Significant Cultural Resource Properties

Overview

California has been inhabited by extremely diverse cultures throughout prehistory and history. One of the goals of the State Park System is to preserve this rich, diverse cultural heritage and acquire examples of irreplaceable prehistoric, ethnographic, and historic properties that exhibit this diversity for current and future generations. Thus, the significant cultural resource properties that need to be acquired by State Parks are those that contributed to our understanding of prehistoric, ethnographic, and historic cultural sequences in California. Although State Parks contain some of these properties, there are considerable deficiencies in significant themes in California history.

The recognition of ‘cultural landscapes’ as significant cultural resources in their own right, offers State Parks a new opportunity, and a new perspective, for exploring the intricate mosaic of California’s past. Cultural landscapes encompass multifaceted resources that reflect connections between different peoples and different time periods. These complexes of resources often include the full range of activities of people and their interaction with the natural environment, and visually illustrate a relational development of society and landscape. As defined by the National Park Service (NPS), a Cultural Landscape is a geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources and the wildlife or domestic animals therein, associated with a historic event, activity, or person, or that exhibit other cultural or aesthetic values.

The four general types of cultural landscapes, not mutually exclusive are: historic sites, historic designed landscapes, historic vernacular landscapes, and ethnographic landscapes. Further definition of cultural landscapes may be found on the National Park Service website in Preservation Brief 36: Protecting Cultural Landscapes.

Note:  these guidelines are current as of fiscal year 2024-25;  updates will be posted here when available.

RECOGNIZED CULTURAL RESOURCE DEFICIENCIES

With regard to significant prehistoric properties (generally pre-1769), the following is a suggested list of themes in California human history that are recognized as cultural resource deficiencies in the State Park System:

• Settlement and Subsistence Patterns (e.g., prehistoric mound sites in the Central Valley; coastal prehistoric villages all along the coast from Oregon to Mexico; Channel Islands and Native Californian maritime exploitation)
• Special Adaptations and Environmental Management e.g., Lake Cahuilla fish traps; Owens Valley prehistoric and ethnographic irrigation systems; Native Californian environment management practices-plant manipulation, gathering, vegetation burning)
• Resource Procurement (e.g., basketry gathering areas,; “bow” trees used for manufacturing hunting implements and weapons; stone quarries, including major obsidian sources; chert, basalt and soapstone quarries)
• Trade and Movement (e.g., trails; trade networks and nodes on trails; seasonal migration areas and trails)
• Ideology (e.g., sacred sites; petroglyph and pictograph sites; intaglios)
• With regard to significant historic properties (post-1769), the following is a suggested list of themes in California history that are recognized as cultural resource deficiencies in the State Park System:
• Transportation (e.g., trails, roads, highways, maritime, and riverine)
• Agricultural History (e.g., modern agricultural development)
• Ethnic History – under-represented ethnic groups (e.g., Armenian, Basque, Korean, Portuguese, Vietnamese); post-1850’s ethnic themes (e.g., African-Americans; emigration to West Coast during WW II; 20th century political contributions; outstanding personages)
• Women in California History
• Twentieth Century Military History, Including the Cold War
• Post-World War II Developments (such as industry/technology in oil, plastics, television, electronics, computers, and aerospace, as well as suburban housing areas)
• Lumbering Industry in North Coast and Sierra Nevada
• Environmental Movement
• Utopian Colonies in California
• Labor Movement
• Mid-20th Century Popular Culture (e.g., drive-in restaurants, drive-in movies)
• Entertainment and Motion Picture Industry
• Arts and Literature (e.g., artists, writers, photographers)
• Population Movements (e.g., early 20th century Mexican emigration, Dust Bowl, and WWII emigration to West Coast)

PREFERRED PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS

1. Cultural properties that are strategically located to provide a complete or potential linkage to other federal, state, or local protected lands (or protective easements)

2. Cultural landscape properties that are under-represented within the State Park System.

3. Properties that represent the antiquity and diversity of cultures in California.

4. Linear cultural systems and associated features that cross the landscape such as prehistoric trails and trade routes, early military and fur trapping expedition routes, emigrant wagon trails, gold rush routes, major transportation and communication routes, major trails used for livestock drives, major water systems, and major oil and gas pipelines. Features and structures associated with these linear systems (such as camp sites, state stations, bridges, tunnels, and construction sites) would also be part of these corridors.

5. Significant prehistoric, ethnographic, and historic properties with sites or structures that are closely associated with a cultural era/theme, “type site,” architectural style, or building construction methods and techniques for which there are identified deficiencies that allow for broad statewide interpretation of the human experience in California. The significance of these sites should be such that they are eligible for the Register of Historic Places and possess a high degree of physical integrity.

6. Significant historic buildings and other structures that exhibit an architectural style or construction method and techniques should be considered for acquisition.

7. Significant prehistoric mound sites and ethnographic village sites in the Central Valley. Potential acquisitions in this region could be combined into several small park units.

8. Properties adjacent to or within at least one mile of existing Park units or existing protected properties, which contain significant cultural properties that are not well-represented within or without the State Park System.

9. Cultural properties that complete intended original cultural acquisitions to encompass the whole theme or resource.

10. Cultural properties that are strategically located to provide a complete or potential linkage to other federal, state, or local protected lands (or protective easements).

11. Candidate properties of a sufficient scale and character to provide an accurate representation of the cultural area, time period, and human achievement for which they are being considered. In addition, these properties should have good contexts and buffer zones for protection from modern housing, retail, and industrial developments.

12. Candidate properties possessing some combination of the seven aspects or qualities that define physical integrity for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places criteria: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

13. Candidate properties could possess the potential for outdoor recreation that would not destroy the character of the cultural resource.

PROJECT RANKING CRITERIA

A. Highest priority will be given to cultural resources that represent cultural areas, time periods, and themes not currently encompassed within the State Park System. The significance of these sites should be such that they are eligible for the National or California Register of Historic Places and possess a high degree of physical integrity.

B. High priority will be given to cultural resource types and cultural landscapes that can be linked to significant themes in the prehistory and history of California, which are deficient or under-represented in the State Park System. (e.g., Central Valley mound sites, trade routes, ethnographic village complexes, and traditional hunting, fishing or gathering areas).

C. High priority will be given to properties that document the diversity and antiquity of human achievement and have potential for effective management and interpretation.

D. High priority will be given to cultural resource properties that are threatened with destruction by development.

E. High priority will be given to undisturbed complexes of historic or prehistoric sites/properties where there is substantial preservation of the view shed and setting.

F. High priority will be given to cultural resource properties that are eligible for inclusion as a District on the National Register of Historic Places or California Register of Historical Resources.

G. High priority will be given to cultural landscape properties that are not represented within Federal, state or local protected lands.

H. High priority will be given to projects that complete intended original cultural acquisition to encompass the whole theme or resource.

I. High priority will be given to properties physically located so as to provide buffer space from urban areas, as long as they meet integrity criteria.

J. Priority will be given to properties located in regions with no or few California State Parks.

K. Priority will be given to individual properties that can be historically and/or physically linked to other protected cultural areas within the State Park System

L. Properties possessing significant prehistoric, ethnographic, and/or historic cultural resource values that can be protected without great expense to State Parks and possess the potential for high-valued outdoor recreation opportunities will be considered for this category, but this factor will not be counted towards their priority. The focus of the acquisition should remain on the cultural resource value, not its recreational value.

 M. High priority will be given to cultural heritage projects recommended as high priorities in the Central Valley Vision Implementation Plan.

N. Cultural resource properties that are consistent with other acquisition categories and priorities (e.g., natural resources, urban strategy, trail connections and corridors) should also be considered.