Managing Museum Property

1. Managing Museum Property Managing FWS Museum Property Eugene A. Marino US Fish and Wildlife Service

2. Managing FWS Museum Property What kind of items are considered Museum Property? • Archaeological Collections • Ethnographic Materials • Art • Documents • Historic FWS Objects • Botanical Collections • Geological Collections • Zoological Collections • Paleontological Collections • Environmental Samples

3. Managing FWS Museum Property • Why do we deal with Museum Property? • It’s the Law • They are part of overall ‘habitat resources’ for which the FWS is accountable • What relevance is Museum Property to the FWS mission? • They can be used as historical references for FWS research (e.g., FWS Image libraries) • They can be used to build education and interpretation programs on FWS lands • They can attract new visitors and volunteers to FWS property

4. Managing FWS Museum Property It’s the Law Federal authorities aimed at protecting Museum Property: • Antiquities Act (16 U.S.C. 431-433) • Reservoir Salvage Act (16 U.S.C. 469-469c) • National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470h-2) • Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 470aa-mm) • 36 CFR Part 79—Curation and Management of Federally-owned and Administered Archaeological Collections • Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 USC 484(k)(3) (4)) • Federal Records Act of 1950 (44 USC 3101 et seq.) • Government Performance Results Act of 1993 (PL 100-235) • Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 1990 (25 USC 3001) • Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 (16 USC 668-668d) • Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 USC 1531-1543) • Migratory Bird Treaty Act 1918 (16 USC 703-712) FWS authorities aimed at protecting and managing Museum Property • 126 FW 1 • 50 CFR 27, Subpart F • FWS Strategic Plan (Long Term Goal 10)

5. Managing FWS Museum Property • How do we manage Museum Property? • FWS has Regional Museum Property Coordinators to identify, manage, and report on museum property • FWS archaeological collections are mainly stored at non-federal repositories across the country (universities and museums) • FWS has three of its own repositories devoted to curating or caring for museum property • DC Booth National Fish Hatchery • DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge and the Bertrand Collection • National Conservation and Training Center

6. Managing FWS Museum Property • Museum Property Management and the Planning Process • Museum property, especially archaeological collections, is a by product of many kinds of projects • Any comprehensive plan should keep in mind that such materials exist and that they require long term care • Early consultation with the subject matter expert is very important

7. Managing FWS Museum Property • What to keep in mind—Two overarching concepts for proper planning: • Identification • Knowing where collections are • Storage • Having them adequately stored for long-term use • 36 CFR Part 79 • 126 FW • 411 DM 1-3

8. Managing FWS Museum Property • What is ‘adequate’ storage? • Process collections according to professional museum and archival practices. • Maintain complete and accurate records of the collection • Dedicated facilities to store, study, and conserve the collection • Physically secure conditions • Professional management staff • Maintain materials so as to limit adverse effects of storage • Securely store associated records • Inspect collections • Inventory collections • Provide access to the collections

9. Managing FWS Museum Property • Successfully planning for Museum Property Management • Early communication with Regional Museum Property Coordinators • They can provide expertise on the best way to integrate museum property needs into any planning document