Kate Plimpton and Alejandra Rodriguez represented the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the Society for American Archaeology Annual Conference in San Francisco, where they shared how NRI’s conservation science experience can support long-term cultural resource stewardship on military lands.

Plimpton and Rodriguez presented the poster, “Adaptive Cultural Stewardship: Applying Conservation Science Frameworks to Heritage Management,” as part of the symposium, “Adaptive Planning and Management for Long-Term Historic Preservation.” Sponsored by the Military Archaeological Resources Stewardship (MARS) Interest Group, the session explored approaches that help cultural resource professionals move from reactive preservation to more adaptive, resilient management. The poster introduced a framework that adapts NRI’s decades of experience in landscape-scale conservation to the challenges of military cultural resource management. The approach draws on NRI’s institutional strengths in partnership development, geospatial analysis, risk assessment and adaptive management, applying those capabilities to help protect built and cultural resources across complex working landscapes.

Applying conservation science to cultural stewardship

Military installations manage archaeological sites, historic buildings, cultural landscapes and other resources while also maintaining the lands and facilities needed for training and operations. Effective cultural resource management can help installations meet their stewardship and compliance responsibilities while protecting continued access to mission-essential land. By applying conservation science frameworks to heritage management, the proposed approach offers practical ways to anticipate risks, organize information and support decisions before cultural resource concerns result in project delays or disruptions. It also recognizes that cultural and natural resources frequently occur within the same landscapes and benefit from thoughtfully coordinated planning and management.

This integrated perspective aligns closely with Partners in Preservation (PiP), a Department of War cultural resource management support network modeled after successful natural resource partnerships. The initiative connects military personnel with federal, tribal and state agencies, academic institutions, research organizations, nonprofit organizations and other cultural resource experts. Its goal is to strengthen cultural resource management at the installation, regional and national levels while supporting military readiness and making the most effective use of limited resources.

Building a community of practice

PiP is working to establish a community of practice where professionals can share expertise, coordinate across organizations, mentor emerging practitioners and develop solutions to common cultural resource challenges. The network also emphasizes the integration of natural and cultural resource management, including greater consideration of landscapes, culturally important species and places where ecological and cultural significance intersect.

Another priority is advancing technical capabilities and science-driven innovation. Through research, tools, services and installation-level pilot projects, the network seeks to improve

cultural resource planning and reduce compliance timelines that could otherwise delay mission-essential activities. External partnerships, including sustained engagement with tribal communities and cultural resource experts, are also central to anticipating regulatory risks and strengthening long-term access to training lands.

During the conference, NRI also co-hosted a Partners in Preservation Mixer with the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands and the MARS Interest Group. The event brought together more than 80 military cultural resource professionals to connect, share successes and discuss common challenges facing the field. The mixer reflected the type of professional network PiP is designed to foster. By creating opportunities for cultural resource managers to exchange knowledge and build relationships beyond individual installations or assignments, the initiative can strengthen collective capacity to address complex stewardship needs.

Expanding support for military partners

As NRI continues to expand its cultural resource support for military partners, this work offers a path for strengthening natural and cultural stewardship across shared landscapes. Bringing conservation science tools into heritage management can help partners anticipate challenges, make informed decisions and develop lasting partnerships and strategies that protect cultural resources while sustaining the lands, facilities and access needed to support the military mission.

Photo: Garden Canyon Petroglyphs by Jeff Henley, CC BY-SA 3.0