transfer the archives collections in
the cultural resource section of ANCS+ to
the archives module. With additional
training on the ANCS+ archives module, the
staff can do more to produce an archives
finding aid, such as adding series, file unit,
or item level descriptions.

The TARL Emergency Response Procedures
is a comprehensive policy, but could benefit
from elaborating on a few more issues. The
first issue would be the emergency response
in the event of a train derailment -- since
active train tracks are directly behind the
TARL facility. The policy should also

clearly delineate staff responsibilities. If

possible, it would also be of service to list
other possible repositories for short-term
storage during an emergency. In regards to
TARL’s access and use policies, the section
on photographic images needs to take into
consideration certain NPS policies regarding
NAGPRA related items. Specifically,
images of human remains and sacred and
funerary objects are prohibited from being
reproduced or published, which includes

86 Amistad National Recreation Area

both paper and electronic publishing.
Neither TARL nor the NPS reveal specific
archeological site locations: such data are
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
exempt.

AMIS Site Files at TARL

The site files are in very good condition.
Although a couple minor improvements
could be made. The few oversized items
still folded in the site files need to be
flattened when possible (removal slips
should be deposited in lieu of the original
oversized item). Fragile or brittle oversized
items may need to be hydrated.

A couple of documents with pencil. colored
pencil or crayon drawings are enclosed in
Mylar polyester sleeves. These documents
should be removed from the Mylar
enclosures because they create — static
charges, that can lift the graphite or crayon
off the page with time. The best method for
protecting these pages is to interleave these
items with acid-free tissue or paper. A few
bound reports could also be interleaved with
acid-free, buffered, tissue paper between the
acidic cover and the first and last pages of
the report, While most files originating at,
or belonging to, AMIS are identified with a
stamp, a few are not, A few files are not
stamped on the folder: instead they are
stamped inside on the first sheet of paper. A
few have “NPS” written in pencil on the
outside of the folder (as the stamp is no
longer in service),

Some staff members of TARL stated that
they need to deaccession two or three files
thal are erroneously listed as NPS archives
They have already been cataloged, so they
will need undergo formal deaccessioning.


associated data must be determined by a park's scientific and curatorial staff prior to starting a
research project and be written into the conditions of each research proposal, cooperative
agreement, contract, or collecting permit, Planning includes determining provisions for field
documentation and preparation of specimens

identifying the recipient NPS or non-NPS repository for the specimens, and ensuring that each
project funds the cataloging and initial preservation and storage costs.

The value of a natural resouree museum collection is in its use or potential use. Some categories
of functional unity and utility are: general reference collections, voucher collections, research
collections and exhibit collections.

Chapter 5, Program Administration and Management (Project Documentation, page 53). Data,
records, reports, and other related information generated as a result of research activities
conducted within a park or on museum specimens collected in a park. Natural resource archives
may contain field notes, daily journals, maps, drawings, photos and negatives, slides, videotapes,
raw data sheets, remote sensing data, copies of contracts, correspondence, repository agreements,
specialists’ reports and analyses, reports and manuscripts, collection inventories, field catalogs,
analytical study data, sound recordings, computer documentation and data, tabulations and lists.
specimen preparation records, conservation treatment records, and reports on all scientific
samples lost through destructive analysis.

Museum Handbook, Park I: Museum Collections

Chapter 1, National Park Service Museums and Collections (Section C.2, Natural History
Collections)

Extensive and precise documentation of specimens must be maintained to ensure that
information gleaned from specimens is available and useful. For this reason, field records (¢.g.,
field notebooks, photographs, negatives, drawings, maps, raw data sheets, instrument charts,
remote sensing materials) should be maintained as integral parts of the collection.

Museum Handbook, Part Il: Museum Records

Chapter 2: Accessioning and Chapter 3; Cataloging Documentation is a continuous process that
starts when a specimen is first collected and includes field notes, field cataloging, mapping,
photographing, conservation treatment and subsequent annotations, and other information
gathered about a specific specimen.

Director’s Order 24, NPS Museum Collections Management

Section 4.3.16, Project-generated Collections Require project budgets to include funding for the
basic management of collections that are project-generated. Collections management includes
cataloging; labeling; conservation examination and treatment (including preparation); initial
storage of objects and specimens; and organization and storage of project documentation,
including appraisal, arrangement, description, finding aid production, and appropriate archival
housing. Before starting, permitting, or contracting a project, specify in writing in the task
directive, proposal agreement, permit. or contract. the patties responsible, the designated NI'S or
non-NPS repository, the collections management tasks, and a time schedule for completion.
Fund subsequent ongoing maintenance costs of collections management from the operating base
of the responsible park, center, or other repository.

National Park Service 121


Collection Management Pian

this time. If the permit is to be denied based upon a lack of researcher qualifications or
institutional affiliations, copies of written consultation on this issue with qualified scientists or
resource specialists should be obtained for the records.

b. A copy of the correspondence and application should be placed in a file identified by Principal
Investigator's name and year of application. Rejected application files should be maintained with
the study number files in a secure location (See Step 4.g above), If the application pertains to a
project that was previously approved and received a prior study number, an additional copy of
the rejected application and associated correspondence is also placed in the study number file

124 Amistad Nations! Recreation Area


the region's pictograph sites. Not until the
publication of The Rack Art of Texas Indians
(Kirkland and Newcomb 1967) were many
of his art works first seen by the public
Kirkland's watercolors and field notes are
now part of the permanent collection of the
Texas Memorial Museum in Austin,

A. T. Jackson (1938) conducted extensive
research on the pictographs and petroglyphs
in the Lower Pecos region. The petroglyph
sites in the region are few with a notable
exception being the Lewis Canyon site
Qackson 1938; Labadie 1990b; Turpin and
Bass 1999). in his monumental work Picture
Writing of Texas Indians (Jackson 1938),
Jackson published research on rock art
throughout Texas; his original field notes,
drawings, and negatives are curated at the
Texas Archeological Research Center
(TARL) at the University of Texas at
Austin.

The first systematic ~—_ archeological
excavations in the region were those of
Pearce and Jackson (1933) who dug at Fate
Bell rockshelter in Seminole Canyon. With
World War Il came a hiatus on field work
throughout the region. By that time,
however, a number of important projects
and reports were published. Among them
were those done by Martin (1933, 1935),
Davenport (1938) and Thomas (1933) of the
Witte Museum; Davenport and Chelf
(1941), Holden (1937), Setzler (1933, 1934)
from the Smithsonian; Harris and Lewis
(1941), Martin and Woolford (1932), Sayles
(1935, 1941), and Woolsey (1936), Much of
this early research was tremendously biased
because it concentrated almost exclusively
on large rockshelter sites for the collection
of museum specimens. Published reports
were descriptive in nature and were
generally limited to presenting inventories
of excavated materials.

Preinundation Research (1958-1970)

The National Archeological Salvage
Program required reservoir planners across
the nation during the 1950s to initiate
preinundation surveys and inventories. The
first systematic surveys of the entire Lower
Pecos region began with the National
Salvage Program preinundation studies for
Amistad Reservoir. The research design for
the Amistad surveys was multidisciplinary
in approach; they utilized not only
archeologists and geologists but also
biologists, botanists, hydrologist, and
geomorphologists. Major research objectives
(Story and Bryant 1966) included the
definition of a regional culture chronology,
reconstruction of past life ways, rock art
documentation, and a detailed study of the
larger cultural processes represented by the
archeological remains.

The initial survey of the area (Graham and
Davis 1958) identified 188 major prehistoric
sites on the United States side of the
reservoir basin. Surveys on the Mexican side
documented 68 major sites (Taylor 1958;
Taylor and Rhul 1961). By 1967, additional
surveys (Parsons 1962; Dibble and Prewitt
1967) brought the total number of sites
surveyed and documented to about 300, All
together, 24 major rockshelter and river
terrace sites were extensively excavated.
Archeological materials from __ these
excavations and survey projects form the
bulk of Amistad NRA's permanent museum
collection maintained by TARL at the
University of Texas at Austin.

Many of the excavation and survey reports
from the preinundation projects were
published through the University of Texas at
Austin. Major reports include the work at
Damp and Centipede Caves (Epstein 1960),
the Devils Mouth site (Johnson 1959,
1961,1963, 1964; Sorrow 1968), Fate Bell
rockshelter (Parsons 1965). Bonfire Shelter

National Park Service 27


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This CMP is designed to serve as both a
guide for and a review of Amistad National
Recreation Area’s (AMIS) museum
collection management program. The park
has taken several steps to realign and further
integrate its museum collection management
program with activities of the resources
Management program overall. Park staff
members have identified both broad areas
and specific topics of concern, and have
systematically begun to request support
through available Project Management
Information System (PMIS) funding
avenues to address these concerns. This
CMP will serve to justify receiving further
support already requested; it will also
address certain topics not previously
thoroughly documented, for which
additional assistance should be requested.

The park faces fundamental program
guidance and accountability challenges,
substantial facility and infrastructural needs,
and basic conservation and other protection-
related needs. An aggressive multifaceted
approach that concurrently addresses both
short- and long-term goals is needed to
ensure a successful outcome and that actions
taken today will stop adding to the backlog
of work. The following issues are those
most pressing on the AMIS museum
management program. Additional issues
with specific recommendations to address
them are at the end of each subsequent
chapter.

Scope of Collection Statement

The National Park Service (NPS)
Management Policies state that a scope of
collection statement (SOCS) is one of the
principle documents guiding the
management of a park's museum collection.

Figure 1; Location of Amistad NRA

The proper content of a park’s museum
collection must be defined in an approved
socs. The AMIS Collection Policy
Statement, appropriate in 1976, is no longer
accepted by the NPS as the approved
document guiding museum collections. A
SOCS should be written for AMIS that
addresses archeological collections,
biological collections, archival collections,
historical collections, geological collections,
and paleontological collections.

Natural History Collections

Efforts are well underway in generating new
collections and documentation of AMIS
natural resources through the Natural
Resources Initiative of Inventorying and
Monitoring program (I&M), Currently, one
agreement exists and at least three more are
anticipated for the housing of the newly
obtained natural history collections.
Additional attention given to the I&M
Program initiative to determine the status of
certain Memorandums of Understanding
(MOU) and the cataloging of specimens
would benefit the park.

National Park Sarvice 3


Collecton Management Plan

cultural or natural resources, interpretation,
or the ranger’s office are actually found in
several other divisions as well. To aid the
park employee in recognizing valuable files,
this section contains some examples of
specific files and record types that will
eventually become archival. While the
following examples are grouped by
maintenance. interpretation, and other
divisions, it is highly recommend that all
divisions read cach of the following sections
to better understand which types of
documents and files have permanent value
to the park, and are therefore archival. This
is especially useful when division staff come
across records in their files that they did not
create or which originated in another
division.

