Black Butte Ranch history explored

The discovery of ancient artifacts at the Paulina Pool site on Black Butte Ranch have sparked interest in carrying out further studies at the ranch.

Jean Nave will present a proposal to the Black Butte Ranch (BBR) Board of Directors for establishing a project to study ranch history.

According to the proposal, the ranch would participate in a flagship program being developed by the Center for the Study of The First Americans at Oregon State University.

The Archeology Education Project would allow teachers to receive hands-on training at Black Butte Ranch archeological sites under guidance of trained scientists.

The ranch would be a key player in this program along with the High Desert Museum and Oregon State University. Funding for the project would come from private foundation grants.

The National Science Foundation is looking for opportunities to fund projects that promote teaching and learning about science in a hands-on environment.

Nave, who is a Black Butte Ranch resident, is seeking from the BBR Board of Directors authorization of a nonprofit group called "The Black Butte Ranch History and Pre-History Society."

She also wants an okay for the group to raise $16,000 to fund an archeological survey assessing early man's activities and locations in the Black Butte Ranch area.

Under current implementation of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, any land use activities (i.e. building) taking place on land where artifacts are found, must be surveyed by professional archeologists before any work may proceed.

"Why not take this man-date and turn it into an opportunity?" Nave asked.

"Black Butte Ranch offers a truly unique opportunity to study activities of early Americans in a foothill region of the Cascade Mountains," according to Robson Bonnichsen, who is Director, Center for the Study of the First Americans at Oregon State University.

"This region has not been studied in either Oregon or Washington."

Nave has set a time line of 1999-2003 for developing the project.

Over the past two years she has actively organized guest speakers and field trips on historical topics in and around Black Butte Ranch.