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Access, Forms, and Other Information

Access Restrictions

Archaeological resources are nonrenewable and easily damaged. Their scientific, ethno-cultural, and aesthetic values can be significantly impaired by disturbance. Therefore, access to such information is restricted in order to prevent vandalism and artifact hunting, and to protect landowners from trespass.
 
Those granted access to restricted information sign an access agreementwhereby they agree to keep site content and location information confidential by not disclosing it to unauthorized individuals or including it in publicly distributed documents. (California Government Code Section 6254.10 exempts archaeological sites from the California Public Records Act). Specifically, the locations of archaeological sites are considered confidential and therefore, such information is restricted.

Access to archaeological site information is limited to the following individuals:

  1. Historical Resources Consultants
    Consultants must meet the Secretary of the Interior Standards under Archaeology, History, or Architecture.

  2. Scholars
    Access to confidential information is provided to scholars conducting research for unfunded projects who meet the secretary of interior standards or students working under such individuals.

  3. Landowners
    Proof of ownership must be provided, such as a deed or current tax statement which clearly links their name with an assessor’s parcel.

CHRIS Forms and Documents

A CHRIS Data Request Form must be completed to request a confidential records search.

A CHRIS Information Access and Use Agreement which may apply to an individual, office, company, district, agency, or some other administrative or organizational unit. Only one CHRIS Access and Use Agreement should be completed by the agreement holder, and this agreement will apply through the entire CHRIS, at all Information Centers.

A CHRIS Authorized User Form for identifying each user that will be submitting information requests or conducting records searches under the terms of an Access and Use Agreement.

A CHRIS Information Center Conditional Use Agreement for use when the holder of an active Access and Use Agreement desires to temporarily share CHRIS data with another person or entity who is not covered under that same agreement.

A CHRIS Access Agreement Short Form – for use instead of an Access and Use Agreement, but only when at least one of the four below-listed exceptions applies.

  1. Information requests from individuals pertaining to historical resources located on private property which they own; or
  2. Requests for summary information about historical resources, prepared by an Information Center; or
  3. Information requests for educational or scholarly research only; or
  4. Requests for information where the terms of access are specified in an agreement with the Information Center at which the information is being requested, and said agreement specifically excludes the requirement for a CHRIS Information Access and Use Agreement.

For additional information regarding the CHRIS see the Information Center Rules of Operation Manual (PDF).

Other Forms/Documents

State DPR Forms

GIS at the SCIC

The SCIC maintains a geographic information system (GIS) of the archaeological and historical resources and reports for San Diego and Imperial Counties through an ESRI file geodatabse – the fields within the geodatabase are based on the Northwest Information Center’s (NWIC’s) GIS template.

The SCIC GIS also includes current and historical maps featuring USGS topographic maps, aerial photos, and historic illustrated maps. Data and maps are subject to the CHRIS fee schedule and are available to students, archaeologists, and other cultural resource professionals upon request.