Protection of prehistoric and historic properties at the superconducting super collider

When exploring the basic nature or building blocks of the universe, the matter that physicists examine is usually subatomic, such as protons or quarks. For individuals involved in cultural resource management and preservation, that matter is somewhat more tangible and can consist of a dinosaur or mammoth bone, a fossil fish or gastropod, or it can consist of the easily recognized projectile point or arrowhead. The study of cultural resources also includes the examination of historic structures, which happen to be the most predominant cultural resource in the 54 mile SSC footprint. While curiosity about the nature of matter unites archaeologists and physicists alike, what really brings us together is law. Particularly Newton's Law which states: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. To paraphrase Newton's Law in cultural resource terms, federal agencies, such as the Department of Energy (DOE), need to consider what effects their actions, and actions they may assist, permit, license, or fund may have on cultural resources. This is mandated by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and is implemented by the Section 106 process. Again, in more general terms, Section 106 of NHPA states that before any ground disturbing activities take place on a federally licensed or assisted project, certain steps or processes must occur. The authors examine these steps and their resultant SSC actions later, after first considering how preservation laws developed and evolved in the United States