Of the nearly 3000 prehistoric and historic sites recorded in the California Desert inventory, 36% have already been damaged so extensively that their condition is reduced to fair or poor. Vandalism is regarded as the major threat to archaeological sites in the desert, and both vandalism and ORV damage are increasing. Historic sites and prehistoric villages have suffered the worst. Less than 40% of them are in good condition. The damage that has been inflicted on archaeological sites in the desert demonstrates the effects of years of unmanaged use of the desert, and uncontrolled vandalism.
Patrolling of accessible sites, monitoring "inaccessible" sites, development of active interpretive programs, removal of trash and signs of vandalism, signing, and apprehension and prosecution of vandals are all common-sense techniques that may slow the destruction of particular archaeological resources. Table 34 (p. 153) summarizes management approaches appropriate for a variety of archaeological sites. The relative effectiveness of the several techniques remains unknown, although the costs of each can be estimated for a particular site. We recommend that management strategies for archaeological sites in the desert be implemented in the framework of an experiment to obtain quantitative information regarding the effectiveness of alternate strategies and combinations of techniques in a variety of problem areas. We also recommend the development of archaeological destinations in the desert to channel the interests of desert residents of desert communities and visitors into non-damaging activities. Among such destinations are sites with interpretive programs and archaeological excavations underway with provisions for observation of and/or participation in the work.
A BLM-sponsored program of archaeological data recovery is a necessary component of the protection of resources in the desert. Management techniques may slow the rate of attrition of sites, and can protect selected sites. Sites in "open" areas and other unprotected locations will be lost, however, and with them a great portion of the prehistoric and historic record of the desert. These unprotected areas need to be the focus of scientific investigations.