Maintenance specific maps, plans, drawings
and reports include As Built, Working
Drawings. Planning, Design Development,
Construction Drawings, Design Drawings,
Proposals, Amendment Drawings, As
Maintained, Preliminary Drawings,
Comprehensive Design, Bridge Studies,
Boundary Surveys, and Right of Way.
Other reports include Road Studies and any
associated maps, plans, and drawings,
Transportation Studies and maps, plans, and
drawings, and Operations and Maintenance
Guides (O&M). Contract files include
$7217 Construction Contracts, S7219
Professional Services (architecture and
engineering), or S7221 Research Contracts.
The latter would include all archeological,
historical, scientific, or thematic studies. All
Lands files are archival. Permanent files can
also include proposals and work that were
considered but not initiated or implemented
by the park,

Natural resource files include specific files
such as Inventory and Monitoring (I&M),
Hazardous Waste, Safety Issues, Flood
Pictures, AMIS Access Boat Ramp Project,

42 Amistad National Recreation Area

Lizards. Amphibians, Exotic Weeds,
Hunting. Mammals, Water
Quality/Sampling, Geologic Resources, Air
Quality, Grazing, Impact studies, Weather,
Rain, Fire, Endangered Species Reports.
Vouchers. Permit Process, Natural History
Field Observations, and Monarch Tagging to
name but a few.

interpretation files normally include K18
Records of Interpretive Activities (i.e.
records that document interpretation, visitor
service policies, administration, programs
and activities, informational publications
such as visitors guides, multimedia
programs and others, and visitor reactions
and responses). Interpretation files also
include records that document relationships
with partner organizations and associations
thar affect interpretation, such as K1817
Interpretive Planning = (i.c., records
documenting interpretive planning activities,
including correspondence, studies, reports,
plans, review documentation, and records of
public input), K26 Interpretive Reports and
Related Correspondence (i.¢., substantive
reports by regional directors,
superintendents, and managers which deal
with overall interpretation and information
management, program status, and area
operations), K3015 Production and
Acquisition of Motion Pictures, K3019
Production and Acquisition of Still Pictures
and Slides, K3023 Loans and Gifts, K34 and
K3415 News Media Files, and K3417 Radio
and Television Activities.

Cultural resources files include all central
file H designations, as the H series is a
resource management record and archive.
Other vital records include Site Files,
Museum Collection Management
Documentation, Associated = Records,
Accession and Catalog Records, Loans,
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
Archeological Site Inventories, Rock Art


Collection Management Plan

2 Amistad National Recreation Area


‘Collection Management Plan

including photographically or electronically.
A sample Copyright and Privacy
Restrictions statement for researchers to sign
is provided in ANCS+ and a_ sample
Researcher Registration Form is provided in
appendix D. According to the Museum
Handbook, Part Ill, chapter 2 - Legal Issues,
the researcher should sign these forms
before the park staff person authonzes
lifting copyright restrictions.

Records Management

Records are essential for bringing about
successful park operations and decisions.
Since some records haye the potential to
become archival, they should be managed
and controlled long before they reach the
archives, if they are to be preserved and
made accessible. The process of organizing,
managing, and controlling records is
referred to as intellectual control. Active
records used im the park must be
intellectually controlled. Not only does this
assist in determining what records have
archival value, but it also helps in retaining
the provenance and original order of these
collections. As an archival term,
provenance translates to mean an unbroken
chain of custody.. The relative importance of
a record is determined by the quality of
information and evidential worth it contains,
and is also judged by its correlation to other
records (i,c., the overall collection) as well.

Records that are created as part of park
operations are to be managed as specified in
DO-19. The term record can include several
different mediums such as paper forms,
memos, correspondence, photographic
prints, slides, negatives, maps, drawings, e-
mail, electronic files and databases created
or received by a park employee or volunteer.
For the NPS, these records reflect and trace
official business and decisions. However,
not all records generated and received by a

38 Amistad National Recreation Arca

park have mission-critical content. The
majority of records created and used at the
park constitute official government records.
As such, these records must be managed and
accounted for as described in NPS-19,
appendix B - Records Disposition Schedule.
Once official records have finished their
active life cycle, they are placed in the
archives or destroyed, according to the value
given to the record in DO-19. The decision
to destroy or archive a record can often be
determined by the document's central file
code, which is placed on a document when it
is created, This decision, called appraisal, is
done by developing a file plan and
appraising records using NPS-19 as well as
NPS-28 (Cultural Resource Management
Guldelines), Certain file codes such as D,
#1, L, N and ¥ are generally considered to be
permanent records. When in doubt consult
with an archivist or contact the regional
office.

By using a file plan, park staff can
systematically identify permanent park
records and transfer them to the museum
collection archives. This could be done, for
example, every three years or by using the
file-plan schedule determined by the park.
A receipt for property and a_ file-level
inventory should be prepared each time a
group of records is transferred, The
museum collection archive's staff should
create a new accession each time they
receive records—they should not be adding
fo previous years’ records or collections.
This will also allow records to be processed
and cataloged as individual collections, such
as “Administrative Park Records: 1999-
2003."

A record's primary importance, or value, is
determined by the information it contains
and conveys. This process divides records
into permanent and temporary categories.
Permanent records have ongoing value to


Collection Management Pian

have been acquired, and that the intended use of the specimens and then final disposal is in

accordance with applicable law and Federal administrative policies. A permit shall not be issued

if removal of the specimen would result in damage to other natural or cultural resources, affect
adversely environmental or scenic values, or if the specimen is readily available outside of the
park area.

(c) A permit to take an endangered or threatened species listed pursuant to the Endangered

Species Act, or similarly identified by the States, shall not be issued unless the species cannot be

obtained outside of the part: area and the primary purpose of the collection is to enhance the

protection or management of the species.

(d) In park areas where the enabling legislation authorizes the killing of wildlife, a permit which

authorizes the killing of plants, fish or wildlife may be issued only when the superintendent

approves a written research proposal and determines that the collection will benefit science; or
has the potential for improving the management and protection of park resources.

(e) In park areas where enabling legislation does not expressly prohibit the killing of wildlife, a

permit authorizing the killing of plants, fish or wildlife may be issued only when the

superintendent approves a written research proposal and determines that the collection will not
result in the derogation of the values or purposes lor which the park area was established and has
the potential for conserving and perpetuating the species subject to collection.

({) In park areas where the enabling legislation prohibits the killing of wildlife, issuance of a

collecting permit for wildlife or fish or plants, is prohibited,

(g) Specimen collection permits shall contain the following conditions:

(1) Specimens placed in displays or collections will bear official National Park Service museum
labels and their catalog numbers will be registered in the National Park Service National
Catalog.

(2) Specimens and data derived from consumed specimens will be trade available to the public
and reports and publications resulting from a research specimen collection permit shall be
filed with the superintendent.

(h) Violation of the terms and conditions of a permit issued in accordance with this section is

prohibited and may result in the suspension or revocation of the permit.

NPS-77: Natural Resources Management Guideline

Chapter 3, Program Administration and Management (Collections, page 57) Natural resource
specimens preserved and maintained in park museum collections play an important role in the
NPS mission to preserve and protect the natural resources within each park. Natural resource
collections document park resources for the purposes of information, resource protection and
management, and future analysis. Systematically collected specimens are the products and
subjects of vital research that provide baseline data necessary for continued and effective park
management Museum specimens collected in the past may provide information that is otherwise
unobtainable,

The NPS museum program objectives include the commitment to collect, document, and
preserve objects, specimens, samples, and associated records. A critical element in the
preservation of permanently, retained natural resource collections is ensuring that early and
continuing consideration of curatorial concerns is an integral part of the park's scientific research
planning process. Many park research projects produce specimens that may have inherent
long-term preservation value. The responsibility for the curation of such specimens and

120 Amistad Natlonal Recreation Area


CHAPTER 2: Summary of the Collection Use Survey

A survey of park staff was conducted as part
of this CMP. The questionnaire was
designed to address the following questions:

* Does the staffuse the park's museum
collections, archives, or library?

* Which information categories were
used and what were the reasons for
their use?

* Why does the staff not use the
collections and its associated data,
and what can be done to encourage
use?

The survey also collected data conceming
the respondent's length of NPS service, the
number of different NPS units in which
service took place, and the years of service
in the current park.

Before the first CMP team visit in
September 2003, the park managers were
provided the questionnaire. Then it was
distributed to the park’s collection
management staff and additional resource
management and interpretation staff.
Although the park has 36 staff members, 12
staff members completed and returned the
survey, Seven completed questionnaires
were retumed to the CMP coordinator from
the newly formed Division of Education and
Resource Management (E & RM). Two
responses were from term employees and
the other five responses were from
permanent employees.

Several demographic observations can be
made from the survey data: the average
number of years of NPS service was 9 years.
Four respondents were employed at the park
between 5 years and 21 years; two were

employed at the park 1 year or less. Three
respondents worked at more than one park.

All seven’ respondents used the archives
during the year before the first site visit by
the CMP team. The respondents reported
collection use that ranged from an unknown
number of times to as frequently as daily
use, The collections were accessed lo assist
with visitor education, cataloging projects,
environmental impact research, interpretive
programs, project research, adiministrative
research, and web exhibit content
development.

The most common reason given for not
using the collections was that the staff
member did not know what is in the
collections and the collections lack

organization.

National Park Services 15


Collection Management Pian

before 1990 are off-site in cold storage. The
Office of the State Archaeologist has a
library with 65 publications on cultural
resources in the Trans-Pecos Region.

The THC compliance files include six file
folders with compliance documents. All
these files contain loose pages from word-
processor generated or typed documents.
This includes two file folders, 30 to 50
pages cach; four file folders, 10 to 20 pages
each. The THC compliance files also
contain project base map files in two map
drawers containing 7.5’ USGS quadrangles
with sites and compliance and research
project boundaries plotted.

Witte Museum

The Witte Museum has collections and
archives relating to archeological
investigations in AMIS dating back to 1929.
These archives contain valuable information
from excavations at several important AMIS
sites before being acquired by the National
Park Service. The archive is. not large, is
loosely organized, and stored in less than
optimum conditions.

