National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Paleontological Resources Management Plan (Public Version) Natural Resource Report NPS/AGFO/NRR—2020/2172 ON THE COVER A cast skeleton of Daeodon, standing over a cast skeleton of Moropus, on display at the AGFO Visitor Center. NPS Photo. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Paleontological Resources Management Plan (Public Version) Natural Resource Report NPS/AGFO/NRR—2020/2172 Scott Kottkamp1, Vincent L. Santucci2, Justin S. Tweet3, Jessica De Smet4, and Ellen Starck5 1Agate Fossil Beds National Monument 301 River Road Harrison, Nebraska 69346 2National Park Service Geologic Resources Division 1849 “C” Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20240 3National Park Service 9149 79th St. S. Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 4University of Oregon Hopkins/Davis Lab Eugene, Oregon 97403 5Badlands National Park 25216 Ben Reifel Road Interior, South Dakota 57750 September 2020 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from the Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. If you have difficulty accessing information in this publication, particularly if using assistive technology, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Kottkamp, S., V. L. Santucci, J. S. Tweet, J. De Smet, and E. Starck. 2020. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument: Paleontological resources management plan (public version). Natural Resource Report NPS/AGFO/NRR—2020/2172. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2278685. NPS 165/173719, September 2020 ii Contents Page Figures................................................................................................................................................... ix Tables .................................................................................................................................................... ix Photographs ........................................................................................................................................... xi Appendices ..........................................................................................................................................xiii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. xv Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................. xvii Dedication ........................................................................................................................................... xix Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Significance of Paleontological Resources at AGFO ..................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................... 1 Project Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 3 Legal Authorities ............................................................................................................................ 4 American Antiquities Act of 1906 ............................................................................................ 4 NPS Organic Act of 1916 .......................................................................................................... 4 Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 ..................................................... 4 Federal Cave Resources Protection Act (FCRPA) of 1988 ....................................................... 5 National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998 .................................................................. 5 Assessment of Fossil Management on Federal and Indian Lands, A Report to Congress by the Secretary of the Interior (May 2000) .............................................................. 5 Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 (HR 146 & PL 111-11): Subtitle D – Paleontological Resources Preservation (October 2nd 2009) ..................................................... 6 NPS Regulations ........................................................................................................................ 7 NPS Management Policies (2006) ............................................................................................. 8 NPS Director’s Order 77 ......................................................................................................... 10 Background Geology and Paleontology .............................................................................................. 11 Overview of Paleontological Resources and Localities at AGFO ............................................... 11 iii Contents (continued) Page Stratigraphy .................................................................................................................................. 12 Stratigraphic Columns, Cross Sections and “Type Sections” ................................................. 13 Sharps Formation..................................................................................................................... 14 Harrison Formation ................................................................................................................. 15 Anderson Ranch Formation ..................................................................................................... 16 Runningwater Formation ......................................................................................................... 18 Quaternary Deposits ................................................................................................................ 19 Geologic Maps.............................................................................................................................. 19 Paleontological Resource Sensitivity Maps ............................................................................ 19 AGFO Park Atlas .................................................................................................................... 19 History of Paleontological Work at AGFO .................................................................................. 21 Current Hypothesis on Origin of AGFO Bonebed ....................................................................... 22 North American Land Mammal Ages .......................................................................................... 25 AGFO’s Role in Defining the Arikareean NALMA and Miocene Epoch .............................. 25 Paleontological Resources Management ............................................................................................. 29 Strategic Goals Relating to Paleontological Resources ................................................................ 29 Resource Preservation and Curation ....................................................................................... 29 Supporting and Overseeing Scientific Inquiry ........................................................................ 30 Public Education and Interpretation ........................................................................................ 31 Paleontological Resource Inventories .......................................................................................... 31 When Are Specimens Collected During Inventory? ............................................................... 33 Documenting and Numbering New Fossil Localities.............................................................