Press Release
☷Texas Guard preserves historical assets with partners tech
National Guard ( By Press Release office)
Apr 28,2022
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CAMP MABRY , Texas – The Texas Army National Guard’s Cultural Resources Management program was awarded the 2022 Secretary of the Army Environmental Award for Natural Resources for a large installation . The program is one of the largest and most complex of its kind , blending collaborative partnerships and technological advances to manage treasured archaeological , cultural and historical assets . It has more than 34 , 000 acres with prehistoric and historic archaeological sites , cultural landscapes , documents , buildings , structures , American Indian traditional cultural properties , and artifacts from previous archaeological surveys . The Texas ARNG has relationships with 16 consulting American Indian tribes , manages a 221 - acre National Register Historic District , a National Register - eligible Nike Missile Silo and radar site district , 52 National Register eligible buildings , six traditional cultural properties and almost 700 archaeological sites . “The Cultural Resources Management program is both broad and complex , and it requires us to stay focused on our mission while actively engaging in close relationships with the many stakeholders we work with and serve , ” said Richard Martinez , Texas environmental program chief . “The Cultural Resources Manager ( CRM ) is fully integrated into the TX ARNG operations and is a part of how we do what we do every day . That’s a key to our collective success . ”Over the past two years , one of the more notable projects has been the rehabilitation of Building 1 at Camp Mabry . The World War I - era building was essentially gutted to address structural problems and rebuilt with the Texas State Historic Preservation Office’s guidance to ensure historical standards were followed . The structure now serves as a centerpiece of a historic district at Camp Mabry and as the adjutant general’s offices . “We were able to preserve and transform a building that was nearly unsalvageable and convert it into a historic showplace to preserve and celebrate our collective history , ” said Dedra Dahl , Texas project manager . Another notable collaborative effort involved an enhanced traditional cultural property survey throughout Texas . Building on a track record of engagement with American Indian tribes , the revised and improved survey brought in tribal representatives to better identify and delineate traditional cultural use areas . Along with these accomplishments , the Texas ARNG CRM also expanded partnerships for site monitoring and inventories with universities , drastically reducing costs for such services compared to private contractors . The site monitoring contract includes the capability to bring tribal specialists to the training sites to monitor cultural resources or projects as needed . On the technology front , the Texas ARNG was lauded for introducing a photo point database for architectural and archaeological site monitoring linked to a geographic information system . The database , developed with a university partner , is used to establish visual records of cultural sites to track impacts from fire , erosion or other disturbances . Another effort that blended technology and collaboration to produce better outcomes involved the complex process of curating and managing cultural and archaeological assets . Texas ARNG is completing an overarching curation agreement to cover over 30 years of individual agreements . “Our Cultural Resource Management program goals are aligned with Texas ARNG’s goals – to put people first with proactive management to reduce cultural resource impacts , support readiness through efficient and effective stewardship , and communicate effectively with stakeholders ranging from the Native American nations , the state historic office and the public , ” said Kristen Mt . Joy , CRM . “These efforts can pay dividends on multiple fronts . For example , historical preservation projects are planned to put preservation and modern requirements in balance , allowing modernization of existing facilities versus the extended time and costs to request and construct new ones . ”
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