Conservation Of Cultural Resources Research Articles

Regional-scale cultural conservation planning and policy in the United States: an appeal for improvement

Pennsylvania’s (PA) processes and policies for landscape-scale cultural and visual resource conservation are lacking. In PA, like much of the United States (US), landscape change policies are prescriptive and concerned mainly with ecology, health, safety, and welfare issues. These factors combined relegate cultural and scenic aspects to ancillary matters, often leading to their degradation. Culturally focused fields, such as landscape architecture, archaeology, and planning call for rescaling cultural conservation planning to regional scale. Rescaling would treat cultural resources like other environmental and ecological resources, giving cultural resources equal weight in conservation evaluations. The United Kingdom (UK) has policies specifically for visual impact assessment required for development projects. This paper discusses scale issues and political processes within regional visual and cultural resource conservation in PA, US, compares nascent regional-scale planning efforts in PA and the UK, and proposes improvements to PA and, by extension, US cultural landscape conservation policy implementation.

Defining Cultural Resources: A Case Study from the Mid-Atlantic United States

Integrating cultural and natural resources for large landscape conservation remains an applied challenge for landscape planners and resource managers across North America. When resources are considered at a regional scale, developing shared priorities, definitions, and metrics is an essential but complex process for successful conservation partnerships. Strategies exist for designing regional conservation models for natural resources, but methods for cultural resource conservation planning often remain focused on individual sites and buildings. Here, we build on our previous work with the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives to advance frameworks and spatial models for regionally integrated natural and cultural resource conservation design and planning. Specifically, we present the results of our survey of cultural resource specialists in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States to better understand how cultural resources are defined, classified, and valued by this group. Methods from applied cognitive anthropology are useful for uncovering cultural consensus and more marginalized perspectives around resource management priorities, offering a clear pathway for integrating cultural and natural resource conservation. We conclude by restating a call for a National GAP-like research program for cultural resources that integrates diverse cultural practices, perspectives, histories, and values of communities for designing future conservation priorities.

Conservation under uncertainty: Innovations in participatory climate change scenario planning from U.S. national parks

AbstractThe impacts of climate change (CC) on natural and cultural resources are far‐reaching and complex. A major challenge facing resource managers is not knowing the exact timing and nature of those impacts. To confront this problem, scientists, adaptation specialists, and resource managers have begun to use scenario planning (SP). This structured process identifies a small set of scenarios—descriptions of potential future conditions that encompass the range of critical uncertainties—and uses them to inform planning. We reflect on a series of five recent participatory CC SP projects at four US National Park Service units and derive guidelines for using CC SP to support natural and cultural resource conservation. Specifically, we describe how these engagements affected management, present a generalized CC SP approach grounded in management priorities, and share key insights and innovations that (1) fostered participant confidence and deep engagement in the participatory CC SP process, (2) shared technical information in a way that encouraged informed, effective participation, (3) contextualized CC SP in the broader picture of relevant longstanding or emerging nonclimate stressors, (4) incorporated quantitative approaches to expand analytical capacity and assess qualitative findings, and (5) translated scenarios and all their complexity into strategic action.

Land management objectives and activities in the face of projected fire regime change in the Sonoran desert

As a multi-jurisdictional, non-fire-adapted region, the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion is a complex, social-ecological system faced increasingly with no-analogue conditions. A diversity of management objectives and activities form the socioecological landscape of fire management. Different managers have different objectives, resources, and constraints, and each therefore applies different activities. As a result, it can be difficult to predict the regional consequences of changing fire regimes. We interviewed and surveyed managers of 53 million acres of government-managed lands across the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion of Arizona, asking them to describe their management objectives and activities as well as expected changes in the face of projected fire regime change across the region. If current activities were deemed unlikely to meet objectives into the future, this represents a likely adaptation turning point, where new activities are required in order to meet objectives. If no potential activity will meet an objective, it may be necessary to select a new objective, indicating an adaptation tipping point. Here, we report which current objectives and activities are deemed by managers most likely and least likely to succeed. We also discuss constraints reported by managers from different jurisdictions. We find that agriculture, military, and resource extraction objectives are perceived by managers as most likely to be met, whereas conservation of natural and cultural resources is considered least likely to be achieved. Federal land managers reported higher likelihood of both achieving current objectives and adopting new activities than did non-federal land managers. This study illustrates how rapid global change is affecting the ability of land managers differing in missions, mandates, and resources to achieve their central objectives, as well as the constraints and opportunities they face. Our results indicate that changing environmental conditions are unlikely to affect all management entities equally and for some jurisdictions may result in adaptation turning points or tipping points in natural and cultural resource conservation.

