B03-01_1282CS18Q0006_QA_Document_04.05.2018.docx

1282CS18Q0006

Class III Cultural Resource Inventories of Sand Bench Spruce Salvage Project and 2-3-2 Landscape areas for Pagosa Ranger District, San Juan National Forest.

Question and Answer Document

Q1. On page 11 of the Scope of Work in DIVISION 160 – Contractor Qualifications, it states, “The Principal Investigator for the project must hold a valid Forest Service Cultural Resource Use Permit for the San Juan National Forest.” After consultation with the Heritage Program Manager, it is our understanding that conducting cultural resources investigations on the San Juan National Forest requires a Non-disturbing Archaeological Special Use Permit for Archaeological Investigations from the Rocky Mountain Region of the National Forest System. Please confirm that the Rocky Mountain Region permit is all that is required.

A1. In addition to the R2 Permit, the following qualifications are required:

The Principal Investigator for the project must hold a valid R2 Forest Service Cultural Resource Use Permit and must have a current curation agreement with the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colorado.

The Crew Chief of each survey crew must have the following minimum qualifications:

· A graduate degree in anthropology, specializing in archaeology, or equivalent archaeological experience.

· Listed as a crew chief on the Principal Investigator’s valid Forest Service Cultural Resource Use Permit.

· At least 16 months of professional experience and/or specialized training in archaeological field work, artifact analysis, and administration.

· At least 6 months experience in archaeological survey or excavation within the southwestern region of Colorado.

· Demonstrated competence in collecting, handling, analyzing, evaluating, and reporting archaeological data.

· Demonstrated ability to plan, equip, staff, organize, and supervise a cultural resources survey.

· Demonstrated ability to accurately plot archaeological site locations on topographic maps and to map sites using GPS.

· Demonstrated competence in identifying and describing artifacts, including identification of prehistoric ceramics found within southwestern Colorado, using published type descriptions.

Each crew member must have the following minimum qualifications:

· At least 24 semester hours of credit in archaeology, anthropology, and/or history courses. Courses must include information on the method and theory of archaeological survey and excavation.

· At least 3 months field experience in archaeological survey. Crew members must work under the direct field supervision of a certified crew leader at all times.

Prior to conducting any fieldwork, the contractor will submit a Fieldwork Authorization Form to the appropriate District Archaeologist and discuss any special conditions that may apply to this project.

Q2. On page 15 of the Scope of Work, in DIVISION 200 – Technical Specifications, “limited testing (shovel or trowel)” is required. If artifacts are recovered during shovel/trowel testing, how should they be treated following in-field analysis? Is the contractor expected to collect these artifacts and provide for curation or can they be reburied during backfilling of the test locations?

A2. As a minimum the contractor shall perform the following:

1. The contractor shall not collect any artifacts with the exception of Paleoindian projectile points and exceptional artifacts that are at risk and cannot be reasonably protected in the field. These exceptional artifacts may include exposed fragile perishable materials at risk of being destroyed or extremely significant diagnostic artifacts that are in immediate danger of being looted. All other analysis shall be done in the field.

2. Ceramic Analyses: In-field analysis of ceramic materials will be done using standard regional published typologies in order to assign cultural affiliation and occupation dates, unless such artifacts are at risk as described above.

(Additional commentary and background about questions 3 and 4) In reviewing the scope of work in the RFP for solicitation number 1282CS18Q0006, we've noted in the Exclusions paragraph (on pg 14) of section 210 that "It is not necessary to fully document features such as dirt roads, stock ponds, soil berms, fence lines, small irrigation ditches, pastures, or fields unless they are part of a larger site, are known to be significant, or are named (based on field or archival evidence)." However, in Additional Documentation Provisions, item 7 on page 15 states that "Historic trails will be documented as such on official OAHP linear site forms."

We've looked at the quads indicated on the project maps included with the RFP and note that of the six, only one is historic (older than 50 years). The project maps in the RFP show that there are numerous two-tracks within and forming the boundaries of the proposed inventory areas. Some of these show up on the actual USGS quadrangle, others do not.

The reason we ask is that there are many, many two tracks shown in the inventory areas on the RFP's project maps. If archival research shows that even some of them existed prior to 1968, it will be a significant task to record them all, adding to the time and cost required to successfully complete the project.

A. For the above statement and Q3 and Q4:

If historic roads are identified during the course of a normal literature search which would include review of existing site records at the FS District Office and the SHPO Office; a review of the GLO records; and review of USGS Quad Topo maps as having been previously recorded; or are named on the historic GLO records and topo maps; or are found during the record search or during field survey to be associated with a larger site (for example a fence associated with a homestead property), then that resource would be documented on appropriate site forms.

Q3. For the two-tracks on the one historic quadrangle, will we need to record the two-tracks that fall within or form a boundary of the inventory blocks, or do they fall under that exclusion? To our knowledge, none of them are named.

Unless the two-track road meets the above listed criteria, it would not require recording.

Q4. For two-tracks on the other five quads (dated 1973 or 1984) that fall within the inventory areas, do we need to look back at archival sources (historic USGS maps, GLOs, etc.) to see if they are in fact historic, and if they are, do we need to record them as linear resources? Or would they, too, fall under the exclusion as long as they are not named or known to be significant?

You need to check the sources listed in the answer above.