Safeguarding 3.2 Million Acres of History
Katherine Gendron (’20, Archaeology) is the lead archaeologist for the Bureau of Land Management’s Lakeview Field Office in Oregon, where she oversees cultural resources across roughly 3.2 million acres of public land in the eastern part of the state, an area defined by juniper forests, basalt canyons, and wide stretches of untouched high-desert habitat.
“Any project proposed on these public lands that involves new ground disturbance has to be reviewed through our cultural resources office,” Gendron explains. “We work on everything from vegetation treatments to grazing permits to road improvements.” She conducts on-the-ground assessments and evaluates each area from archaeological, paleontological, and cultural perspectives.
“I’m also the lead paleontologist,” she adds. “Most projects that require archaeological review have a paleontology component, and I also serve as the tribal liaison for the office. I wear a lot of hats.”
If Gendron identifies archaeological materials that require protection, she ensures they remain undisturbed. “We leave everything in situ; we don’t collect. Instead, we document, map, and create protective buffer zones where no work can occur. In Oregon, surface collection of archaeological items on public land is not permitted.”
She laughs as she adds, “The term ‘flag and avoid’ is engraved on my heart.”
Field work remains her favorite part of the job. “Eastern Oregon is a place of hidden wonder,” she says. “You’ll come across incredible rock art panels carved into basalt thousands of years ago. You stand there thinking, ‘Am I the first person to see this in those thousand years besides the wildlife?’ It’s surreal.”
Gendron also highlights the meaningful relationships she’s built with local Tribal nations. “We’re actively working on repatriation efforts,” she says. “Hearing from Tribal members, thanking us for bringing their ancestors home after so long, means everything.”
Top: Gendron places a flag on the site of a 1973 U.S. Navy plane crash near Summer Lake, Oregon, to commemorate Memorial Day.
