State artifacts put in jeopardy

[Adsos Letter]

Source: ArgusLeader.com
Thom Gabrukiewicz

South Dakota's Archaeological Research Center helps excavate, catalog and store artifacts from across the state, but Gov. Mike Rounds' budget proposal has the little-known agency on the brink of extinction.

Archaeologists across South Dakota said closing the agency - it gets about $308,000 from the state - would present no savings and would jeopardize economic development while risking the care and protection of the state's archaeological resources and research.

Rounds has proposed $46.181 million in budget cuts to counter a projected $134 million shortfall during the next 18 months. The governor deferred comment on the issue Thursday to Richard Benda, Tourism and State Development director, and state budget director Jason Dilges. The ARC is a program under the state Historical Society and part of the tourism department.

"Obviously, none of the cuts we've looked at are easy cuts, many aren't optimal," Dilges said. "We've had to make the least painful cuts we can, but that isn't to say there isn't going to be some pain involved."

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20090209/NEWS/902090302/1001/news

As long as they can protect these sites from looters, then I suppose they are safe enough in the ground. Sorry for the impact on people's livlihoods, though

[aquart]

1. Archaeology is always considered expendable.

In time like these they don't think clearly about potential tourism for well-mapped and preserved sites. It's too far in the future.