2010 Border Impacts Study: Archeological Site Assessment at NPS Park Units Chiricahua, Fort Bowie, and Coronado

Gardner, Gavin; Converse, Kristin; DeGayner, Jake

Illegal activity has increased at Fort Bowie National Historic Site (FOBO) and Chiricahua National Monument (CHIR) as law enforcement activities in other areas of Southern Arizona force undocumented aliens (UDAs) and drug smugglers into the rugged Chiricahua Mountains. In addition, the construction of the Department of Homeland Security pedestrian fence that extends from east of Douglas to the middle of Coronado National Memorial (CORO) has led to increased traffic at CORO, as UDAs illeagally go around the end of the fence and travel through various corridors in the park. Anecdotal evidence suggested that this increased illegal presence, as well as the corresponding increase in U.S. border guard activity, was affecting the cultural resources of the parks. However, the details and extent to which this covert use of parklands impacted archeological sites at CHIR, FOBO, and CORO was unknown. Therefore, in 2010 the SE Arizona Group parks received funding for the first year of a two year documentation and treatment project focused on emergency condition assessments and treatment at the archeological sites located in CHIR, FOBO, and CORO. In part, this project funded a Border Impacts Study focused on creating crucial baseline archeological site information and condition assessments to provide a foundation for future border impacts monitoring and preservation treatments. In the spring of 2010, multiple trips were made to these three southern Arizona parks to visit previously recorded archeological sites and assess their current impacts.

2010 Border Impacts Study: Archeological Site Assessment at NPS Park Units Chiricahua, Fort Bowie, and Coronado

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