Our Program Mission

Program Administrator

Salmon Ruins Museum

6251 College Blvd., Suite A
Farmington, NM 87402
505-564-7600

Program Co-Directors

Site Steward volunteers are committed to cultural resource preservation activities that reduce the occurrences of vandalism or destruction of our non-renewable cultural and historic resources. Equally, it is a Site Steward goal to increase public awareness of the significance of these unique sites, to educate others about the damage and destruction done by looters and artifact hunters, and to discourage the illegal sale of looted antiquities. The program seeks volunteers who have a love of the outdoors and a strong interest in cultural resources such as these. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please call the museum at 505-632-2013, Monday-Friday only, between 9am and 4pm. If you're ready to start protecting sites, fill out the application form below and email or snail mail it to the museum using the addresses on our Contact page.

What are some recent projects?

I'm glad you asked! We're proud of the many sites in our area, which go start with modern use and go back through homestead, wild west, Navajo, Apache, Ute, Spanish exploration and colonization, Prehistoric Pueblo, Basketmaker, Archaic, and Paleoindian hunters and gatherers. That's about 15,000 years! Some sites are structural, some are rock art, but all are found amidst a beautiful, unique landscape that offers endless opportunities for hiking, exploration, family time, solitude and photography.

Wow, that sure is a mouthful! We like to shorten it to NWNM-SSP, but even that is kind of unmanageable. But you're here because you want to know what this group is all about. You already know that most archaeological sites are found on public land where anyone can access them. This is a great benefit for people who care about the cultural and historical heritage of this and other states, but it also leaves hundreds of thousands of sites that have never been studied vulnerable to visitors collecting the most important artifacts, to damage from ATVs, mountain bikes and horse trampling, to natural erosion, and to damage from construction. The destruction of sites isn't always intentional; some visitors don't know how to respect these kinds of resources or don't understand the reasons why laws exist to protect them from collection. But the damage is still permanant, no matter what the intention.

I'm not an Archaeologist - What Can I Do?

Program Management

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Application

Northwest New Mexico Site Stewards Program

Actually, that's just the kind of person we need! Site Stewards are people from every kind of background who care about preserving endangered sites. People who like to spend time outdoors with their friends or family, and who want to play an active role in protecting and preserving the most critically endangered archaeological sites. Being a Site Steward won't cost you anything. You'll get to attend occasional training sessions, go on field trips to see sites being protected by other site stewards, and have picnics with other site stewards. Twice a year, you'll be asked to visit the site you're protecting and file a report on its condition, noting erosion, vandalism, or any other concerns that should be addressed. If a site needs work, you'll have the opportunity to participate in the stabilization, reconstruction, or whatever needs to be done.

Bureau of Land Management, Farmington Field Office

Jonathan Kelly - nwnmss@gmail.com

Kim Stradling - kstrad53@msn.com

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Application