Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Assessing Historic Properties and Cultural
Resources in the Main Hawaiian Islands
Dave Ball, MA, RPA
Pacific Region Historic Preservation Officer
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Camarillo, CA
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Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
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Bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior
Manages the nation’s energy and marine mineral resources on the OCS
Regions: Alaska, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic (Office of Renewable Energy)
Hawai’i OCS
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BOEM: Environmental Studies Program
Mission: To provide the information needed to predict,
assess and manage impacts from offshore energy and
marine mineral exploration, development and production
activities on human, marine and coastal environments.
The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) was initiated in
1973 to support the U.S. Department of the Interior's offshore
oil and gas leasing program. General goals for the ESP
program include:
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Establish the information needed for assessment and
management of environmental impacts on the human,
marine and coastal environments of the Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) and the potentially affected coastal areas;
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Predict impacts on the marine biota which may result from
chronic, low-level pollution or large spills associated with OCS
production, from drilling fluids and cuttings discharges, pipeline
emplacement or onshore facilities;
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Monitor human, marine and coastal environments to
provide time series and data trend information for identification
of significant changes in the quality and productivity of these
environments and to identify the causes of these changes.
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BOEM Funded Research in Hawaii
• Habitat Affinities and At‐Sea Ranging
Behaviors Among Main Hawaiian Island
Seabirds
• Pacific Regional Ocean Uses Atlas
• A Marine Biogeographic Assessment of the
Main Hawaiian Islands
• Maritime Cultural Resources Site
Assessment in the Main Hawaiian Islands
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BOEM Funded Research
Habitat Affinities and At‐Sea Ranging Behaviors
Among Main Hawaiian Island Seabirds
Objectives:
Conduct field studies of at‐sea habitat utilization
and ranging behaviors for seabirds breeding within
the Main Hawaiian islands;
Compile and analyze remotely sensed and modeled
habitat data to examine habitat relationships to
predict species’ distributions and improve spatial
vulnerability maps.
Partnership: BOEM, USGS
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BOEM Funded Research in Hawaii
Pacific Regional Ocean Uses Atlas
Military Use
Objectives: Document patterns of existing
and emerging ocean uses throughout the
Main Hawaiian Islands through
participatory mapping workshops;
Renewable Energy
Fishing Uses
Non-Consumptive
Uses
Industrial Uses
Identify potential areas of conflict and/or
compatibility between proposed
renewable energy areas and other ocean
uses
Study Area
Partnership: BOEM, NOAA, State of
Hawaii Office of Planning
State waters
Federal waters
BOEM Funded Research in Hawaii
A Marine Biogeographic Assessment of the Main
Hawaiian Islands
Objectives: Characterize the distributions of living
marine resources and their habitats found offshore
of the Main Hawaiian Islands;
Identify living marine resource data gaps;
Support the development of spatial tools for
planning and review of offshore renewable energy
proposals in Hawaii.
Partnership: BOEM, NOAA National Center for
Coastal Ocean Science
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BOEM Funded Research
Maritime Cultural Resources Site Assessment in the
Main Hawaiian Islands
Purpose: To better understand the types and locations of significant
archaeological and cultural resources that require consideration during
the planning process for offshore renewable energy development.
Goal: Develop a database of underwater and land-based cultural
resources that could be affected by construction of offshore renewable
energy facilities and develop a proactive approach to working with
Native Hawaiian communities that integrates science with historical,
archaeological, and traditional knowledge to identify areas of
significance that need to be considered in the federal planning process.
Study Area
Geography: The eight main Hawaiian Islands.
Partnership: BOEM, NOAA
State waters
Federal waters
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BOEM Funded Research
Characterizing Tribal Cultural Landscapes
Purpose: To better understand the types and locations of significant
archaeological and cultural resources that require consideration during
the planning process for offshore renewable energy development.
Goal: Develop a proactive approach to working with Native American
communities that integrates science with historical, archaeological, and
traditional knowledge to identify areas of tribal significance that need
to be considered in the federal planning process.
Geography: Coastal and offshore California, Oregon, and Washington.
Partnership: BOEM, NOAA, in partnership with the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde, Makah Tribe, and Yurok Tribe.
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Cultural Landscape Approach
At its most basic:
 Understanding that
humans are part of the
landscape, shaping & being
shaped by it;
 Intimate knowledge of
place;
 Over time;
 Using that knowledge to
inform planning & future
management.
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Cultural Landscape Approach
Takes into account:
 Cultural heritage & resources as part of the ecosystem
& part of the broader landscape;
 Examines relationships among all resources of the place
and their environment over time.
In order to:
 Integrate management of cultural and natural resources
at the ecosystem and landscape level--similar to
ecosystem-based management.
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TCL Purpose and Goals
• Increase preservation & consideration of places & cultural
resources significant to tribes;
• Enhance ocean planning for energy development;
• Develop a proactive
approach to working
with tribes;
• Facilitate decisionmaking processes
appropriate to each
locale.
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TCL Approach
• Holistic approach that integrates
science with archaeological,
historical, & traditional
knowledge.
• Transferable method for any
coastal tribe to document
significant places and cultural
resources.
• Enhanced capability for
consultation.
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TCL Activities
• Intertribal workshops to develop common terminology.
• Guidance Document documenting process & methodology.
• Case studies
demonstrating
methodology as
developed by each
tribe.
• Outreach -- not
including sensitive
data.
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TCL Activities: Definition
Tribal Cultural Landscape:
Any place in which a relationship, past or present, exists between a
spatial area, resource, and an associated group of indigenous people
whose cultural practices, beliefs, or identity connects them to that
place. A tribal cultural landscape is determined by and known to a
culturally related group of indigenous people with relationships to
that place.
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TCL Case Studies
Cultural resources identified include:
• traditional cultural properties;
• traditional subsistence & commerce activities;
• residential & occupational activities;
• spiritual & ceremonial sites and activities.
Methods include:
• archival research;
• field investigations
and site visits;
• community outreach;
• oral histories.
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Pacific OCS Region Contact
Dave Ball
Pacific Region Historic Preservation Officer
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
805-384-6340
David.Ball@BOEM.gov
www.BOEM.gov
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