Notice2025-23341
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, Phoenix, AZ
Primary source
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Published
December 19, 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 Agriculture, Forest Service, Tonto National Forest intends to carry out the disposition of human remains and associated funerary objects 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 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59538-59539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23341]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6768; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041535; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, Phoenix, AZ
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 Agriculture, Forest
Service, Tonto National Forest intends to carry out the disposition of
human remains and associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects
in this notice may occur on or after January 20, 2026. If no claim for
disposition is received by December 21, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects.
ADDRESSES: Send written claims for disposition of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice to Forest Supervisor Robert
Trujillo, Tonto National Forest Supervisor's Office, 2324 E McDowell
Road, Phoenix, AZ 85006, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e7c616c6b7c7a207a7c7b64676262614e7b7d6a6f20696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c3b1aca1a6b1b7edb7b1b6a9aaafafac83b6b0a7a2eda4acb5">[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
Tonto National Forest, and additional information on the human remains
and associated funerary objects 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, 77 individuals have been reasonably identified. The 25
associated funerary objects are one partial Salado Red Corrugated jar,
one lot of sherds comprising one Salado Red jar, one lot of burned
Tonto Red sherds, one lot of decorated ceramic sherds, eight lots of
plainware and redware ceramic sherds,
[[Page 59539]]
six lots of lithics and lithic debitage, one complete ground stone,
five ground stone fragments, and a piece of marine shell. These human
remains and associated funerary objects were recovered in spring and
summer 2025 from 17 archaeological sites (AR-03-12-06-324, AR-03-12-06-
332, AR-03-12-06-357, AR-03-12-06-430, AR-03-12-06-714, AR-03-12-06-
741, AR-03-12-06-753/755, AR-03-12-06-763, AR-03-12-06-773, AR-03-12-
06-779, AR-03-12-06-811, AR-03-12-06-1056/1057, AR-03-12-06-3280, AR-
03-12-06-3281, AR-03-12-06-3347, AR-03-12-06-3361, and AR-03-12-06-
3363) within the ``Orange Peel Fuel Break'' project area in Tonto
Basin, Gila County, Arizona.
Determinations
The Tonto National Forest has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 77 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 25 objects or lots of objects described in this notice
are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or near
individual human remains at the time of death or later as part of the
death rite or ceremony.
<bullet> The Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community
of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of Arizona;
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River
Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; and the Zuni
Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico have priority for disposition
of the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this
notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains and associated
funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the appropriate
official identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. If no claim for
disposition is received by December 21, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects. 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 and associated funerary objects in
this notice may occur on or after January 20, 2026. If competing claims
for disposition are received, the Tonto National Forest must determine
the most appropriate claimant prior to disposition. Claims for joint
disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects are
considered a single claim and not competing claims. The Tonto National
Forest 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: December 4, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23341 Filed 12-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 19, 2025.
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