2016 Navy Sunken Military Craft Act Regulations--32 CFR 767

Summary

The Sunken Military Craft Act (SMCA) was enacted on October 28, 2004. The SMCA preserves and protects from disturbance all sunken military craft owned by the U.S. government, as well as foreign sunken military craft submerged or buried in the seabed within U.S. territorial waters. The Navy's sunken ship and aircraft wrecks remain U.S. property regardless of their location in U.S, international, or foreign waters. Ownership is not changed by the passage of time. These wrecks may not be disturbed without a permit under newly crafted Navy regulations--32 CFR 767. This presentation considers the new regulations, the permitting program under the SMCA, enforcement, and these new and unique responsibilities of the Navy. Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) is the manager of the Navy's 3,000 ship and 14,000 aircraft wrecks and implements the Act and regulations on behalf of the Department of the Navy. The new regulations will raise the bar for preserving and interpreting these important cultural resources, many of which are also war graves and the final resting places for those who have sacrificed their lives for country throughout the United States history.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

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