U.S. Forest Service Archeologist Scott Ashcraft sent a letter that “thousands of acres” of national forest land are being improperly developed or part of prescribed burns when the land should be protected because of its archaeological significance.

In the letter, Ashcraft says that since 2020, he has witnessed “and tried to stop a pervasive, systematic, and escalating pattern of illegal, unethical, and irresponsible behavior by the Forest Service in North Carolina.”

“These actions are irreparably damaging or destroying an untold sum of Native American cultural and archeological sites including some of great significance. This conduct continues to this day,” Ashcraft said in the letter.

He explained that he filed a whistleblower report in May 2023 but said he hasn’t seen any change. “In fact they are getting worse,” he wrote.

“A culture of complicit impunity and malicious retaliation, lawlessness, deception and a general abdication of our basic duty to steward cultural resources has left me with no choice but to escalate this matter to your attention,” Ashcraft said in the letter.

Ashcraft said his title is Heritage Resources Program Manager, Archaeologist and Rock Art Specialist at the Pisgah National Forest in his letter addressed to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, N.C. Governor Roy Cooper, Members of Congress and others.

Ashcraft specifically called out several projects in Western North Carolina that he says “contain a...

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