The archeological collections at the Witte
Museum consist primarily of artifacts
excavated from Eagle Nest Cave and the
Shumla Caves (actually five different
rockshelters known collectively as the
Shumia Caves). The collections from these
caves are housed in ten large wooden cases
which cover an entire wall in the curator’s
office.. Each case contains at least five
drawers of specimens. (The cases are
approximately 5 by 3 by 3 feet in size).
Selected archeological specimens, with
catalog numbers, from the collection are on
display in the museum's Ancient Texans
exhibit and are featured in a book (Shafer
1986) by the same title, Because there are
no collections database records for AMIS,

10 Amistad National Recreation Area

the Witte curator could not provide an exact
count of the number of artifacts cataloged.

Over the years, however, several researchers
have generated specimen lists and
inventories for certain artifact Classes from
the collections. Some of this information is
published, such as MacQregor’s report on
basketry (1992), Inventory sheets for the
majority of the basketry, bone tools. sandals.
and cordage in the collections are on file at
the museum, It is possible that inventories
of chipped-stone tools, —debilage,
unidentified bone, human remains and
associated items from certain sites also may
exist. The majority of the collections data
are handwritten inventories and field
specimen lists filed with the archeological
site and project archives,

There are two file drawers of archives in the
curator’s office containing approximately
3.870 pages and 375 photographs from
archeological investigations in the Lower
Pecos River Region in the 1930s. The
materials are not well organized, but include
original field notes, excavation notes, bound
and unbound manuscripts, clippings from
journals and newspapers, photographs,
artifact drawings, and artifact inventories are
included in the files. At least 90 percent of
the documents are cither loose pages in file
folders or manuscripts in removable slide-
clip binders. About half of the documents,
including artifact’ = inventories, —are
handwritten in either pencil or fountain pen.

Typed copies of field notes, when present,
are filed with original handwritten versions.
In addition, there is a hard cover volume
containing a collection of eight Witte
Museum archeological research reports.
These reports describe field work conducted
in the Trans-Pecos Region between the years
1929 and 1931. There is only one copy of
this volume, and it is brittle,


Contents

Introduction.

IgA Ta We AA TLIAUIPO [Ears maacremrasceesceszeatarnaremacsesaseres ts taraaracs iiarparienesssyaresaarrssatesretearrenennsse 3
bap ter’ iz' Collection Pilshory sss aii ei a aa aa eka a eae

Chapter 2: Summary of the Collection Use Survey, .....csseccscsecescossresnesccvernsneenecesenapssneeetes 15

Chapter 3; Scope of Collection Statement...

Chapter 4: Natural History Collections..........-cssscscessesesesssesseesceceeresaressensteneesssesseeseneeneeesssess 19

Chapter 5: Archeology Collections.

Chapter 6: Archives and Resource Management Documentation ...........0cc0cceeseesceceeeeeee 31

Chapter 7: Documentation and Record Keeping

CA HLL Bs SHOP BS races ers eccoersvareuveersscnscopstnorasicebsrenensenseeuunyydeersyedeedieveepnvrnvbnaveonunnnt dastsevesp beens 63

Chapter 9: Planning, Programming, and Staffing

Chapter 10: Security and Fire Protection.......-.-.eccccestceeeesssecrersoneeecareeseensnneesnersnseeeenueresneesnees 79

Chapter | 1: Texas Archeological Research Laboratory

FRR ELICER ONE cece caicoscconcsiccaW tid Acar RADI NSS cLSUH NA SCSSA SINS SCSI aOR aaa TST E HE 101

109
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125
127

Appendix A: Archeology Site Numbers...
Appendix B: Checklist for Evaluating Scope of C ‘lection St
Appendix C: Suggested Museum Procedures for Natural History Collections.
Appendix D; Summary of Laws and Regulations for NH Collection:
Appendix Ez Project File Checklist.....cc.scccssssssssssssessereeesssces
Appendix F: Archive Management TOolls.......csssssernsvessereseseserseereesrstventenecneess

Figure 1; Location of Amistad NRA .,
Figure 2; Amistad Dam.............-5
Figure 3: President Richard Nixon and Mexican President Diaz Ordaz dedicating the
Amistad Dam May 31, 1969.

Figure 4: Lower Pecos sandal made from sotol fibers...
Figure 5; Result of the IBWC Records Scanning Project.
Figure 6: TARL Records Storage
Figure 7: Natural History specimens stored in fluids
Figure 8: Lower Pecos region artifact in AMIS collection





Collection Managemen! Pian

110 Amistad National Recreation Area


Figure 22: Projectile points need to be rehoused
and labeled clearly

The park managers do not desire to have
large collections at the park; only a small
representative collection is desired. Those
not wanted or needed on sile may be
transferred to long-term storage at TARL
and will help establish how many museum
cabinets are still needed.

Fourteen wet specimens are not housed in a
ventilated cabinet, The park lacks the staff
and supplies to maintain these specimens on
site. A tentative agreement was reached
with Sul Ross State University to transfer
these materials to their storage facilities.

The fire-resistant filing cabinet for museum
records is at the visitor center, but is soon
foing to be moved to the curatorial facility.

Although the park has several of ongoing
research projects in natural history that are
creating collections, most of the collected
materials are being managed at the
collectors” institutions.

Chapter 6 of this CMP identifies
approximately 67 If of archives. Before
relocating these materials to the curatorial
facility for cataloging, Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) issues need to be
addressed. The park should consider the

purchase a freezer to address these and other
IPM issues [noted in Chapter 6].

The park does not have an IPM Plan. A
parkwide plan should not only address the
curatorial facility but also include such
issues as ant and bee infestations at the
visitor center, Park staff is now monitoring
the curatorial facility through the use of
sticky traps.

The recent relocation of a nearby dumpster
and recycling bins should help reduce the
likelihood for pest infestations.

A wall to divide the curatorial facility in half
would provided secure storage and allow the
research and working spaces to be separated.
Inserting a wall would also allow staff to
contro) the temperature of that space
specifically. Estimates have been obtained
for the installation of a wall separating
work/storage areas. Construction will likely
be complete by the end of FY2006

Figure 23: Collections should be stored by
material type. At the moment, organic and
inorganic materials are housed together.

National Park Service 65


Collection Management Plan

Collecting permits are stored in various
locations throughout the park. Permits
issued before 1992 are in the files of the
manager of cultural resource program.
Permits issued within the last three years are
in the files of the chief of Education and
Resource Management office. Collecting
permits for 1992 through 2001 could not be
found but are thought to be in the biologist’s
former office.

Permits issued for research before 1992 are
as follows. Note that no final reports or
results of any of these projects could be
found:

* Karl Reinhard, University of Nebraska,
collected xcric-plant specimens that were
documented 10 be destroyed through
analysis. Copies of students’ papers on
the analysis are on file at the park.

* In 1992, J, Philip Dering was issued a
permit to collect herbarium specimens to
be mounted and housed at the
Archacobotany Laboratory at Texas
A&M, but when contacted, Dering said he
never collected under the permit, but had
obtained it in case he found suitable

specimens on park property.

* Kevin Dowello and Robert Mullinay
collected calcium oxalate specimens to be
housed at the Sam Houston State
University. These specimens. about 1
inch square, were consumed by destructive
analysis. The analysis and results were
published in Park Science (yol. 15, no. 4
Fall 1995pg, 1, 16-) Kaluarachchi, Warna
Labadie, Joe John Russ “A close look at
the rock art of Amistad National
Recreation Area, Texas: Pictograph paint
and accretion analysis techniques improve
cultural reconstructions and the interplay
of preservation and deterioration
processes”.

20 Amistad National Recreation Ares

In February 2001, the NPS. released
Administration of Scientific Research and
Collecting Permits. A servicewide permit
and reporting system called Research Permit
and Reporting System (RPRS) was also
been implemented and is managed by the
Chief, Division of Education and Resource
Management. Found on the NPS Intranet.
the RPRS site also includes the
Administrative Guide for Park Research
Coordinators: Scientific Research and
Collecting Permit. With these tools, the
park creates and issues permits and receives
annual reports from researchers. The
permits and reports should be printed out
and, with any other project data, accessioned
into the park’s museum collection as a
permanent record of resource management
activity in the park,

The permitted researcher is directed to an
NPS web site where he or she submits the
Investigator’s Annual Report (IAR) and the
park verifies the submission, Printed hard
copies of the electronically submitted
reports for inclusion in the park archives as
reference are recommended. The printed
report should be archived with copies of the
field notes, photographic images, maps, and
so forth, according to NPS-77, It is the
park's responsibility to ensure that these
reports are archived in perpetuity,

The park should integrate the issuance of
research and collecting permits with the
museum management program. Even if the
issued permit does not authorize the
collecting of specimens, the researcher is
still responsible for delivering the field data
and a report at the conclusion of his or her
work. These materials should be added to
the park's museum archives collection and
cataloged into the Automated National
Catalog System Plus (ANCS+). The
disposition of the project documentation and
the collected objects/specimens should be


Collection Management Pian

the 10 largest park collections in the NPS
(personal communication with Ann
Hitchcock). The park’s  prereservoir
collection includes materials from roughly
373 different archeological sites (see
appendix A) that were investigated prior to
the impoundment of waters behind Amistad
International Reservoir in 1969. The park
museum collection is the single largest
archeological assemblage from the Lower
Pecos River Region of southwest Texas, an
area which has seen near continuous
archeological research since it was first
investigated by the Smithsonian Institution
in the 1930s. At least six NPS or National
Science Foundation-funded research reports
were published on the recovered
archeological remains from the
preinundation research (1958-1970). There
have been at least 19 master’s theses and
doctoral dissertations written that focused
all, or in part, on archeological specimens in
the park collections.

Figure 4: Lower Pecos sandal made from sotol
fibers

Approximately 20 percent of the
archeological materials are considered to be
perishable artifacts-items made from
organic materials such as sandals, cordage,
plant remains, and wooden objects that
require special storage environments.
Materials range in age from about 10,000
B.C. to A. D. 1900. There are no

6 Amistad National Recreation Area

ethnographic resources or historic Native
American materials in the park's collection,

There are roughly 43 sets of human remains
(partial to complete) and over 800 associated
burial items as defined by the Native
American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The size of
individual archeological site collections
ranges from one or two surface-collected
items to sites where over 75,000 objects
were excavated during full-scale field
operations. Four National Register
Archeological Districts were established and
186 archeological sites and associated
collections were listed at the national level
of significance on lands that would
eventually be included within the legislated
boundaries of AMIS,

Natural History Collections

Amistad NRA has never had an active
natural resource management program or
specialist on staff. The park did have a
biologist for several years in the late 1990s,
but this individual rarely collected field
specimens. What few specimens that were
collected were done in conjunction with
academic researchers who retained the biota
for university research. As a result, the
park’s natural history collection has
remained relatively small throughout the
park’s history, With the advent of the 1&M
program initiative at AMIS, natural history
collections have increased dramatically in
recent years.

