10 ancient Utah sites get preservation funds

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, has announced $225,000 in federal funding through the Save America's Treasures program that will help preserve 10 ancient Native American archaeological sites in southeastern Utah.

Among the sites is Alkali Ridge, the site of an ancestral Puebloan village near present-day Monticello, San Juan County, that was the site of pioneering archaeological investigations in the early 20th century that helped define the Anasazi culture in the Four Corners area.

The Alkali Ridge area is a National Historic Landmark, and is listed by the Bureau of Land Management as an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern," due to natural erosive forces and heavy visitor traffic.

Archaeologists hope to use the funding to help restore and preserve Alkali Ridge, as well as nine other Puebloan sites also near Monticello.

Organizers of the SAT grant selected the Utah landmarks for their fragility and cultural importance. The National Park Service will manage the grant funding.

Congress appropriated $14.5 million for the nationwide program as part of its fiscal year 2005 Interior Appropriations Bill. More than 61 organizations and government agencies received funds earmarked for the conservation and preservation of historical treasures through the SAT initiative.

All of the grants require a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match. The Bureau of Land Management's Monticello division is currently seeking sponsors for the matching portion of the funding.