The IoT as a Key in the Sensitive Balance between Development Needs and Sustainable Conservation of Cultural Resources in Italian Heritage Cities

In recent years the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to the built heritage has been increasingly finalized to heritage promotion in order to maximize visitor flows. New urgent challenges facing built heritage loom now over its very existence and our possibilities to preserve it for future generations. Italian heritage cities represent a delicate context, where concerns related to tourist flows and resource consumption are amplified due to the concentration of sites and points of interests in urban areas, also in very small ones, while tourism remains vital for economic growth. In such contexts, balancing economic development and sustainable heritage conservation demands well-calibrated tools and approaches. The article presents an overview of the ways the Internet of Things (IoT) is currently used to solve urban issues and support heritage projects. On this basis, and considering the characters and problems typical of heritage cities, as well as the features of the Italian scenario, the most appropriate application lines of IoT for the Italian heritage cities are identified. Then, their potentialities, the mutual impacts between them and the heritage field and the key role of the IoT in supporting the delicate balance between economic development and cultural resource conservation are finally discussed.

Anthropological approaches for cultural resource conservation design and planning

How natural and cultural resources are defined and valued has implications for their conservation and assessment. Although legal regulations for cultural resources such as the National Historic Pre...

Cultural Conservation and Tourism Development in the Consolidation Stage of the Tourism Area Life Cycle Model

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the relationship between residents’ perceptions of the impacts of tourism and their attitudes about cultural conservation and tourism development in the consolidation stage of the Tourism Area Life Cycle model. The study site is Zhangjiajie city, one of China’s best known cultural tourist destinations, which previous researchers have shown has entered the consolidation stage. Questionnaire survey is conducted to the residents in this study area, and valid 317 samples are used for analysis. The study’s results show that residents’ positive perceptions of the impacts of tourism in Zhangjiajie influence their attitudes about conservation of cultural resources in the consolidation stage, such as attitudes about cultural conservation, cognition of cultural knowledge, behavior related to cultural conservation, and residents’ attitudes about tourism development. All results reflect the importance for cultural conservation of residents’ positive perceptions of the impacts of tourism.

The Implementation of Project Method: Educating Golden Generation or Conservation Nation On Exhibition Subject ECE Department

The efforts to improve and enhance the quality of education by making curriculum changes, both structural and its formulation procedures would be more meaningful if accompanied by changes in teaching practices that support the successful implementation of the curriculum. One method that can be used is Project Method, whereby it is expected that the quality of student learning experiences in the classroom is more effective and instill the character associated with the environmental, cultural, and natural resources conservation. The purpose and benefits of this research are to provide an overview of procedures or mechanisms of implementation and find out how much the success rate of the method used in learning, especially in exhibition subjects with project method. This research is a classroom action research with the approach used in this study is a descriptive qualitative approach. The population in this study was all 90 studentsofEarly Childhood Education Department at Semarang State University who are on 6th semester who are taking exhibition subject. The result shows that the procedure of project method activities have to go through stages of actions and observations, which showed at the beginning of the first cycle obtained an average of student ability in this activity amounted to 59.25% and increased in the second cycle achieving 93.08%. It shows that by using the project method, it is very effective to improve the quality of learning for students. How to cite Diana & Eka, R. A. A. (2015). The Implementation of Project Method: Educating Golden Generation or Conservation Nation On Exhibition Subject ECE Department. Indonesian Journal of Early Childhood Education Studies , 4(2), 96-100. doi:10.15294/ijeces.v4i2.9463 DOI 10.15294/ijeces.v4i2.9463

Reserva Extrativista Marinha de Soure, Pará, Brasil: Modo de Vida das Comunidades e Ameaças Ambientais

A Reserva Extrativista Marinha de Soure é uma Unidade de Conservação Federal que abriga populações tradicionais, as quais desenvolvem intensa relação com a natureza caracterizando seu modo de vida e consequentemente sua cultura. O trabalho objetivou apresentar o modo de vida das comunidades Vila do Pesqueiro, Comunidade do CajuÚna e Povoado do Céu e informar acerca das ameaças ambientais constatadas na Reserva Extrativista Marinha de Soure, Pará, Brasil.