A small collection of common plants and
fossils had been collected in the early 1970s
by various park staff. The primary use of
these materials was for evening interpretive
programs for park visitors. In 1987, a
portion of these objects were cataloged and
remain today in the collection curated at the
park.


CHAPTER 5: Archeology Collections

Previous Archeological Research at
Amistad National Recreation Area

The Amistad Reservoir basin is probably the
most extensively and intensively studied
geographic region in Texas. The region,
known as the Lower Pecos River
archeological region, or, more commonly
referred to as the Lower Pecos region, has
become one of the most well defined culture
areas in Texas (Shafer 1986), The
aphic distribution of regionally
istinctive artifact types and pictographic
rock art styles has long suggested a culture
core area at the confluence of the Pecos
River at the Rio Grande

Historians, anthropologists, and
archeologists are quick to point out
(Campbell 1988; Hester 1989a, 1989b;
Kenmotsu and Wade 2002; Newcomb 1961;
Salinas 1990; Turpin 1984, 1989;) that
there is very little substantive ethnographical
or historical information concerning any
Native American groups at, or after,
European contact (1590) in the Amistad
Reservoir basin. The Apache, and Jater the
Comanche, are known to have frequented
the region in the seventeenth, eighteenth,
and nineteenth centuries. There are no
current Native American groups that claim
the Lower Pecos region as sacred lands, as
an ancestral homeland, or as the locus of
traditional activities.

The Lower Pecos region has some of the
oldest and best preserved archeological
deposits in North America. Dry rockshelter
deposits often contain deeply stratified
cultural remains consisting of textiles, bone
and wooden artifacts, and a range of
desiccated plant and animal remains. Given
the exceptional preservation of materials,

and their popularity with museums and
collectors, there are few pristine sites
remaining, In addition, many of the
rockshelter walls are adorned = with
pictographic rock art in polychromatic
colors up to 4.9 m (16 feet) in height. The
materials date from the end of the last Ice
Age (about 12,000 years ago) up until the
eighteenth or nineteenth century

Figure 8: Lower Pecos region artifact in AMIS
collection

About 2,000 archeological and rock art siles
are recorded in the region. The NPS
manages only a portion of the Lower Pecos
region with approximately 1,000 cultural
sites recorded within the park’s legislated
boundary. Within or immediately adjacent to
the park boundary are four archeological
districts and one site listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. In the four
districts there are 183 sites listed; almost as
many sites remain to be nominated to the
register.

Archeological research in the Lower Pecos
region began long before Amistad Reservoir
was ever planned, For convenience of
discussion, research conducted during the
past 100 years can be broadly grouped into
three distinct periods. Each of the three

National Park Servics 25


Collection Management Plan

Given the rich cultural collection belonging
to AMIS, a full performance position
dedicated the to management of the
collections is obvious. The needs of the
collections have been documented in this
plan. Current NPS policy identifies the
journeyman level for independent
professional work to be a GS-11, unless the
person is technically supervised daily, A full
professional curator (GS-1015-11) is needed
to create and manage the museum program
for AMIS. It is recommended that a curator
have a resources background because the
park’s museum collection has both cultural
and natural objects and materials.

Security and Fire Protection

The TARL facility has a security system in
place. The system varies from arca to area;
intrusion alarms, controlled access, motion
detectors, key locks, dead bolt locks and
padlocks are found at TARL. The facility
had a highly publicized theft in 2001. The
facility took immediate corrective action and
tightened its security. In the loading dock
area, first floor windows are still accessible,
however. The PRC has an entrance station
with a guard, so access to the campus is
minimally controlled.

The fire protection at TARL also varies
from area to area. There are manual fire
alarms, fire alarms wired to the local fire
department, smoke detectors, heat sensors.
an Inergen suppression system, and fire
extinguishers. All these systems are
inspected and operable, but there is no
structural fire plan. Staff members are to
have regular fire extinguisher training:

The TARL Emergency Response Procedures
is a comprehensive policy, but could benefit
from the elaboration of a few more issues.
The first issue would be the emergency
response in the event of a train derailment,

98 Amistad National Recreation Area

because trains run directly behind the TARL
facility. The policy should also clearly
delineate staff responsibility, and who has
what responsibility in given circumstances,
If possible, identifying other possible
repositories for short-term storage during an
emergency.

Long-term Collections Management
Facility

The bulk of the AMIS collections is
currently stored at TARL. As stated in the
draft IMR Museum Collection Facilities
Strategy, the park should continue its long-
term relationship with TARL. Because of
the growing collections, lack of space, and
age of the buildings, TARL is working
towards obtaining a new facility. The NPS
supports this objective.

The new TARL facility should haye room to
house all the collections currently in their
facility (now in building 5, building 33,
Human Qsteology, and the VP). The
collections at the VP should be removed to
the TARL facility. The facility should have
the capacity to include specialized curation
space, to expand its storage space to include
not only present but also anticipated
incoming collections, and to include office,
lab, research, and classroom space.

NAGPRA

The park’s NAGPRA Inventory of
Unaffiliated Human Remains collections are
stored at TARL in the Osteology Room. The
associated funerary objects are stored in the
main collections area of the facility. The
park’s inventory is not yet published: once
completed, it will be available to the public
at the following website:

hitp//www.cast.uark edu/other/nps/negpra/nic-btml.


TARL and Vertebrate Paleontology Lab,
interviews with TARL’s personnel Head of
Collections Laura Nightengale and Museum
Specialist Monica Trejo, and access to
available conservation-related documents.
This section will generally describe the
conditions of the storage areas as they relate
to conserving and preserving the AMIS
collections and will include
recommendations for improvement in the
areas of artifact and specimen housing,
climate control, light exposure, dust and
pollution control, pest management,
housekeeping, and handling,

Recommendations in this section will be
divided into two categories: — short-term
recommendations for TARL will focus on
actions that can be taken immediately with
relatively few resources; and long-term
recommendations for both TARL and VP
that will require new facilities and more
staff-time. The long-term recommendations
will conform to conservation and
preservation standards established by the
NPS. Several areas will be identified for
further study.

Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory (TARL)

A detailed conservation assessment of
TARL was undertaken between November
1994 and October 1995 by Sandra R.
Blackard, Art Conservation Consultant.
Because of updates, changes in policy anda
recent move of some parts of the collection
(caused by a 2002 condemnation of a
portion of PRC building 5), much of the
1994-95 assessment is outdated. The report
may be referred to for a general history of
TARL, past —_ conservation/preservation
conditions at TARL, detailed descriptions of
PRC buildings 5 and 33 and climatological
data for the Austin area.

Amistad NRA objects, which include a wide
yariety of materials listed below, are stored
in three different areas of TARL: room 19,
4 sealed, climate controlled metal building
within PRC building 5 (the main TARL
building); an area sectioned off by a chain
link fence within PRC building 33, an open,
multiple-use, non-climate controlled
building about one block from PRC building
5; and the Human Osteology Room, which
is an air-conditioned and heated room
adjacent to present administrative work
areas in PRC building 5.

Several general issues affect the
conservation and preservation of the AMIS
collections stored at TARL. Cataloging and
re-housing the AMIS collections is currently
taking place under the direction of the
museum specialist. Artifacts are moved
from building 33 into an off-site office to be
processed. The office is air-conditioned and
heated for human comfort, but the relative
humidity is not controlled. Objects are re-
housed, cataloged and then moved either
back into building 33 or into room 19.
Handling procedures for graduate students
assisting in this process are given by word of
mouth. In addition, there are no written
guidelines for other researchers handling
collection items, There also is no Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) program and no
consistent, documented, housekeeping
protocols. As of this writing, TARL is
producing an JPM _ program and
housekeeping plan in efforts to obtain
Tepository accreditation which will be
completed by the end of 2005.

Room 19

Room 19 houses a wide variety of materials,
including stone (lithics), plant fibers, shells,
animal bones, wood, animal skin, ceramics,
metal and glass. The vast majority of the
AMIS objects in this room are lithics

National Park Service 91


Tt has long been known that the park, like
most other parks in the IMR, lacks accurate
information about natural _history
collections; their current _ locations,
conditions, and conservation risks for
materials in all nonfederal facilities,
Beginning in the mid-1990s, the park began
contacting local, state, and regional
museums and universities in an attempt to
determine what, if any, natural history
specimens belonged to or had been collected
in the park but had never been reported to
park staff.

The park conducted telephone surveys of
approximately 15-20 institutions, most were
hesitant to provide any sort of information
about collections from the park area and
nearly all expressed a concern that the park
(or some other federal agency) would at
some future date be requesting the return of
natural history collections once their
existence was known. Several institutions
wondered what the big deal was given that
they had only a single bug or insect that had
been collected many years earlier —and they
had not had contact with any NPS folks in
decades. Additionally, most institutions
were hesitant to discuss any type of formal,
written agreements concerning natural
history collections because of the potential
for unfunded mandates to meet or be
evaluated with respect to NPS curatorial
standards,

This attempt to locate natural history
collections did identify a substantial
collection of specimens at Sul Ross State
University in Alpine, Texas. These
specimens were cataloged under an
agreement with the museum personnel from
Big Bend National Park. The roughly 680
objects (mostly plant, mammal, and
herpetological specimens) were first
reported on the park's FY2002 CMR and
have since been cataloged.

Starting in 2000, the park began
implementation of the servicewide Natural
Resource Challenge which was designed to
create a youchered baseline for park biota.
Known as the 1&M_ program. initiative,
researchers have begun herpetological,
mammalian, and floristic surveys in the
park. Collections made in the park are to be
curated at non-NPS facilities chosen by the
individual researcher, As of this writing,
only one formal MOU has been made with a
hosting institution. Specimen data is being
entered into the NPSpecies database and is
then converted to the format used in
Rediscovery software.

The major issues facing natural history
collection management at AMIS are
essentially the same for most parks in the
IMR:

« The park has not been consistent in
communicating with researchers once
studies were begun.

= Researchers do not follow established
guidelines on reporting, cataloging, and
curating for specimens collected in the
park.

