Activating Legal Protections for Archaeological Remains of Historic Chinatown Sites -- Lessons Learned from Oakland, California

While state law protects archaeological resources, a major redevelopment project planned for the site of one of Oakland's earliest Chinatowns showed community members they had to struggle to get the developer to meet their legal obligations. This paper discusses a few of the lessons learned in activating legal protections for unique and significant archaeological sites.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) not only protects historic buildings and landscapes, it protects unique and significant archaeological remains. ...

Includes the redevelopment project-specific conditions of approval related to potential archaeological resources adopted by Oakland City Council upon certification of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).