Nevadans for Cultural Preservation

Sustaining Site Steward Programs: Insights from 40 Years of the Arizona Model

Sean Hammond
State Coordinator, Arizona Site Steward Program

As the Arizona Site Steward Program (ASSP) celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, it offers valuable insights into program longevity and institutional resilience. Having weathered economic cycles spanning five calendar decades, current Site Steward Programs now face unprecedented hurdles due to federal funding cuts affecting land management partners like the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and even non-profit preservation organizations.

Amidst these funding shifts, the ASSP Foundation, established in 2017, has emerged as a vital pillar and currently serves as the program's primary financial support.  In this presentation, ASSP Coordinator Sean Hammond, now in his eighth year leading the program, will discuss the foundation’s operations, its critical role in supporting the Arizona SSP, and the strategic public outreach initiatives marking this historic 40-year milestone.