Documenting Cultural Resources
As required by the National Historic Preservation Act, the Idaho SHPO maintains a statewide inventory of historic properties through the Idaho Cultural Resources Information System (ICRIS). This system contains over 103,000 resources—including buildings, sites, districts, structures, objects, and archaeological sites—helping us preserve and understand Idaho’s heritage.
As stewards of Idaho’s statewide inventory in ICRIS, the Idaho SHPO ensures cultural resource data is managed to national standards. Our work follows the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation and related National Park Service (NPS) directives. These guidelines define how surveys are conducted, how resource records are created and updated, and how reports are submitted—helping ensure consistent, high-quality documentation of Idaho’s historic and archaeological resources.
This website offers guidelines and resources for documenting cultural resources across the state.
Contact
(208) 334-3861
FAQ
Resources previously recorded in other formats must be updated in ICRIS upon re-visitation or if the resource will be adversely affected by the project. After which, resources must be updated after 10 years or before if changes to a resource have occurred upon re-visitation.
Persons or organizations proposing to undertake excavations in or on any prehistoric site, ruins, pictographs, petroglyphs, or any other ancient writing, or in or on any archaeological deposit or site within lands owned by the State of Idaho shall apply in writing to the State Archaeologist for an excavation permit. Permits shall be issued only to applicants who are qualified by experience or professional training to conduct such excavations in an approved scientific manner (Idaho Code § 67-4120).