The Legislative Assembly hereby declares that:
(1) Archaeological sites are acknowledged to be a finite, irreplaceable and nonrenewable cultural resource, and are an intrinsic part of the cultural heritage of the people of Oregon. As such, archaeological sites and their contents located on public land are under the stewardship of the people of Oregon to be protected and managed in perpetuity by the state as a public trust.(2) The State of Oregon shall preserve and protect the cultural heritage of this state embodied in objects and sites that are of archaeological significance. 1983 c.620 §2; 1993 c.459 §2