The Department may conduct an archaeological site survey on the affected state lands and provide recommendations concerning the preservation, photographing, recording, or excavation for any archaeological, paleontological, or historical features which may be located upon state lands. The site survey shall include investigations for any historic or prehistoric ruins, burial grounds, archaeological or vertebrate paleontological sites, fossilized footprints, inscriptions made by human agency, rock art, or any other archaeological, paleontological, or historical features. Upon receipt of the Department of Parks and Recreation's recommendation, the state agency may undertake such surveys, excavation, or other operations it determines necessary to preserve or record the archaeological, paleontological, or historical features or may commission the Department to undertake such operations. No archaeological program conducted by the Department of Parks and Recreation shall impair, impede, or delay any state construction project. No person shall knowingly and willfully excavate, remove, destroy, injure, or deface any archaeological, paleontological, or historical feature on public land except with the express permission of the public agency having jurisdiction upon the land.
Violation is a misdemeanor.
Recognizes that Califomia's archaeological resources are endangered by urban development and population growth and by natural forces. The Legislature further finds and declares that these resources need to be preserved in order to illuminate and increase public knowledge concerning the historic and prehistoric past of California. Every person, not the owner thereof, who willfully injures, disfigures, defaces, or destroys any object or thing of archaeological or historical interest or value, whether situated on private lands or within any public park or place, is guilty of a misdemeanor. It is a misdemeanor to alter any archaeological evidence found in any cave, or to remove any materials from a cave. Public Resources Code, Section 5097.5 Provides that no person shall knowingly and willfully excavate upon, or remove, destroy, injure, or deface any historic or prehistoric ruins, burial grounds, archaeological or vertebrate paleontological site, including fossilized footprints, inscriptions made by human agency, rock art, or any other archaeological, paleontological or historical feature, situated on public lands, except with the express permission of the public agency having jurisdiction over the lands.