1. The Administrator shall, by regulation, establish a stewardship program to:

(a) Protect cultural resources located on public land in this State;

(b) Increase public awareness of the significance and value of cultural resources and the damage done to cultural resources by an act of vandalism;

(c) Discourage acts of vandalism and the unlawful sale and trade of artifacts, including, without limitation, archeological and paleontological materials;

(d) Support and encourage improved standards for investigating and researching cultural resources in this State;

(e) Promote cooperation among governmental agencies, organizations, private industries, Native American tribes and persons who wish to protect cultural resources and enter into agreements with those agencies, organizations, private industries, Native American tribes and persons to promote the protection of cultural resources; and

(f) Increase the inventory of cultural resources maintained pursuant to NRS 383.021.

2. The Administrator shall select, train and certify volunteers to serve in the stewardship program based upon the requirements established by the Administrator.

3. The stewardship program may:

(a) In cooperation with governmental agencies, organizations, private industries, Native American tribes and persons specified in paragraph (e) of subsection 1, submit a proposed list to the Administrator for approval setting forth any sites that are or may include cultural resources located on public land in this State;

(b) Schedule periodic monitoring activities by volunteers of sites included on the list approved pursuant to paragraph (a);

(c) Establish requirements for reporting any act of vandalism to appropriate authorities as determined by the Administrator; and

(d) Establish programs for educating the members of the public concerning the significance and value of cultural resources and the loss to the members of the public resulting from damage to cultural resources.

4. The Administrator shall coordinate the activities of federal agencies, private industries, Native American tribes and state and local governmental agencies, as necessary, to carry out the stewardship program.

5. The Administrator and the Office shall provide administrative services to assist in carrying out the stewardship program.

6. Volunteers selected for the stewardship program serve without compensation and are not entitled to receive any per diem allowance or travel expenses.

7. The Administrator may accept gifts, grants, donations or contributions from any source to assist the Administrator in carrying out the stewardship program.

8. As used in this section, “act of vandalism” means to damage, destroy or commit or threaten to commit any other act that defaces or harms any cultural resources without the consent of the owner or appropriate governmental agency, including, without limitation, inscribing, marking, etching, scratching, drawing, painting on or affixing to the cultural resources any mark, figure or design.

(Added to NRS by 2005, 1575)