Archives

The park archives include hard copy files
(paper, film, maps) and magnetic or digital
files. The digital files contain maps, photos,
and documents that were scanned from the
originals which are maintained by non-NPS
entities, Significant portions of the archives
have yet to be inventoried and cataloged. At
the park, there are several major collections
of archives which include:

«= A park photographic image collection
which contains over 2,500 images
featuring a wide variety of subjects that
is used for interpretive, education, and

National Park Service 7


dataloggers) are reportedly maintained by
UT Physical Plant Department. No climate
records are kept at VP. Other cataloged and
uncataloged bone material is kept upstairs in
a non-climate controlled, warehouse type
space thar has large, open doors on each end.
Specimens in the basement are stored in
regular boxes in old wooden cabinets. Some
materials may be on open shelving.
Specimens stored upstairs are in various
non-archival containers in wooden drawers
within metal cabinets. Insect and pest
monitoring are reportedly ad-hoc.

Recommendations

Long-term

* The following recommendations will
tequire increase in both facilities and
staffing. The Museum Handbook and
conservator(s) should be consulted for
further detail.

* All collections should be moved to a
sealed, exclusive use, climate controlled
area.

“+ Climate contro! should be targeted for all
collections (70 ° F +/- 2° and 50 percent
RH +/- 5 percent.) Climate should be
regularly monitored and documented.
Monitoring equipment needs to be
regularly calibrated using an aspirating
psychrometer,

cod

A comprehensive [PM program should
be implemented. The IPM program
should include a written plan, regular
monitoring and documentation. The use
of pesticides near collections should be
avoided. An IPMP is expected to be
implemented by the end of 2005.

* All collections should be re-housed
using archival materials and techniques;
consultation with a conservator for
specific advice regarding re-housing of
collections in VP is __ strongly
recommended.

+ Implement tegular housekeeping
program, with written protocols and
documentation of dates and activities.

% Post written handling protocols for
researchers, students and prep stalf at
both TARL and VP and see that they are
followed.

Staffing

The Backlog Cataloging funds the park has
acquired have enabled TARL ww hire a
museum specialist to manage the AMIS
collections. This position is dependent on
the funds received from the park.

The large size and accessibility of the
museum collection make it imperative that
AMIS have a full performance curator to
oversee @ Museum management program
that emphasizes cataloging projects. With
the majority of park collections stored at
TARL, it would be logical for the curator to
be duty-stationed in Austin, spending one-
quarter of the time at the park, depending on
park activities. The curator would be
responsible for participating in planning
projects that will result either in collections
or archives or both. Every project performed
on parklands produces collections, whether
objects or archives,

No permanent AMIS staff directly works
daily on the collections, except as project
funds provide for cataloging collections at
TARL. Archeological salvage projects,
natural resource projects, and maintenance
activities, however, continue to produce
collections and archives.

National Park Service 97


Collaction Management Flan

Dibble. David S.. and Elton R. Prewitt
1967 Survey and Test Excavation at Amistad Reservoir, 1964-1965, Texas
Archeological Salvage Project Survey Report 3, University of Texas at Austin,

Epstein, Jeremiah A-
1960 Centipede and Damp Caves: Excavations in Val Verde County, Texas 1958.
Texas Archeological Salvage Project Report (unnumbered), University of Texas at
Austin,

Fuertes, Louis Agassiz
1901 Field notes and drawings of rock art at Painted Caves Station (Parida Cave), On
file at the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives, Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York.

Gebhard, David
1960 Prehistoric Paintings of the Diablo Region of Western Texas, Publication in Art
and Science 3, Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell.

1961 The Diablo Cave Paintings. The Art Journal 20(2):79-82.

1965. Prehistoric Rock Paintings of the Seminole Canyon Area, Val Verde County,
Texas, Report submitted to the National Park Service.

Graham, John A., and William B. Davis
1958 Appraisal of the Archeological Resources of the Diablo Reservoir, Val Verde
County, Texas. A Project of the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Program Field
Office, Austin, National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior.

Grieder, Terrance
1965 Report on a Study of Pictographs in the Satan Canyon, Val Verde County, Texas,
Miscellaneous Papers of the Texas Archeological Salvage Project 2, University of Texas
at Austin,

1966a Speculations on Some Pictograph Sites in the Region of Amistad Reservoir.
Report submitted to the National Park Service.

1966b Periods in Pecos Style Pictographs. American Antiquity 37:710-720.

Gutzeit and Carson
193] Field notes and original art work from 18 different pictograph panels on file at the
Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio, Texas.

Harris, R. K., and R. L, Lewis

1941 A Report on the Indian Burial Blanket from Val Verde County, Texas, Dallas
Archeological Society Record 2(6):27-29.

102. Amisted National Recreation Area


Coliection Management Pian

Park prepares an outgoing loan for the collection records and specimens during the
processing by the collector.

Park assigns catalog numbers for collections (data and specimens). Catalog numbers should
be recorded in the park's catalog number logbook.

Specimens are labeled with NPS labels, NPS labels may be generated from ANCS+ once
data has been entered. [36 CFR 2.5(z)1] (For guidance on specific NPS labeling procedures
for NH specimens, refer to the Museum Handhook, Part 11, appendix J, section k. Instructions
for printing labels using ANCS+ are chapter 5 of the ANCS+ User Manual.)

. Catalog data for the records and specimens is entered into ANCS+ thereby making the

information available for future accountability, inventory, and research purposes. (Museum
Handbook, Part Il, chapter 3, section PF, and, appendix H.)

Collector provides the park with associated records and specimens if they are to be deposited
in the park.

. If the collector catalogs the associated records and specimens, the park appends ANCS+ data

to their existing database.

. If collections are returned to the park following initial cataloging and preservation, the

outgoing loan made to the collector is canceled.

. If the collections are stored off-site, the park determines that the records and specimens are

stored according to museum standards to ensure their preservation and protection. A new
outgoing loan may be necessary,

718 Amistad National Recreation Area


Review of the FY2004 CMR reveals that the
park is not accurately reporting the size of
its archives collections bucklog. The
archives survey conducted by the archivist
on the first CMP team visit estimated that
the archives collections at the park
constituted 67 If (107.200 items). The
FY2004 CMR reports a backlog of only
2,133 archives. To be-eligible to apply for
backlog cataloging funds, the collections
must be accessioned and reported on the
CMR.

The FY2004 CMR has been printed from
the WASO Intranet page; it is yet to be
signed by the superintendent.

Recommendations
Ongoing

* Continue the ongoing 100 percent
inventory of the collections project at
AMIS and update the ANCS+ database
with the current storage locations and
object status.

“ During completion of the 100 percent
inventory, identify the materials that are
not accessioned or cataloged and need to
be added to the museum collection.

Immediate, 1 year

Designate one area or one muscum
cabinet for all the non-accessioned and
uncataloged materials to be stored,

~ Purchase a fire-resistant filing cabinet
and a magnetic media box for the park.
Place the accession files, the accession
book, and the backups of ANCS+ within
this cabinet and box.

+ Acquire a Pigma pen from Tools of the
Trade for making entries in the accession
book.

“ Compare the AMIS and TARL ANCS#+
databases with the goul of combining
them into one complete database.

“ Download onto the park database all the
individual images for the catalog records
completed at TARL.

* Update park staff position description
and identify one person as being
responsible for all the museum duties at
the park.

Intermediate, 2-3 years

+ Review all NAGPRA catalog records
and update the NAGPRA inventory as
necessary,

** Develop SOP for NPS and non-NPS
staff to conduct research in the park.
The SOP should provide accessioning
and cataloging guidance and support.

National Patk Service 81


CHAPTER 9: Planning, Programming, and Staffing

The park must take an aggressive approach
to long-range planning for effectively
developing the programs, budget, and staff
that will be necessary to preserve park
resources and complete its missions. The
museum program crosses many disciplines
and subject areas. Taking an aggressive
approach will allow the staff to complete
work that will help preserve park resources
and educate the public.

Maintaining a perspective in planning for
resource preservation and determining how
resource management activities will support
the overall missions and goals of the park
are important. The resources that make up
the park record include museum collections,
archival materials and documentary
evidence of park resource management
activities, maintenance activities and the
administrative decisions affecting them. The
park museum collections are primary
resources and constitute the park's
institutional memory. From the perspective
of the CMP planning team, the Museum
Management Program should serve four
distinct functions within this park:

Documentation. Registration, that is, the
documentation of individual collection
items, where they came from, and who owns
them, is a primary function of professional
museum collections management.
Consistent registration methods are essential
to the other functions of the museum
program, and the timely documentation of
collections should be first among all
museum operations.

Preservation. Muscum collections cannot
exist for any meaningful length of time
without the application of effective
preservation methods, Conservation is an
extreme measure of preservation and should

only be used when less aggressive methods
of preservation have failed. Preservation
efforts should be applied regularly and
systematically.

Research. The park performs part of its
research function during the course of
collections documentation, as it is necessary
to know something about the materials to
adequately catalog them. Additionally, the
park also has the responsibility to make the
information contained in the collections
available to all legitimate researchers. This
relationship is symbiotic, as the collections
also benefit from periodic information
updates and additional materials from these
sources.

Education and Public Programs. The park
has the responsibility to use its collections to
provide public programs. Exhibits and
publications are the traditional means of
supplying this programming, but modern
technology has led to other ways of reaching
the public, including electronic access
through websites and automated databases.
Museum collections should also be used in
the development of  curriculum-based
education programs as well as used
appropriately in the actual programs.

Figure 24: NPS Volunteer sharing replica
artifacts with visitors at Archeology Fair 2005

National Park Service 67


Collection Management Plan

Figure 6: TARL Records Storage

Site records. There are 1,792 site
records for Val Verde County, a total of
13° linear feet of documentation,
Approximately 1,000 sites are situated
on land within the park's legislated
boundary. Several different types of site
forms are on file, e.g., University of
Texas, NPS, and Texas Archeological
Society. Most of the forms also have
sketch maps. Most sketch maps are in
pencil. Site forms are also in pencil
and/or ball point.

Photographs. There are 10.3 linear feet
of photographs for Val Verde County; a
total of 3,215 black-and-white
photographs and negatives and three
ring-binders with 250 slides.
Photographs and negatives are filed in
envelopes, Provenience information is
typed on the outside of the envelope.
There is also an inventory that lists the
number of photographs and slides per
site. An additional 3.5 linear feet of
miscellaneous black-and-white
photographs and negatives are filed in 5
by 8 drawers. No documentation exists
for these photographs. Not every project
has both prints and slides but most of the
larger projects do. These are all stored
and cataloged by site and project. For
example, the materials from 41VV188
(Devil's Mouth), 1961-1962 excavations
by LeRoy Johnson are filed together and
given the catalog number, AMIS 30271.

