Arizona Site Stewards Volunteer Program

Site Stewards are are volunteers dedicated to protecting and preserving cultural resources and the heritage of Arizona.

Site Steward Logo The Arizona Site Stewards Program is an organization of volunteers, sponsored by the public land managers of Arizona, whose members are selected, trained and certified by the State Historic Preservation Office and the Governor's Archaeology Advisory Commission. The chief objective of the Stewards Program is to report to the land managers destruction or vandalism of prehistoric and historic archaeological and paleontological sites in Arizona through site monitoring. Stewards are also active in public education and outreach activities.

Purpose of the Stewards Program

Site Stewards work toward the following goals:

To preserve major prehistoric, historic and paleontological resources for the purposes of conservation, scientific study, and interpretation.
To increase public awareness of the significance and value of cultural resources and the damage done by artifact
hunters.
To discourage site vandalism and the sale and trade of antiquities.
To support the adoption and enforcement of national, state, and local preservation laws and regulations.
To support and encourage high standards of cultural resource investigation throughout the state.
To promote better understanding and cooperation among agencies, organizations, and individuals concerned about the preservation of cultural resources.
To enhance the completeness of the statewide archaeological and paleontological inventory.

Site Stewards Training

Volunteer training involves 10 hours of classroom instruction and fieldwork. The training sessions include antiquity laws, crime scene management, site and feature identification, and map reading. The program seeks volunteers with strong interests in cultural resource conservation who like the outdoors.

Arizona Watch: Site Stewards Newletter

Arizona Watch is the quarterly Site Stewards newsletter filled with news and information about the program. Read issues online.

Site Stewards Opportunities

Site Steward Photograph A Site Steward’s primary role is to monitor archaeological, historical, and paleontological sites and report any looting/vandalism to the land manager. Site Stewards make an important contribution to preserving our cultural heritage by working closely with Federal, State, Tribal, County, and municipal agency staff and archaeologists. The Site Steward Program is designed to meet the interests and skills of the volunteers. Additional opportunities beyond monitoring may include:

Act as a liaison between local communities and the Site Steward Program.
Collect oral histories from local community members.

Present talks within communities on the Site Steward Program or the preservation of heritage resources. Site Stewards may also participate in the following activities if they are in the direct, in-field supervision of a professional archaeologist:

Help professional archaeologists document or record archaeological sites in danger of vandalism, destruction or deterioration.
Help professional archaeologists document archaeological sites that have not been previously recorded.
Help professional archaeologists monitor construction activities to discover if buried sites have been exposed.
Help professional archaeologists document private artifact collections.
Assist professional archaeologists in activities such as surveying, mapping and rock art recording.

Arizona Cultural History Guide

This guide contains a brief overview of the culture history of Arizona, including charts, graphs, and timetables, and examples of various populations' dwellings and artifacts.

Download Arizona Cultural History Guide ( 1.2 MB PDF)

Application

Site Steward Photograph State and Federal antiquity laws prohibit damage to archaeological and paleontological sites. Help protect Arizona's irreplaceable cultural resources by becoming a Steward of the past. To become a Site Steward, please download and fill out an Arizona Site Steward Application and send it to the address below:

Download Site Stewards Application ( 87 KB PDF)

Site Stewards Coordinator
Arizona State Parks
1300 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Site Stewards Quarterly Activity Log

The Site Steward Quarterly Activity Log provides a way for you to record your abservations. Please print out this document, fill in the appropriate information. Please place the appropriate codes below on your Quarterly Activity Log under the vandalism column.

Download Site Stewards Quarterly Activity Log ( 68 KB PDF)

Mail to:
Site Stewards Coordinator
Arizona State Parks
1300 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Travel Expense Forms

Non-state employees who wish to be reimbursed for valid travel expenses must complete a W-9 form. You must also keep receipts and fill out and turn in the following form. There are two versions to choose from.

Download Travel Expense Form ( 571 KB PDF)

Download Travel Expense Form IE ( 764 KB Interactive Enabled PDF)
The IE version lets you fill out the form on the computer; it also calculates expenses for you. You then can print and save the completed form. You must print it and sign it and turn in your receipts.

Site Stewards Handbook & Training Materials

The definitive guide with over 50 pages of important information. A number of forms are also included in this document, including: Vandalism Report Form, Discovery Form, Site Steward Site Date Form (OPS), Activity Log Form, Historic Property Inventory Form for Cemeteries and Graves, and the Photo Log Form.

Download Site Stewards Handbook & Training Materials ( 1.5 MB PDF)

Land Managers: Your Annual Report for Site Visits

Download Site Stewards Hourly Report for Site Visits ( 179 KB PDF)

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