Abstract
Climate change is at the forefront of local government policy in south Florida. Impacts to archaeological and historical sites, however, are often relegated as a casualty of development as local leaders make decisions about where to place critical infrastructure and develop areas in a sustainable way. While all cultural resources have historical significance, not all levels of significance are equal. Accordingly, counties and other government entities will have to make difficult decisions as they evaluate the need for seawalls and other necessary infrastructure measures that may impact cultural resources. Case studies from Palm Beach, Collier, and Miami-Dade counties describe two prioritization strategies within two different regional compact frameworks. These frameworks each have specific strengths and were devised specifically for resources in their compact areas. This article explores prioritization of threatened archaeological sites, reviews the South Florida Regional Climate Change Compact and other local jurisdictional alliances’ participation in the process, and, finally, considers how prioritization can inform academic research as well as infrastructural improvements.
Resumen
El cambio climático está a la vanguardia de la política del gobierno local en el sur de Florida. Sin embargo, los impactos en los sitios arqueológicos e históricos a menudo se relegan como una víctima del desarrollo, ya que los líderes locales toman decisiones sobre la ubicación de la infraestructura crítica y el desarrollo de áreas de manera sostenible. Si bien todos los recursos culturales tienen un significado histórico, no todos los niveles de significado son iguales. En consecuencia, los condados y otras entidades gubernamentales tendrán que tomar decisiones difíciles al evaluar la necesidad de diques y otras medidas de infraestructura necesarias que pueden afectar los recursos culturales. Los estudios de casos de los condados de Palm Beach, Collier y Miami-Dade describen dos estrategias de priorización dentro de dos marcos compactos regionales diferentes. Cada uno de estos marcos tiene fortalezas específicas y se diseñaron específicamente para los recursos en sus áreas compactas. En este artículo se explora la priorización de sitios arqueológicos amenazados, se revisa el Pacto de Cambio Climático Regional del Sur de la Florida y la participación de otras alianzas jurisdiccionales locales en el proceso y, finalmente, se considera la manera en que la priorización puede informar la investigación académica, así como las mejoras de infraestructura.
Résumé
Le changement climatique occupe une place de premier plan dans la politique du gouvernement local en Floride du Sud. Toutefois, les impacts sur les sites archéologiques et historiques sont souvent relégués à titre de dommage accessoire au développement lorsque les leaders locaux décident des emplacements d'infrastructures essentielles et du développement de zones de manière durable. Si toutes les ressources culturelles ont une pertinence historique, tous les niveaux de pertinence ne sont pas équivalents. Par conséquent, les comtés ainsi que les autres entités gouvernementales devront prendre des décisions difficiles lorsqu'ils évalueront le besoin de digues et d'autres mesures d'infrastructure susceptibles d'avoir un impact sur les ressources culturelles. Les études de cas issues des comtés de Palm Beach, Collier et Miami-Dade décrivent deux stratégies de priorisation au sein de deux cadres contractuels régionaux différents. Ces cadres présentent chacun des atouts spécifiques et ils ont été conçus expressément pour les ressources dans leurs zones contractuelles. Cet article est une étude de la priorisation de sites archéologiques menacés, il examine le South Florida Regional Climate Change Compact (Pacte régional de la Floride du Sud sur le changement climatique) et la participation d'autres alliances juridictionnelles locales à ce processus. Enfin, il envisage comment la priorisation peut informer la recherche universitaire ainsi que les améliorations des infrastructures.
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Notes
For the bill’s text, see < https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1954/BillText/er/HTML > .
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Acknowledgments:
The authors wish to thank Chris Davenport, Dr. Jake Leech, Dr. Peter Sheng, Matt DeFelice, Sarah Cody, Malachi Fenn, Dr. Cliff Brown, Austin Bell, Steve Bertone, Jeff Carter, Dr. Alison Elgart, Dr. Bill Locascio, Victoria Menchaca, William Stanton, Craig Woodward, Vladimir Paramygin, Chip Birdsong, FPAN, all members of the ACUNE interest working groups, the Collier County NAACP, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Funding to develop ACUNE was provided through a NOAA grant to Drs. Sheng and Savarese.
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Ayers-Rigsby, S., Kangas, R., Savarese, M. et al. Act Local: Climate-Change Policy at the County Level in South Florida. Hist Arch 57, 619–633 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00418-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00418-y