Cultural Resource Priorities
Cultural resources include archeological sites, historic locations and structures, sacred sites, and traditional cultural properties. Cultural resources represent the collective heritage of all Americans and are therefore, important to preserve. They are non-renewable sources of information about our history. Cultural resources can serve as educational tools for imparting knowledge about lifeways, building styles, and art forms of past people to the general public, and can be active, important locations of traditional practices conducted by modern people.

Historic and cultural resources were not mapped as part of the Conservation Framework. However, the Cultural Resources Sub-committee of the Partnership, guided by expert opinion, has developed preliminary conservation priorities for these resources.  Research is underway to assess the cultural resources in parts of the region.  As the database develops, elaboration of these priorities and further objectives will likely occur.  Laws governing cultural resource protection are summarized in Appendix H. Current priorities include conservation of:

• Traditional Native Lands – The BRBNA served as the traditional homelands of the Wintun-speaking people: the Wintu, Nomlaki, and Patwin, as well as the Pomo, Lake Miwok, and the Mayacamus (Wappo). 
• Lands that are examples of the BRBNA's regional history including areas of early non-Native American settlement and the history of mining in the region
• Sites that are threatened due to erosion, vandalism, or looting
• Sites that are subject to development threat
• Sites that can meet multiple-use objectives (e.g. cultural resource conservation and recreation)