U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Archeology Program Briefing Statement TOPIC: Archeological Resource Protection: Listing of Outlaw Treachery (LOOT) Clearinghouse Issue: The looting and vandalism of archeological sites robs all the citizens of a non-renewable part of their cultural heritage. Looters typically destroy archeological contexts containing information that often is the only way we can ever understand how people lived in the past. Archeological sites do not regenerate nor can they be replaced. Public agency protection and stewardship of archeological sites requires a variety of kinds of actions to eliminate looting and vandalism. Public education and outreach, diligence in field patrols, and systematic condition assessments of sites are some of the primary activities. Also important are activities that aid the investigation and prosecution of those who have looted or vandalized archeological sites. The Listing of Outlaw Treachery (LOOT) Clearinghouse was established as a tool to aid in investigations and prosecutions of looters and vandals. In 1988, significant impetus for improved reporting was provided by amendments to the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA, 16 U.S.C. 470aamm) requiring Federal land managing agencies to report archeological looting and vandalism incidents. Background: Agencies have made significant progress in conducting archeological law enforcement investigations and preparing casework. The availability of technical information and training through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the Department of Justice, and the National Park Service has contributed to this progress. Since 1987, one of the sources for case information has been the Listing of Outlaw Treachery (LOOT) Information Clearinghouse. The LOOT Clearinghouse contains voluntarily submitted summary records of prosecuted cases. A standardized LOOT form summarizes case information. The form (NPS 10-29) includes data about such things as arrests, indictments, trials, pleas, judgments, sentences, investigative reports, court documents, and archeological resources damage assessments. The LOOT form has received administrative review for Federal information collection requirements by the Office of Management and Budget and clearance for its consistency with Federal legal responsibilities such as Privacy Act and FOIA issues. Any Federal agency may adopt the LOOT form as part of their program to comply with Section 14(c) of ARPA. LOOT information is used for case development, investigations, research, and training by cultural resources, law enforcement, and justice personnel. The LOOT Clearinghouse served as a primary source for compiling the Archeological Resources Protection: Federal Prosecution Sourcebook, co-published by the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior. It is a principal technical reference for United States Attorneys and Federal agency solicitors. Discussion: Through cooperation with law enforcement and justice personnel in submitting LOOT entries and promoting the participation in LOOT by agency managers, the LOOT files can continue to provide current summary and comparative information about archeological looting and vandalism. The National Strategy for Federal Archeology, presented by the Department of the Interior, identifies goals that will improve the stewardship capabilities of agencies for archeological resources. Three goals are particularly important for archeological protection: improving information exchange among law enforcement and cultural resources professionals, improving public awareness programs, and improving information about archeological sites and collections. LOOT forms are available on the NPS Archeology Program website at http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/SRC/forms/05LOOTForm.doc Prepared by: Karen Mudar, Archeologist; karen_mudar@nps.gov; 202-354-2103
2 May 2007
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