FSRA volunteers work alongside archaeologists and land managers to monitor and help protect culturally significant rock image sites throughout the Sierra Nevada. Through field visits, documentation, and education, we help preserve these irreplaceable cultural landscapes.
Stewardship of Rock Image Sites
Monitoring Rock Image Sites
Monitoring Program
FSRA monitors receive initial and ongoing training through classroom sessions and fieldwork. Each monitor is provided with confidential site records describing known archaeological features.
Monitors visit their assigned sites seasonally and report any changes that may affect the integrity of the petroglyphs or the surrounding environment.
Monitoring Includes
• Natural seasonal weathering and erosion
• Fire impacts and other natural events
• Changes in vegetation growth and lichen activity
• Human activity such as visitation or camping
• Other conditions that may affect site preservation
Monitoring reports are compiled each fall and submitted to the landowner. If an issue requires immediate attention, FSRA contacts the appropriate agency or entity.
FSRA provides site monitoring services for the U.S. Forest Service, PG&E, and other landowners to help protect petroglyph sites and surrounding cultural landscapes.
Our monitors assess the ongoing condition of assigned sites and share relevant concerns with land managers and Native American tribes when appropriate.
Site Remediation
FSRA organizes and provides labor and materials for site remediation with the permission of landowners. Our work focuses on stabilizing and protecting rock imagery sites that have been affected by natural and human impacts.
Graffiti is frequently found at public sites near roadways, as well as at well-known locations that receive heavy visitation. In addition to graffiti, stone surfaces may be marked, rocks displaced, or cairns constructed. In some cases, petroglyphs have even been removed from their original rock faces, causing permanent damage.
Remediation Efforts
FSRA conducts ongoing remediation projects that include:
• Graffiti and paint removal
• Mitigation of stone markings
• Campfire impact mitigation
• Restoration work to stabilize and protect affected areas
We also implement modifications that help reroute bicycle and foot traffic to reduce impacts on petroglyphs and surrounding environments.
Collaboration and Site Protection
FSRA works with local land trusts and partner organizations to help ensure that rock imagery sites under their management are properly monitored and cared for.
The photos document remediation efforts, including graffiti removal and campfire mitigation.
Site Recording
FSRA has conducted surveys for government agencies and private organizations to identify and document petroglyphs and other cultural resources that have not yet been recorded. Our work has included site recording projects for the National Forest, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the Bureau of Land Management.
In recent years, new technologies have improved our ability to detect and document petroglyphs that have become faint over time or are overlaid by more recent imagery. Site recording includes field scouting, measuring, drawing, photography, and, when appropriate, videography, as well as documenting the surrounding environmental and cultural context.
This work often requires transporting specialized equipment into remote areas and conducting detailed field expeditions.
The photo in this section highlight site recording efforts in the Grouse Ridge area.
Get In Touch
If you encounter graffiti or damage at a rock imagery site, please reach out to us. Early reporting helps protect these places and allows remediation work to begin quickly.
If you would like to help with preservation efforts or volunteer for site remediation projects, we welcome your involvement.
Send us a message .