12. Amistad National Recreation Area

But the materials from 41VV188, 1967
excavations by William Sorrow are filed
together and given another catalog
number, AMIS 30273. This is the way
all of the archives were filed and
cataloged to try and maintain some
consistency.

David Dibble site and project files.
There are six 15 by 13-inch record cases
containing archeological site and project
records for work conducted in AMIS
between the 1965 and 1976. In addition,
there are two record cases containing
photocopied records from the 1992-1993
NPS Systemwide Archeological
Inventory Program (SAIP) survey, The
record cases contain the following items:

Record Cases 1 and 2
Contain copies of the 1992 to 1993 SAIP
survey materials.

Record Case 3
Contains general site and project
information.

= Unbound photo logs, three copies, 20
pages each, ink.

* Four unbound, typed, specimen lists,
50 pages each.

= One unbound, typed, specimen list,
100 pages.

* Five unbound field notebooks,
handwritten in ink, 100 pages each.

* Three file folders containing draft
reports, 40 to 60 typed pages each.

* Two file folders of draft reports, 100
typed pages each.

* One oversized plan map/
construction map.

= 17 IBWC contour maps attached to
file folders (approximately 11 by 14-
inches per map),


‘The Park NAGPRA division of the NPS has
recently drafted Guidelines for the Care,
Storage, and Management of NAGPRA
Human Remains and Cultural Items. A
copy of the draft was provided to the park.

Through a memorandum from the
Intermountain Regional Director on October
1, 1993, a moratorium on analysis of human
remains in the Intermountain Region is in
effect. As outlined in the memorandum:
“Staffs of all parks in this region will deny
applications for research projects that
request analysis (destructive and non-
destructive) on Native American/American
Indian human remains. This includes
analysis of Archaic/Paleo Indian period
remains.”

The policy further states, “After the
regulations become final, we will require
that consultation with potentially affected
groups be conducted prior to making
decisions regarding analysis.”

The policy was intended to remain in effect
until the NAGPRA regulations were
finalized. To date, the moratorium is not
rescinded by the regional director.

Communication between TARL and the
park should continue for issues involving
NAGPRA collections. Copies of written
guidance will be provided to TARL.

The park does not house any NAGPRA
Summary items; ceremonial objects.
associated and unassociated funerary
objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural
patrimony. All materials are currently listed
as unaffiliated; no federally recognized
group has claimed affiliation, which is the
right to the area as ancestral homelands, or
use of the area for the loci of traditional
activities.

General Comments

The working relationship between TARL
and AMIS is good. Some areas could be
improved. however. The sharing of
information would benefit both parties. The
park should provide written guidance on
research requests and NAGPRA issues. For
example, all research requests and outgoing
loans should be approved by the park in
writing. Also, copies of reports from
completed research would benefit the park
library.

The park and TARL should work together to
address the collections currently stored at
the VP facility. It is the desire of AMIS staff
to have these archeology collections
consolidated into the same facility as the rest
of the park's archeology collections. The
staff at TARL is in support of this relocation
and will continue to work with Dr. Rowe to
complete the process.

National Park Service 99


CHAPTER 3: Scope of Collection Statement

The basic curatorial management document
that is required by policy for all parks is the
Scope of Collection Statement (SOCS), The
purpose of the SOCS is to guide the
acquisition, preservation, and use of
museum collections that contribute directly
to the understanding and interpretation of
the park’s mission, goals, and resources. It
identifies the park’s museum collection
holdings at the present and defines them for
the future; sets agreed-upon _ limits
specifying the subject matter, geographical
location, and time period to which the
collection relates: and briefly outlines the
legal authorities, policies, and procedures
used in the acquisition, preservation, and use
of the collections, The SOCS is a stand-
alone document that is to be reviewed every
two years and can be revised or updated as-
needed.

Information contained in the SOCS should
be referenced in other park planning
documents, including the General
Management Plan, the Resource
Management Plan, the Comprehensive
Interpretive Plan, and other documents that
may affect how the collection is managed
and used. The SOCS is generally written by
park staff with assistance from the regional
curator, and is approved by the park
superintendent. Information about writing a
SOCS is in the Musewn Handbook, Part |,
chapter 2, with a template, and additional
information is in appendix E of the same
volume.

The AMIS SOCS was created in 1977; a
Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) addendum was
devised in 1992, The SOCS is vastly out of
date, considering the numerous changes and
developments that have impacted park

management decisions over the course of 25
years. In addition, changes in the
organization and management have occurred
servicewide since 1985. A Checklist for
Evaluating Scope of Collections Statement
was completed during the first CMP team
visit (see appendix B),

Recommendations
immediate, 1 year
Revise the existing SOCS using the

Museum Handbook, Part |, chapter 2,
and appendix BE.

National Park Service 17


Collaction Management Ptan

Some periodicals are in the library, bur
many volumes are also dispersed in park
offices (i.e. cultural and natural resource
specific periodicals are in the
aforementioned offices).

iro

whe

Figure 16: AMIS Library at the Visitor
Information Center

The park procedure for adding new titles to
the library involves sending a copy of the
title and copyright page to Michael Gonzales
of the Regional Office in Santa Fe.
Gonzales then sends the park the correct
Library of Congress (LOC) number on an
adhesive to stick onto the book spine and
onto the book card. The park is currently in
the process of digitizing park-related reports
and journals in PDF format to increase
accessibility to staff and the public. There
are also 2 If of archival scrapbooks with
original prints, which occupy one shelf in
the library. Scrapbooks and prints will need
to be accessioned and moved to a central
location with the rest of the park"s muscum
collection archives. Some reference files are
also in the library, The park moved
Headquarters to a new building in late 2004.
Consequently, the library also moved to this
space. This represents an opportune time to
create and store reference files in the library.
Delicate and rare books will need to be
moved to a case within the museum

48 Amistad National Recreation Area

collection storage room. The library
currently has a semistable environment,

Future AMIS Archives Projects /
Possible PMIS Projects

1) The archives backlog-cataloging
project will include surveying all the
records at the park (and all offices not at
Headquarters); disposing of inactive or
temporary records; and acquiring or
gathering all the resource management,
mission critical, and archival records and
documents in one central place within the
park. Then the collections should be
processed and cataloged into the ANCS+
archives module, The archives collections
need to be cataloged to the folder (file unit)
level and at the item level for maps and
images. A possible alternative to
performing this work in-house is to contract
the project with WACC, Another
possibility would be to have a team from
the TIC in Denver come down to the park
to work, normally for a two-week
increment. Otherwise, it is suggested that a
term archivist be detailed from another park
(if another park does not have enough
funding to carry the term for four years,
AMIS could pick up the term). <A
professional archivist with park service
experience should be found. Otherwise,
valuable time will be lost as the incumbent
learns NPS policies.

All records in the park will need to be
resurveyed as they will be in new locations
as part of the upcoming move of park
headquarters, As part of this project, the
archivist. should review all the official
records against NPS-19, appendix B. All
temporary records that have met their
disposition schedule will need proper
disposition. Personnel files, or other files
with sensitive information that have met


Climate Control

The room is air conditioned and heated for
human comfort but has no humidity contro}.
There is no climate monitoring at this time.

Pest Management
Pests are not monitored.

Dust and External Pollution Contrat

The remains are stored in closed boxes on
apen shelving. There is some threat to the
temains from dust and pollutants due to the
fact that boxes are stored on open shelving.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping of the room is reported to be
limited fo occasional sweeping using
Swiffer cloths. There has been no dusting of
the tops of the storage boxes since it has
been moved.

Housing of Objects

The human remains are stored in acid-free,
corrugated boxes. Within the boxes. some
remains are inside polycthylene bags; some
are not in bags. Thin sheets of an
unidentified foam aré under some remains.
None of the remains appears to have ample
padding to protect them from vibration
caused by the freight rail line running
paralle} to building 5.

Light Control
Light control is not an issue in the room as
all remains are stored in closed boxes.

Recommendations

Short Term

Change target RH level in room 19 from
40 to 45 percent to benefit the organic
collection while still protecting other
materials, such as metals.

3]

Begin monitoring climate in building 33
and Human Osteology Room using
datalogger or hygrothermograph: use
records to make case for moving
artifacts into appropriate spaces.

Regularly calibrate climate control
monitoring equipment using an
aspirating psychrometer.

Implement limited IPM program. IPM
Program may be of modest scope, taking
into account stalf availability, but should
include a written plan. regular
monitoring and documentation, Ayoid
using pesticides near collections. See
Museum Handbook, chapter 5, for more
detail,

Move cabinets and cabinet contents in
room 19 during demolition of
condemned space. Artifacts should be
put back into the cabinets and placed in
an area that has; at a minimum, air
conditioning and heating.

Provide object handling procedures for
researchers and graduate students
assisting with cataloging.

Housing of Objects in Room 19:

oRepair drawers that do not open;
remove entire contents of cabinet
prior to repair.

o Consistently fill and/or pad drawers
so objects are not crowded but do not
move around: move taller objects
into drawers with extra overhead
space: provide ethafoam spacers or
empty archival boxes between boxes
if necessary to prevent movement.

© Place each object or group of objects
in an ethafoam or Volara lined box

National Park Service 95


Current Research (1971-Present)

The NPS research in the reservoir basin has
been sporadic since 1970 but has picked up
considerably since 1987 (Labadie, 1994),
Anderson (1974) completed an
archeological assessment of the sites
adjacent to the reservoir within NPS
jurisdiction. The area surveyed before
inundation was much larger that what
ultimately became known as Amistad
National Recreation Area. Turpin (1984a)
wrote an excellent overview on the Lower
Pecos région for the NPS which was geared
for general readership.

Most current regional research has
concentrated on rock art. Significant
archeological projects, however, have been
undertaken at Baker Cave (Chadderdon
1984, McGregory, 1992) and Hinds Cave
(Shafer and Bryant 1977). The Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department established

Seminole Canyon State Historical Park in
1980 adjacent to Amistad Reservoir, This
state park protects and manages many
archeological and rock art sites within and
adjacent to Seminole Canyon, Since 1980,
this area has been the focus of most regional
research (Turpin 1982, 1984b, 1985a,
1985b; Patterson 1980; Silver 1985).

In recent years, the Lower Pecos rock art
styles have been defined and refined: the
Pecos River style (Turpin 1986a, 1990), the
Red Monochrome style (Turpin 1986b.
1986c), the Bold Line Geometric style
(Turpin 1986d), and the Red Linear style
(Turpin 1984c). Several pictograph sites that
include historic motifs (horses, cattle,
Spaniards, cowboys, rifles) have also been
reported (Turpin 1986c, 1988a, 1988b,
1989; Labadie et al. 1997). Conservation
and rock art deterioration studies have been
conducted by Silver (1985) and Labadie
(1990a).

