Notice2025-15399
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca, NV
Primary source
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Published
August 14, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) intends to carry out the disposition of human remains removed from Federal or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization with priority for disposition in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39212-39213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15399]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6409; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040803; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca, NV
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) intends to carry out the disposition of human
remains removed from Federal or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants,
Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization with priority for
disposition in this notice.
DATES: Disposition of the human remains in this notice may occur on or
after September 15, 2025. If no claim for disposition is received by
August 14, 2026, the human remains in this notice will become unclaimed
human remains.
ADDRESSES: Send written claims for disposition of the human remains in
this notice to Erin Gillett, Bureau of Land Management, 5100 E
Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, NV 89445, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5b3e3f3c3237373e2f2f1b393736753c342d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="21444546484d4d44555561434d4c0f464e57">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA.
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the
BLM and additional information on the human remains in this notice,
including the results of consultation, can be found in the related
records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the
identifications in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified. On July 17, 2004
at approximately 1300 hrs. a member of the public was camping in the
vicinity of Lost Creek Road in Washoe County (original report had a
clerical error of ``Lone Creek Road''). As the individual was walking
along a dry creek bed, they noticed a white object embedded in the
sand. The individual returned and used a shovel to move the sand and
observed human skeletal remains. After discovery, they left the remains
and returned home.
On July 20, 2004, the individual returned to the location with
family members and called the Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) to
report the discovered remains. Sergeant Peterson of Search and Rescue
was notified of the remains at approximately 1130 hrs. Sgt. Peterson
contacted Deputy Tracy Bloom of the WCSO Gerlach substation. At 1300
hrs. Deputy Bloom and Deputy Phil Condon arrived at the location and
secured the area.
Investigator/Deputy Washoe County Coroner Marika Morris was
notified of the remains at 1340 hrs. and arrived at the location at
1620 hrs. Detective Kathleen Bishop and FIS Investigators Dean Kaumans
and Shane Billau also arrived at the location.
During investigation a skull was found partially buried in sand
with the exposed right side exhibiting fracturing. The site was
excavated by Dean Kaumans and Shane Billau. Upon excavation, a skull,
lower jaw, various long bones, ribs and phalangeal bones were
recovered. The remains were removed from their position in a block of
sand at approximately 2100hrs. and wrapped in black plastic. The
excavated sand was sifted, and various bone fragments and teeth were
recovered.
The remains were transported by Deputy Coroner Marika Morris to the
Washoe County Coroner's Office under WCSO Case #04-8364. The remains
were examined on July 21, 2004 by Alane Olson, M.D.
Dr. Olson's opinions of the remains were that they appear to be
those of an indigenous young female. No cultural affiliation of these
ancestral remains were determined at that time. Dr. Olson recommended
that examination by a qualified anthropologist was warranted.
On October 5, 2004, Vernon McCarty the Washoe County Coroner, after
finding that no party was available to take custody of the remains,
released them to California State University, Chico for anatomic
donation.
In 2022 California State University, Chico, notified the Winnemucca
District Office (WDO) that the recovered ancestral remains had
unknowingly been located on BLM managed lands and that they intended to
transfer custody back to the BLM. Following the chain of custody, WCSO
passed custody of these ancestral remains to the BLM on April 5, 2022.
Determinations
The BLM has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The Alturas Indian Rancheria, California; Big Pine Paiute
Tribe of the Owens Valley; Bishop Paiute Tribe; Bridgeport Indian
Colony; Burns Paiute Tribe; Cedarville Rancheria, California;
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; Fort
Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of California;
Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort
Independence Reservation, California; Fort McDermitt Paiute and
Shoshone Tribes of the Fort
[[Page 39213]]
McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Klamath Tribes; Lone
Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock
Indian Colony, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation
and Colony, Nevada; Pit River Tribe, California (includes XL Ranch, Big
Bend, Likely, Lookout, Montgomery Creek, and Roaring Creek Rancherias);
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada;
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck
Valley Reservation, Nevada; Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada;
Susanville Indian Rancheria, California; Te-Moak Tribe of Western
Shoshone Indians of Nevada (Four constituent bands: Battle Mountain
Band; Elko Band; South Fork Band; and Wells Band); Utu Utu Gwaitu
Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation, California; Walker River
Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada; Winnemucca Indian
Colony of Nevada; Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony &
Campbell Ranch, Nevada; and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba
Reservation, Nevada have priority for disposition of the human remains
described in this notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains in this notice
must be sent to the appropriate official identified in this notice
under ADDRESSES. If no claim for disposition is received by August 14,
2026, the human remains in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains. Claims for disposition may be submitted by:
1. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice who shows that they have
priority for disposition.
Disposition of the human remains in this notice may occur on or
after September 15, 2025. If competing claims for disposition are
received, the BLM must determine the most appropriate claimant prior to
disposition. Claims for joint disposition of the human remains are
considered a single claim and not competing claims. The BLM is
responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the lineal
descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice and to any other consulting parties.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3002, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.7.
Dated: July 31, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-15399 Filed 8-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 14, 2025.
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