Can community-based tourism facilitate conservation of the Bangladesh Sundarbans?

In many places, existence and development of tourism depend on the preservation and protection of the natural environment (Mazilu & Marinescu, 2008), which in turn depends on the level of dependence of the local communities on it (Bhattacharya, Lolita, & Ganesh, 2010). Therefore, a community-based approach towards tourism development has been increasingly promoted in many areas, including countries throughout South Asia (Bajracharya, Furley, & Newton, 2006; Shackley, 1994; Tisdell, 1997). Community-based tourism (CBT) is defined as the visitor–host interaction that has meaningful participation by both visitor and host, and generates economic and conservation benefits for local communities and environments (Jain & Triraganon, 2003). Under this approach, it is expected that the local community would plan, develop and manage CBT to maximise their benefits and minimise the negative impacts of tourism taking place within their societies (Ashley, 1998; Ashley & Ntshona, 2003; Hohl & Mamallacta, 2000; Lopez-Guzman, Sanchez-Canizares, & Pavon, 2011; Steck, 1999). CBT involves the application of tourism as a tool to strengthen the ability of rural community organisations that manage tourism resources with the participation of the local community (Suansri, 2003). CBT is regarded as a tool for natural and cultural resource conservation and community development and is closely associated with ecotourism (Wood, 2007). In Bangladesh, CBT programmes have been recently initiated in several protected areas covering hill and deciduous forests under an ongoing Integrated Protected Area Co-management (IPAC) (2008–2013) project. Promoting and developing ecotourism and CBT as an alternative income generation (AIG) tool is an important component of the project (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA]–International Resources Group [IRG], 2009).

Development of a point evaluation system for ecotourism destinations: a Delphi method

Ecotourism destination criteria and indicators are not equally important. Based on this principle, an evaluation system by which ecotourism destinations can be evaluated and rated needs to be developed to reflect the relative importance of destination criteria/indicators. This case study evaluates a point evaluation system based on ecotourism destination criteria and indicators identified by ecotourism academics and ecotourism operators using a two-round Delphi survey for forest ecotourism in West Virginia. Results indicate that operators are less likely than academics to value local participation and involvement (43 points for operators vs. 84 points for academics) and socio-economic benefits to local communities (26 points for operators vs. 34 points for academics) while being more likely than academics to care about the conservation of cultural resources (107 points for operators vs. 48 points for academics). Research implications and future research needs are discussed.

Toward a Proposal on the Public Utilization and Conservation of Cultural Resources in the Digitalized World

Toward a Proposal on the Public Utilization and Conservation of Cultural Resources in the Digitalized World

La patrimonialisation des fleuves et des rivières.

L’analyse des dynamiques de patrimonialisation des fleuves et des rivières s’appuie sur la comparaison de deux sites inscrits au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO : le val de Loire et la vallée de la Kadisha. L’article met en évidence les continuités/discontinuités territoriales ou temporelles au sein des jeux d’acteurs dans la conduite des différents projets. Il replace la gestion de ces patrimoines dans les dynamiques territoriales qui les entourent. La mise en perspective du double processus patrimonialisation/territorialisation renseigne sur les enjeux et les conflits qui animent la gestion et la conservation des ressources naturelles et culturelles des deux pays.

Archaeology Programs at the Palestinian Universities: Reality and Challenges

Over the past three centuries, Palestine, a country rich in historic and archaeological sites, has drawn many archaeologists, historians, scholars, clergymen, adventurers and treasure seekers, all wishing to study or, at times, to exploit the cultural heritage of the land. Historically, these Westerners have enjoyed the intellectual and financial fruits of their explorations, while the native population was traditionally relegated to the role of simple laborers in the field-work. Until 1977, when the President of Birzeit University, with the support of the Director of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, founded the archaeology program at Birzeit University, there was no indigenous institution dedicated to the preservation, protection and study of Palestine’s cultural heritage. Since then, four additional Palestinian universities—al-Quds University, an-Najah National University, Hebron University and the Islamic University of Gaza—have developed archaeological programs designed to train qualified professionals committed to the management, preservation, restoration and conservation of cultural resources throughout Palestine. Yet, despite the tireless efforts of countless dedicated men and women at these institutions, there exist numerous political, economic, social and bureaucratic obstacles that greatly diminish the operational effectiveness of these programs and, as a consequence, further jeopardize the future of Palestinian cultural heritage resources. The purpose of this analysis is to diagnose the actual efficacy of these programs so that Palestinian stakeholders and policymakers may develop legislative and bureaucratic remedies which will ensure the continued protection and preservation of the Palestinian cultural heritage.