Figure 12: Panther Cave Lower Pecos River style rock art

National Park Service 29


Record Case 4

Records on AMIS sites, Val Verde
County site numbers include 3, 6,7, 11,
64, 65, 68, 74. 81, $2, 87. 88, 90. and 98.

* Twelve unbound notebooks of
handwritten field notes, 20 to 50
pages each.

* Two bound notebooks of excavation
notes, maps, and drawings, 100 to
150 pages each.

"= Ten bound notebooks of field
specimen catalogs. 10 to 20
handwritten pages each.

* Four bound technical reports,

* Four unbound, typed report drafis.

* One USGS 15' quadrangle field map.

Record Case 5
Arenosa Shelter materials,

* One file folder with copies of journal
articles, 50 pages stapled.

* One file folder with [BWC water
flow data, 100 pages.

* One file folder with folded 24 by 36-
inch IBWC map, sheet 26.

* One steno pad-sized notebook with
35 artifact sketches plus two notepad
pages of information, unbound.

* Eight Manila envelops containing:

© 28x10-inch aerial stereo pairs
ce Two IIxI4-in excavation profiles

(pencil)

Two 17x14-inch profiles (pencil)

Four | lx 14-inch profiles (pencil)

Two 11x14-inch profiles (pencil)

Three | 1x14-inch profiles (pencil)

Three 11x14-inch profiles (pencil)

Three pages of notes in pencil and

cooood

«Five ring-binders containing:
o Gray ring-binder with
miscellaneous handwritten tables
in odd sizes

o Red ring-binder with 40 pages of
handwritten field notes in pencil
and ink from 1965
© Ring-binder with 40 pages of field
notes in ink
© Ring-binder with 100 pages of
field notes in ink
o Ring-binder with 100 pages of
field notes in ink.
= Nine file folders — containing
inventory lists, 5 to 10 pages each.
* One file folder with artifact
inventory of 140 pages.
* Two bound notebooks of field notes,
100 pages each,
* Publication, The Archaeology of
Eagle Cave, 163 pages, duplex

Record Case 6
Reports and drafts for Amistad sites
VV176, 177, 186, 187, 188, 189.

= Reports for Devils Mouth and Leroy
Johnsons third season at Parida
Cave.

* Draft copies of above reports with
original figures and drawings:
approximately 250 pages each.

* Five or more figures reduced for
publication. The original large
format versions of these figures are
in the oversized map file (item 3
above).

Record Case 7

Records for the following AMIS sites:
VVI91L, 213, 215, 216, 218, 260, 263,
264, 279, 301, 314, 316, 347, 350, 426,
427, 428, and 429.

= Administrative correspondence for
Seminole Canyon project,
approximately 50 pages.

* File folder with artifact inventories,
50 pages.

National Park Service 13


In various offices in the headquarters area
and visitor center are items that were
donated to the park or purchased by the park
for display. These items include pieces of
artwork and photographs. A decision was
made that these items should be excluded
from the park's museum collection. The
items should be marked as government
property and treated as such, Artwork and
photographs in offices belonging to park
personnel are to be marked as personal
property.

Also, in various locations throughout the
park - office, storage rooms -- are many
reproduction items that are used for
educational purposes. Al! reproductions
should be marked as such so as not lo
mistake them for museum collections,

Since the original CMP team visit, all the
reproductions used in education programs
were inventoried and labeled with red ink
that they are reproductions. An electronic
database was compiled and staff members
pow use is it to check the item in or out.

The park has made good progress in
reviewing potential collections in the park
and moving them to the curatorial facility
for processing.

Deaccessions

Deaccessioning is the process of
permanently removing NPS museum
collections from a unit’s ownership (title)
and custody, The NPS is authorized by law
to deaccession museum collections under
the following categories: return to rightful
owner; loss: theft; involuntary destruction;
voluntary destruction/abandonment; outside
the scope of collections; destructive
analysis; and NAGPRA_ compliance.
Deuccessioning procedures and these
categories are outlined and discussed in the
Museum Handbook, Part ||, chapter 6.

No deaccession book or folders could be
found in the park’s museum documentation.

In 2002. the park received a written request
from TARL to deaccession materials from
Javelina Cave. Archival research in 1999 by
TARL established that the collection had
been erroneously grouped with NPS
collections in the early 1970s. Their research
determined that although the excavation was
conducted by the same personne! from the
University if Texas that were doing the NPS
contracted pre-reservoir mitigation work, the
collection came from excavations done on
private property over several weekends.
Once the objects came in from the field,
curators at TARL erroneously assumed that
the materials were part of the UT-NPS
contract, This oversight was not discovered
until 1999; several years after the materials
were cataloged into the park collection using
ANCS+ software. In the near future, this
issue needs to be revisited and resolved.

Catalog Records

For NPS museum collections, cataloging
into the ANCS+ software program is the
process of recording detailed information
about individual items or groups of related
items. The cataloging also includes
assigning a unique identifying number to the
item or group of items. A correctly
completed catalog record must be entered in
the ANCS+ software for all objects,
specimens, and archival/manuscript
collections in the park's museum collection.
The information in the ANCS+ catalog
records may be as important as the items
themselves, Detailed information on the
cataloging process can be found in the
Museum Handbook, Part Il, chapter 3. The
annual submission of the park’s electronic
catalog records for the fiscal year is due in
October.

National Park Service 57


Collection Management Pian

US Department of the Interlor Page 1 of 2
National Park Service (NPS)

Access Policies and Rules Governing Use
Amistad National Recreation Area (AMIS)

Availability

Researchers are encouraged lo complete their preliminary research at archives and libranes with a
broader topical focus before approaching the holdings of the AMIS. NPS has limited reterence staff
and research resources that must be made available to researchers whose work focuses on
materials available only at the AMIS. Access to materials Is dependent upon their physical
condition and the level of processing to-date by the NPS. All research must be done on-site in the
research room,

Access

* Researchers should-submit a written request to the curatorial office, detailing their research
project to the curatorial staff.
= Requests for materials should be submitted with enough lead time to allow for the
evaluation of the request and the scheduling of curatorial staff to oversee the research.
« All research requests should be addressed to:
Curatorial Office
Amistad National Recreation Area (AMIS)
412% Hwy 90 West
Del Rio, TX 78840
* Approval of all requests will be based on availability of curatorial staff to supervise
researchers.
* The curatorial staff at [Park] requests that the researcher read the abstracts in the archival
guide or finding aids before requesting to view any collection of documents.
* To ensure the conservation and security of this resource, browsing is not permitted.

Citations

* When crediting the park, list "National Park Service"; the full park name; collection title; the
catalog, box, folder, and image numbers, and credit the creator of the item (e.g.,
photographer).

Reading Room Rules

* Only Jead pencils, not pens or markers, may be used for note taking.

* Scanners, portable photocopy machines, and cameras (including digital cameras) are
prohibited to avoid damage to materials and copyright infringement.

« Use of tape recorders, typewriters, and portable computers Is subject to security
procedures,

* Use of any equipment must not bother other researchers.

No food, beverages, or smoking will be allowed in the reading room area.

No coats, packages, containers, folders, cases (including briefcases), or bags (including

handbags larger than wallets) are permitted in the reading room area.

Copying is available within reasonable limits at 25 cents per page.

The reading room will close if no supervisory staff is available.

Researchers must maintain quiet in the reading room.

Researchers register annually and must sign in and out each time they enter or leave.

130 Amistad National Recreation Area


Collection Management Plan

4. Does section state that acquisition of firearms
included on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, &
Firearms (ATF) list of prohibited and restricted
weapons requires concurrent review prior to
acceptance by regional/SO curator and
regional/SO law enforcement specialist?

5. Does section state thal museum objects must
be acquired, accessioned, and cataloged in
accordance with NPS Museum Handbook, Part II?

6. Is there a statement regarding delegation of
authority to the unit's superintendent to accept
tille to and responsibility for museum collections?

7. Does this section oulline any park-specific
acquisition procedures that supplement
NPS policies?

F. Does the SOCS have USES OF COLLECTIONS
section?

1, Is there a description of desired and
acceptable uses?

2. Is there a statement regarding conservation
as a primary consideration when determining
uses?

3. In accordance with the NPS Management
Policies (2001), Chapter 7, does section
state that unit shal) not place skeletal or
TMummified human remains, photographs
of skeletal or mummified human remains,
grave goods, or other objects considered
sacred on display?

4, Is there a statement regarding access lo
museum collection?

5. Does section reference DO-24, DO-28, and
DO-6 relevant to potentially consumptive uses
of museum objects?

6. Does section reference DO-24, DO-28, and
Cullural Resource Management Guideline
relevant to research/destructive analysis
of museum objects?

G. Does the SOCS have RESTRICTIONS section?

1. Does section include a statement regarding
consultation with tribal governments, Native
Hawaiian organizations, Alaskan Native
Corporations, and traditional religious leaders?

2. Does section state NPS policy relevant to
disclosure of information on location, nature,
and character of cultural resources?

