ABOUT us
Cultural Resource Management is essential for protecting our heritage by preserving sacred sites, overseeing development, and guaranteeing ethical returns to the indigenous communities from which they originate.
Situated on California's Central Coast, A and G Consulting is proudly owned and operated by descendants of the area's native populations. Our commitment lies in navigating these sensitive processes while dedicating a portion of our earnings to support local indigenous communities and native organizations.
State and federal Legislation
Understanding CEQA and AB52
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public Resources Code section 21000 et seq.
Assembly Bill 52, which became effective on July 1, 2015, revised several portions of California’s Public Resources Code to broaden the requirements for tribal consultation and to provide a more formal structure for California’s tribes to provide meaningful input to protect their cultural heritage during the CEQA process.
California Public Resources Code section 21084.2 now establishes that “a project with an effect that may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a tribal cultural resource is a project that may have a significant effect on the environment.” Lead agencies are required to avoid damaging effects to any tribal cultural resource when feasible. This requires lead agencies to begin consultation with California Native American tribes that are traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area of the proposed project prior to the release of a negative declaration (ND), mitigated negative declaration (MND), or environmental impact report (EIR) for a project.
AB (Assembly Bill) 52 also broadly defined the “California Native American Tribe.” Federal statutes aimed at protecting cultural resources often limit the definition of “Indian Tribes” to include only those federally recognized. AB52 is inclusive of state recognition.
Graves Protection and Repatriation
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) (25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) is a U.S. federal law requiring institutions receiving federal funds, such as museums and universities, to return Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated tribes. It mandates consultation with tribes and covers items excavated on federal or tribal lands.
The California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (CalNAGPRA) of 2001, strengthened by AB 275 in 2020, mandates that state agencies and museums receiving state funds identify and repatriate Native American human remains and cultural items. It works with federal NAGPRA to include non-federally recognized tribes and elevate tribal traditional knowledge.