Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 27.53 · 16 active provisions
The legislature hereby declares that the public has an interest in the conservation, preservation, and protection of the state's archaeological resources, and the knowledge to be derived and gained from the scientific study of these resources.
The discovery, identification, excavation, and study of the state's archaeological resources, the providing of information on archaeological sites for their nomination to the state and national registers of historic places, the maintaining of a complete inventory of archaeological sites and collections, and the providi…
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Amateur society" means any organization composed primarily of persons who are not professional archaeologists, whose primary interest is in the archaeological resources of the state, and which has been certi…
All sites, objects, structures, artifacts, implements, and locations of prehistorical or archaeological interest, whether previously recorded or still unrecognized, including, but not limited to, those pertaining to prehistoric and historic American Indian or aboriginal burials, campsites, dwellings, and habitation sit…
All historic archaeological resources abandoned for thirty years or more in, on, or under the surface of any public lands or waters owned by or under the possession, custody, or control of the state of Washington, including, but not limited to all ships, or aircraft, and any part or the contents thereof, and all treasu…
(1) On the private and public lands of this state it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or any agency or institution of the state or a political subdivision thereof to knowingly remove, alter, dig into, or excavate by use of any mechanical, hydraulic, or other means, or to damage, deface, or destroy a…
(1) It is the declared intention of the legislature that field investigations on privately owned lands should be conducted by professional archaeologists in accordance with both the provisions and spirit of this chapter. Persons having knowledge of the location of archaeological sites or resources are encouraged to com…
(1) *Qualified or professional archaeologists, in performance of their duties, may enter upon public lands of the state of Washington and its political subdivisions after first notifying the entity responsible for managing those public lands, at such times and in such manner as not to interfere with the normal manageme…
Any person, firm, or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Each day of continued violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute a distinct and separate offense. Offenses shall be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency or to the director.
(1) Persons found to have violated this chapter, either by a knowing and willful failure to obtain a permit where required under RCW 27.53.060 or by a knowing and willful failure to comply with the provisions of a permit issued by the director where required under RCW 27.53.060, in addition to other remedies as provide…
Persons, firms, corporations, institutions, or agencies which discover a previously unreported historic archaeological resource on state-owned aquatic lands and report the site or location of such resource to the department shall have a right of first refusal to future salvage permits granted for the recovery of that r…
The director is hereby authorized to enter into contracts with other state agencies or institutions and with qualified private institutions, persons, firms, or corporations for the discovery and salvage of state-owned historic archaeological resources. Such contracts shall include but are not limited to the following t…
The salvor shall agree to mitigate any archaeological damage which occurs during the salvage operation. The department shall have access to all property recovered from historic archaeological sites for purposes of scholarly research and photographic documentation for a period to be agreed upon by the parties following…
The department shall publish annually and update as necessary a list of those areas where permits are required to protect historic archaeological sites on aquatic lands.
The department shall have such rule-making authority as is necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Any proceeds from the state's share of property under this chapter shall be transmitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the general fund to be used only for the purposes of historic preservation and underwater archaeology.