PIT's Purpose - Passport in Time

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About
PIT's Purpose

Passport in Time (PIT) is a volunteer cultural heritage resources program sponsored by the US Forest Service, and which now includes such partners as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), some State Parks and work with Historicorps. PIT volunteers work with professional archaeologists and historians on public lands throughout the U.S. on such diverse activities as archaeological survey and excavation, rock art restoration, archival research, historic structure restoration, oral history gathering, and analysis and curation of artifacts. The professional staff of archaeologista, historians, and preservation specialists will be your hosts, guides, and co-workers.



Over the years, volunteers have helped us stabilize ancient cliff dwellings in New Mexico, excavate a 10,000-year-old village site in Minnesota, restore a historic lookout tower in Oregon, clean vandalized rock art in Colorado, survey for sites in a rugged Montana wilderness, and excavate a 19th-century Chinese mining site in Hell's Canyon in Idaho.

Many projects involve backcountry camping where you are responsible for your own food and gear. Others include meals prepared by a "camp cook," often for a small fee. Still others provide hookups for RVs, or volunteers may stay at local hotels and travel to the site each day. The projects vary in length from two days to two weeks or longer. Please note: several publications have been introduced on the market that portray PIT as a "free vacation" program. If you have been directed to this site by one of these publications, please be aware that we have been misrepresented. While there is no fee to participate, you must get yourself to the project, and accommodations and amenities may vary. No project provides travel, per diem, or monetary allotments for lodging and associated expenses. Every project does take you to wonderful locations around the country that all offer a variety of recreational opportunities for you to take advantage of during your "off hours" though! 

New PIT volunteers receive a "Passport' and a PIT Passport number. Each time a volunteer visits a project, the project leader stamps the volunteer's passport and documents their hours. Volunteers for multiple projects can fill up their passports with stamps from all over the country! We have also been granted the ability to give out the America the Beautiful passes to all volunteers who accumulate 250 hours per calendar year. Great work to all who have already received theirs to date - keep the hours coming in for your next pass!
 
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