The job Lynne Sebastian held for twelve years, State Historic Preservation Officer, is, no doubt about it, a politically difficult job. State SHPOs are hired under the auspices of the National Historic Preservation Act. Under these sets of rules, the SHPO has the responsibility to administer a state-wide historic preservation program; direct and conduct a comprehensive statewide survey of historic properties; identify and nominate eligible properties to the National Register of Historic Places; administer the State program of Federal assistance for historic preservation within the State; advise and assist Federal and State agencies and local governments in carrying out their historic preservation responsibilities; assist in ensuring that historic properties are taken into consideration at all levels of planning and development; provide public information, education and training, and technical assistance in historic preservation; and consult with the appropriate Federal agencies on undertakings that may affect historical properties; and the content and sufficiency of any plans developed to protect, manage, or to reduce or mitigate harm to such properties.

The most politically difficult jobs the SHPO performs fall under Section 106 of the NHPA, which requires Federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic properties, as well as any state laws protecting cultural resources or permits that the SHPO administers. But every day she walks the line between development and preservation, every day she makes decisions concerning the preservation of cultural resources over federal and state construction projects. Every day.

You can see why she might make enemies, and you can see how some of these enemies might be powerful enemies, business men with a history of financial support of New Mexico politicians.

Now, if you're like me, sitting at least 1,000 miles away from Albuquerque, you may be wondering what this has to do with you. The firing of Lynne Sebastian is symptomatic of the development/preservation struggles that are going on throughout the world today. Regardless of who actually fired her, the fact that neither the governor nor her immediate boss is fighting for her points up the political expediency of--and the lack of substance to--her removal. The fact that someone who has spent 12 years of her life working toward the preservation of archaeological resources, and doing, by all accounts, an excellent job has through no fault of her own become a political football, should be a chilling reminder of how little regard our elected officials have for our cultural heritage.

New Mexico has some of the most beautiful and important archaeological resources of the North American continent. Too bad there are weasels in the state house.