Bridging the Boundary Between Archeological Site Protection and Natural Resources Invasive Species Management in the National Park Service: A Case Study of Robinia pseudoacacia Management at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Summary

Archeologists have identified many historic archeological sites by the presence of cultural vegetation. When Euro-Americans claimed homesteads, they often planted exotic vegetation species on their properties, either for beautification of their land or for utilitarian purposes. In the National Park Service (NPS), natural resource programs now consider many of these non-native species to be invasive and have instituted management plans to stop the uncontrolled spread of these plants. The fact that many of these invasive species are located on or stem from historic homesteads complicates the vegetation management, necessitating that NPS natural resource personnel and archeologists cooperate to balance the needs for archeological site protection and invasive species management. This study uses the example of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) management at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to illustrate the ways that NPS archeologists and natural resource personnel cooperate to balance these needs. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015   •
• Management Challenges, Public Relations, and Professional Issues

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 428