D, Alternatives Regulating Tampering with. Damage to and Removal of 

 Submerged Historical and Cultural Resources within the Sanctuary. 



1. Status quo: Unrestricted activities regarding submerged 

 historical and cultural resources in all boundary alternatives . 



The Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the 

 Interior is preparing a Submerged Cultural Resource Plan to identify 

 shipwreck sites between Key West and Cape Hatteras out to 200 miles. A 

 Looe Key American Shoals survey is being conducted by the Newfound Harbor 

 Marine Institute. However, there are no Federal laws at the present 

 time regulating salvage and recovery operations in the high seas. The 

 status quo would allow the continued unregulated investigation and removal 

 of submerged artifacts and could also lead to the tampering and removal 

 of important historical and cultural resources within the sanctuary. 

 These recovery operations can result in damage to those coral communities 

 which have attached themselves to the submerged artifacts. 



Under a recent court decision, the Antiquities Act which 

 provides that the Department of the Interior may designate and protect 

 certain historically important sites does not authorize such action in 

 relation to antiquities located on the OCS. In addition, neither the 

 Abandoned Property Act nor the National Historic Preservation Act offer 

 protection for valuable marine artifacts. The marine sanctuary program 

 is the only vehicle for designation and preservation of such resources. 



2. Prohibit tampering with, damage to and removal of historical 

 and cultural resources in all boundary alternatives except with a NCAA 

 permit for scientific and educational purposes. PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE~ 



This alternative would prohibit tampering with, damage to and 

 removal of historical and cultural resources and still allow continued 

 exploration and investigation with minimal damage to coral reef resources. 

 Shipwrecks of interest in and adjacent to the area could be explored and 

 artifacts recovered under a NOAA permit which would be based on the 

 educational and research value of the proposed actions. This alternative, 

 however, would not completely preclude reef damage and other disruptions 

 to the marine resources from salvage and recovery operations. 



Under this alternative, NOAA could cooperate and assist 

 the Bureau of Land Management in the preparation of the Submerged Cultural 

 Resource Plan which includes the Looe Key Reef area. Historical resources 

 could also eventually be placed on the National Register of the National 

 Historic Preservation Act once the nomination has been made and the 

 resource selected. 



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