Not every archaeological site can be purchased or turned into a permanent preserve, nor should they. Only those with the most depth and most potential for sustained research need be given this highest form of protection. Lesser degrees of protection can be afforded to less important sites. Archaeological easements can be used for some, and owner protection programs on a voluntary basis for others. Clearly it is time for the federal and state governments to join in the permanent preservation of the nation's prehistoric legacy.
Archaeological sites are usually small and relatively inexpensive to purchase.
The fiscal impact of managing a national preserve system could be lessened by joining a partnership of private organizations, state governments through the SHPOs, museums and universities. Some skeptics would say that this is only a fraction of the resource. But it would be a large fraction of the sites with good integrity and ample depth for sustained research purposes. Preserving the remains of America's prehistoric legacy is a race against time. Every day more of these sites are destroyed and along with them the information that would someday tell of the great cultures of prehistoric America.