*See additional notes pertaining to this question on attached pages.
NPS Checklist for Evaluating Scope of Collaction Statements

Page ofS

114 Amistad Nationel Recreation Area


116 Amistad National Recreation Aree

Callaction Management Pian


Figure 9: Painted Caves Station, 1883 is known today as Parida Cave... 26
Figure 10: ianantsiit Excayation of Devils Mouth Site in front of Amistad Dam,

pas

Figure 12: Panther Cave Lower Pecos ‘River ‘style racken art.
Figure 13: Lower Pecos region pictograph styles in Seen order ae 1994; ane

peer 30
Figure p cabinet in Cultural Resource ‘Management offic i 31
Figure 15; Archiyal work is broken down into five phases. Table adapted from the

Museum Handbook, Part ll, appendix D....
Figure 16: AMIS Library at the Visitor friformation Center
Figure 17: Accession files are stored in a fire resistant lockable file cabinet
Figure 18; AMIS Accession Book...
Figure 19: AMIS Accession folders
Figure 20: Temperature and relative humidity are now being recorded daily
Figure 21: These standard museum cabinets need to be raised off the ground at least 4
inches...
Figure 22: Projectile points need to be rehoused and labeled clearly.
Figure 23: Collections should be stored by material type, At the moment, organic and
inorganic materials are housed together v2....c....ccccssscessssesssssssessessssesseesssseecsectessecsnsesneesscenecses 65
Figure 24: NPS Volunteer sharing replica artifacts with visitors at Archeology Fair 2005

Figure 2 National Park Service ‘Web Catalog sap
Figure 26; In addition to the objected pictured on the website, Texas Beyond History has

a link to AMIS-NPS Web Catalog found at the bottom of the page shown above.......:..-..+. 75
Figure 27: Statistics from September | 7-23, 2005 reporting the number of times each

page with Amistad National Recreation Area (AMIS) materials is viewed on the Texas
Beyond History website
Figure 28: TARL is located at the University of Texas al Austin's J.J. Pickle Research
Campus ...
Figure 29; TARL Records Room.
Figure 30; A 1932 aerial photograph of the confluence of the Pecos and Rio Grande, eat
flood plains
Figure 31: Locational map for the Vertebrate Paleontology (VP) Lab and the Texas
Archeological Research Lab (TARL) on the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in Austin .......... 90
Figure 32: Room 19 contains compact storage cabinets and has an HVAC system
Figure 33: Example of a drawer with fragile items in the AMIS collection.
Figure 34; Building 33 has no climate control, and likely never will.
Figure 35: Building 33 has boxes stacked from floor to ceiling on sturdy metal shelving ...94
Figure 36: Types of Documentary Records a



The use of housing techniques varies
widely, reflecting changes in cataloging and
processing procedures over time. Examples
of housing include placement of artifacts on
polyethylene foam in acid-free, open-topped
boxes with encapsulated, acid free tags;
placement of artifacts, including friable
modified vegetal fragments, such as sandals,
in polyethylene bags; and collections of
lithies stored together in one polyethylene
bag. Some fragile artifacts have little or no
padding underneath them to protect them
from the vibration caused by a freight rail
line running paralle] to building 5. There
are a small number of friable vegetal
materials stored in plastic and aluminum foil
and some in non-acid free mat board and
Mylar enclosures. Several examples of
pebbles painted on both sides are
individually stored in carved ethafoam
supports, The cut surface of the ethafoam
may be abrading the painted surface.
Several artifacts mixed in with other
artifacts in the drawers, such as sandals and
mat fragments, appear to have been
consolidated with an unidentified material.

Light Control

Light control in room 19 Is not an issue as
al) AMIS objects are stored in closed
cabinets.

Other Issues Affecting Room 19

Room 19 is located immediately adjacent to
an area of building 5 that has been
condemned and slated for demolition. The
upcoming demolition poses a direct physical
threat from large equipment and falling
debris to room 19 and the objects housed
within. The demolition will also produce
large quantitics of dust and particulate
material that will be introduced into the
room through the HVAC system,

Building 33

The TARL storage area in PRC building 33
contains cataloged and unprocessed bulk
archacological materials, including lithics.
faunal material, fiber, charcoal, soil samples
and matrix. Because preservation conditions
in building 33 are much worse than those in
room 19, much of what is stored in it are
artifacts deemed less intact, less identifiable,
or otherwise of lesser value. More intact
items, however, such as sandal fragments,
are reported to be occasionally found during
processing of boxes designated as bulk
materials.

Figure 34; Building 33 has no climate control, and
likely never will

Climate Control
PRC 33 is an open, non-climate controlled
building. Given the materials, structure and
use of the building, it is unlikely it will ever
be successfully converted into a climate
controlled space.

Pest Management

No IPM program is currently in place at
TARL: Pest management is a serious and
continuing problem in building 33. Various
pests, from nesting birds to silverfish were
verbally reported. In April 2002, a brown
recluse spider was spotted in the storage
area. Personnel were directed to suspend

National Park Service 93


Collection Management Plan

(especially those derived from projects), the
size and/or quantity of the collection, and
the different types of documentation
represented in the collection (¢.g., reports,
drawings, slides, etc). This important
information will be used to write the
collection history. A copy of the original
inventory and the processing notes may be
placed in the accession folder,

Another archival activity that is completed
during the collection-processing phase is to
upgrade the storage, also called rehousing.
Rehousing involves replacing old acidic file
folders with acid-free folders, placing
photographic items in archival envelopes or
Mylar enclosures, placing oversize
documents or maps/drawings in map folders,
and so forth. During this task, labeling all
the enclosures in pencil with the assigned
accession number is appropriate. Multiple
items can be place in the folder so long as
the folder is not overfilled.

Once rehousing has been completed, the
next phase of archival cataloging is the
arrangement of the collection. The original
order and provenance of the collections
should always be maintained or re-created
whenever possible. Archival material can
be arranged into series. There is no set rule
on the number of series that may be assigned
— the number of series is dependent on the
size of or the various materials/documents
within the collection. It is also important to
assign a number to each series such as Series
1: Correspondence or Series 2: Plans.

After the arrangement of materials 1s
finished, the archivist writes a description of
the collection. This information will
constitute the finding aid, the tool used to
access the collection. A finding aid should
include the following components:
collection history; scope and content notes;
arrangement and series descriptions; file

34 Amistad National Recreation Ares

level descriptions; and, if necessary, item
level descriptions. A table of contents and an
index should be included if possible. If
copyright restrictions apply, they should be
noted.

Occasionally, it is unclear whether materials
belong in the park archives or in the park
library. Publications that are not original to
the site (not NPS generated) belong in the
library. Rare books and orginal reports or
manuscripts should be cataloged into the
museum archives collections. For a
definition of a rare book, see Conserve O
Grams \9/2 - Care and Security of Rare
Books and 19/3 - Use and Handling of Rare
Books. Published copies of resource
management reports may be cataloged into
both the museum archives and the library
collections. The NPS recommends, as stated
in appendix D of the Museum Handbook,
that the park archives retain a copy of every
publication generated by and in the park,
including publications by concessionaires
and cooperating associations. Copies of
publications resulting from any research in
which park collections and resources were
used should also be kept in the archives
because park libraries rarely have enough
security (this is also in keeping with DO-28
and NPS-77).

A number of guidelines, Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs), and finding aids for the
general public will need to be produced once
the park archives is established. These
standards include a Guideline for
Researchers SOP, an access and use policy,
duplication policy, a Copyright Statement,
and a publication request policy. Refer to
the Museum Handbook, Part Il, appendix D,
for guidance on formulating an Access and
Use policy, Park staff and archival
contractors need to be versed in copyright
issues that may apply to the park, so that the
appropriate copyright statements will be


APPENDIX E; Project File Checklist

Amistad National Recreation Area
Planning and Professional Services

PROJECT FILE INDEX
Date;

Project Name:

Project Number:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CURRENT WORK
Correspondence

Meeting Notes

Schedules

Budgets & Cost Estimates

Task Orders & Consultant Contracts
Compliance & Approvals
Documentation & Photographs
Other

oougoc

ocogd

EXISTING INFORMATION
Planning Documents

Historical Research

Infrastructure Info/Evaluations

Site Info/Evaluations

Building Info/Evaluations

Market Research & Financial Analysis
Agreements & Lease Documents
Other

coouobcOooE

RESEARCH & WRITING
Research Materials

Graphics

Preliminary Drafts & Comments
Final Draft & Comments

Other

ouctou

PLANNING

vo

cocuceo c

o o

ob

oouO

buoonvovwed

C.O.R. FILES Established by COR on
project-by-project basis

Scoping

Data Collection

Public Review & Comments

Draft Plan

Final Plan/Staff Report/FONSI
Alternatives Form/Design Review
Other

DESIGN

Schematic Design & Review Comments
Design Development & Review
Comments

Materials Research (break out if needed)
Outline Specifications

Specifications (break out by CSI format)
Other

BIDDING & CONSTRUCTION
Bids & Revised Cost Estimates
Submittals (break out by CSI format)
Inspection Records, Photos & Reports
Change Orders

Operating Manuals, Warranties
Construction Close-out

Post Occupancy Inspections

Other

National Park Service 126


Coliaction Managemant Plan

100 Amistad National Recreation Area


resource management. Temporary records
have a limited use in the operations of a
park. Temporary (i.¢., nonmission critical)
records include fiscal, routine
administrative, law enforcement, and other
daily operational materials, | Permanent,
official records, or resource management
records, are {0 be retained at the park, if they
are actively needed, and they should be
preserved according to NARA’s guidelines,

National Park Service record's managers
have devised strategies to assist park staff at
improving their own  park’s records
management system, These strategies
include the avoidance of prong folders; the
creation of new folders for every fiscal year
for all NPS file code files in active use; the
proper labeling of folders with the file code,
tithe, year and disposition schedule; the
creation of permanent records on acid-free
paper from the outset to ensure the
document's longevity (not recycled paper);
the minimal use of rubber bands, metal
fasteners, and self-stick notepaper; the
appropriate filing of file folders and cabinets
(ie. not overfilling them) so that
mechanical damage to papers is avoided: the
elimination of folder labels (which can fall
off}, instead writing directly on the folder
tab; and encourage the use of high-quality
folders that are half or full cut for permanent
records files. Records managers strongly
recommend documenting every disposition
action in writing and filing it under code
A7227._ Information that needs to be
recorded includes the date, person
responsible, disposition action, disposition
authority, a comprehensive listing of the
disposed files, and the signature of a
witness. Disposition actions must be
defensible in a court of law.

Records managers also recommend that
parks establish comprehensive, stand-alone
project files for resource management,

special events, park infrastructure and
research projects, and that these project files
not be assigned NPS file codes, These files
should contain copies of all the substantive
documents and correspondence created or
received during the course of a project. The
types of documents to be incorporated
include copies of all compliance
documentation; finalized contract
documents, including, substantive change
orders and specifications; DI-1s; “as-builts”
for finished construction projects; project
planning documents; copies of all researcher
field notes; laboratory notes and results: a
copy of the final report and report drafts;
and all documents that illustrate any
decisions. Thus. staff members are assured
that a full set of documents covering an
entire project are gathered, in order of
creation and project evolution, in one place,
Problems are averted, such as when some
fiscal records are filed separately from other
project materials and critical data are lost
from a project's life history. Upon
completion of the project these files are
retired as archives to the park's museum
collection for long-term reference.

The creation of project files emphasizes the
standard archival practice of preserving the
integrity of these records that were created
together. Groups of records kept intact
provide accurate information to researchers,
and enhance the understanding of the project
issues and accomplishments from the
viewpoint of the staff that made those
decisions. If these files are broken up,
rearranged, or removed, the historical
context for understanding decisions and the
sequence of events is lost The
informational value is complete only when
the records are left. as much as possible, in
the order in which they were originally
created.

National Park Service 37