The four National Forests of southern California have changed from token archaeological programs to staffing archaeological positions and providing protection for selected archaeological resources. Research issues are overshadowed by management and funding necessary to protect sensitive archaeological resources. Programs for archaeological site evaluations are uneven across the Forests and are not unified by any common research orientation. A review of Forest Service archaeology in southern California from 1970 to 1990 is provided with a discussion of the goals of the 1990s.