On the Front Lines-Addressing Climate Change at the Local Level in South Florida

Summary

How do you place a value on heritage at risk, and who gets to make these decisions? In South Florida, sea level rise is an issue of paramount importance, yet preservation of archaeological and historical sites are rarely the focus of resiliency planning efforts. This paper summarizes the efforts of various groups to combat this, though engaging with local governments and city planners to raise awareness of how archaeological sites will be impacted by sea level rise and insert it into policy at the local level, as well how archaeologists can work collaboratively with marginalized communities, activists, and local tribes to draw attention to these issues. Examples will include discussion of the South Florida Regional Climate Action Plan version 2.0, which includes a new section on archaeological resources, and the Tidally United Conference, which was co-hosted by the Florida Public Archaeology Network and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Ultimately, not all sites can be saved or excavated and the process of identifying and evaluating sites at risk must be a shared responsibility.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21981