Preparing for a National Emergency: The Committee on Conservation of Cultural Resources, 1939–1944

In March 1940 the U.S. National Resources Planning Board established the Committee on Conservation of Cultural Resources to plan for the protection of federal cultural institutions during national emergencies. The committee provided a mechanism to bring officials together to consider protective measures for and evacuation of valuable books, paintings, and artifacts well before the United States entered World War II. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the committee executed its plan to recommend protective action to cultural institutions nationwide. As a forerunner of interdepartmental cooperation, national emergency and preservation planning, and federal cultural leadership, the committee’s experience provides an early example of the challenges of disaster planning.

Microbial deterioration of historic stone

Environmental science has traditionally focused on conservation of natural resources. However, there is a second, little known, branch of environmental science that deals with the conservation of cultural resources. Many historic stone structures, archeological sites, and objects are at risk, and in need of protection, as a result of physical, chemical, and biological weathering. Because these structures are often large and located outdoors, they pose particular conservation challenges that require collaborative efforts between conservators and scientists. Historic stone supports large and diverse communities of microorganisms that colonize both the stone surface and the porous interior. In many cases, microbial processes have been implicated in the deterioration of the stone. The study of the role of microorganisms in this process is in its infancy, but recent findings have important implications for the preservation of cultural resources and for our understanding of weathering in natural systems.

DOD conservation conference highlights the value of integrating natural and cultural resources conservation with military readiness

AbstractThe Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment sponsored a Department‐wide conservation conference in Savannah, Georgia, from August 22–27, 2004. The conference included a series of workshops, technical sessions, poster presentations, computer‐based demonstrations, and field trips. In addition, top environmental officials from the Departments of Defense and Interior, including Judge Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and Alex A. Beehler, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health, spoke at the conference plenary. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Environmental Conservation and Cultural Action

Now that conservation models which segregate nature from people (or nature from culture) are no longer seen as viable, we are witnessing the emergence of new approaches that acknowledge the crucial role culture plays in conservation efforts. We now know that environmental conservation is, in many cases, not only contingent on the conservation of natural resources, but also the conservation of cultural resources. Respectively, conservation strategies are increasingly being linked to issues of cultural preservation and survival. This latter goal, however, requires a broader view of the role of culture than is often taken in conservation efforts as well as the kinds of resources that can be used for these purposes. When cultural variables are taken into consideration they are often reduced to a discreet set of resources, such as indigenous knowledge and local systems of ecological protection that can be integrated into projects. But culture needs to be seen as foundational to conservation rather than just an added dimension or resource. Since culture, in all its varied forms, contributes to the construction of what people value and take concern in, it also determines, to a certain degree, how and where people will direct their energy. Therefore, we need to develop approaches that acknowledge and build on the dynamics of culture, and activities that can serve as a motivating and sustaining force in a community.

Balancing use and preservation in cultural heritage management

The management of cultural heritage places is compared with natural area management. Differences stem from the disciplines of the managers, and that cultural heritage resources are non‐renewable. In the conservation of cultural resources there is a strong reliance on preservation, and the exclusion of activities which may reduce heritage value. This results in a tendency to remove heritage sites and items from the experience of the community which ‘owns’ the heritage. The conservation strategy for natural systems of acquiring the highly significant, as well as representative samples of biogeography in protected areas has lessons for heritage conservation. At the site level, heritage management rarely uses the range of tools potentially available, largely because of the reliance and emphasis on preservation. The paper proposes that greater community acceptance of heritage conservation will result in a more definitive expression of value and significance, and in tying this to function. Tools to manage the use of significant sites to reduce damage are given.

特集 環境と文化財 環境汚染と文化財保全研究の歩み

特集 環境と文化財 環境汚染と文化財保全研究の歩み