A04_-_Class_III_CRI_SOW_STR_AML_2024.docx

United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Western Montana District – Dillon Field Office

SOUTH TOBACCO ROOTS ABANDONED MINE LANDS RECLAMATION

SECTION 106 CLASS III CULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY,

MADISON COUNTY

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. Introduction and Project Location:

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Dillon Field Office (DFO) is soliciting quotes for a Class III Cultural Resources Inventory of 739 acres of land in Madison County, Montana. The DFO is planning to mitigate physical safety hazards of abandoned mines on public lands. The BLM plans to secure these openings with gates, grates, or other devices and some openings may be backfilled with rock/sediment or polyurethane foam. The inventory includes approximately 106 abandoned mine lands (AML) features representing at least 7 historic mine sites in 30 discontinuous survey units. The inventory will include site documentation, National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) evaluation, and assessment of historic mine sites.

The inventory area is near Twin Bridges and Alder, Montana on BLM-managed public lands. It is accessible by county-maintained gravel roads and open public roads (two-track). A four-wheel drive vehicle or utility terrain vehicle (UTV) is mandatory for accessing the steep, rocky terrain. BLM will help coordinate access with private landowners for units that require travel through private lands.

The project is in:

Township 3S Range 5W Sections 3, 15, 28, 34, 35 Township 4S Range 4W Section 17, 18, 20, 32, 33 Township 4S Range 4W Section 7 Township 4S Range 5W Section 2, 12 Township 5S Range 3W Sections 25, 30 Township 5S Range 4W Section 1, 3, 5, 12, 14, 24 Township 6S Range 3W Sections 3, 4, 9, A general project location map is attached.

The BLM is required to identify, evaluate, and protect historic properties on public lands under its jurisdiction; and to ensure that BLM initiated, or BLM authorized actions do not inadvertently harm or destroy historic properties. These requirements are mandated by the National Historic Preservation Act and related regulations found at 36 CFR Part 800.

II. Specific Background:

A Class III Cultural Resources Inventory is a professionally conducted, continuous, intensive pedestrian survey of an entire target area aimed at locating and recording all cultural properties that have surface and exposed-profile indications. Artificial exposure of the subsurface (metal detecting, auger probing or cursory shovel probing/testing) is sometimes a necessary part of Class III surveys and should be included in identification efforts if ground/surface visibility is completely obscured by heavy vegetation cover. The main objectives of the survey are to discover all cultural resources in a project area, evaluate the cultural resources for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility, and provide recommendations for determinations of effect and management specific to the planned closure of abandoned mine land features.

The Tidal Wave, Sheridan and Virginia City Mining Districts are some of the earliest lode mining and milling areas in western Montana, although most records of production are post-1900s. There have been a few previous cultural resource surveys done and several sites have been recorded in the inventory area. The following table lists known sites that will require site form updates:

III. Objectives:

A. General Bureau Objective.

1. The overall Bureau objective is to meet the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act by identifying, documenting, and evaluating historic properties that have the potential to be either directly or indirectly affected by the proposed project. These requirements will be met in accordance with the requirements for a Class III Inventory as outlined in the BLM-Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota Handbook H-8110-1 Guidelines for Identifying Cultural Resources and Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) guidance.

B. Specific Study Objectives.

1. To identify and evaluate, based primarily on surface indications, all cultural resources located on lands identified for survey within the project area. In general, site evaluations should be conducted using existing guidance from the Montana SHPO, the National Register Criteria (36 CFR 60.4), and the National Park Service National Register Bulletins.

IV. Statement of Work:

A. The Contractor shall conduct a site file and literature search with the Montana SHPO in Helena, Montana and contact the BLM Dillon Field Office Archaeologist for additional resources. The purpose of this file search is to ensure that the Contractor is familiar with all previous work conducted in the general area of the project. This information will be a necessary component of the inventory report.

B. The Contractor shall perform an on-the-ground search for all cultural resources located for the project units after obtaining a field work authorization from the BLM Dillon Field Office. The Contractor shall serve as the Principal Investigator and Field Director of an inventory crew charged with identifying and evaluating cultural resources located in the project area; and with writing an inventory report upon completion of field work.

C. Formal testing will not be conducted; however, limited shovel testing or metal detecting, at the discretion of the field director, may be performed to establish potential for site deposition, site boundaries, or significance. If historic period architectural structures or remains are located the contractor is expected to conduct a land title examination as part of the site identification and evaluation effort.

D. The Contractor shall employ the Montana SHPO criteria for minimum site definition; i.e., an archaeological or historical site consists of any feature alone or in association with other features (cairns, stone rings) or five or more artifacts situated in a discrete location within 50 meters of each other and/or artifacts or features located more than 100 meters from each other but in obvious association. Sites may also include locations which contain no physical evidence but are important for their associations with the traditions of a group, ethnic community, or Indian Tribe; e.g., National Register Bulletin 38. Linear cultural resources (ie. historic roads) shall be recorded in their entirety (albeit only field checked for the portion of the linear site within project boundaries). Site update forms will be completed for all sites with Smithsonian numbers including previously documented sites that are not relocated. Isolated features, such as historic mining prospect pits or claim markers, shall be recorded as a site. Isolated finds are classified as any cultural artifact that is not a site and examples include a single projectile point, a few lithic flakes, or a bottle smash.

E. The Contractor shall:

1. Cover the area to be inventoried on foot by employing standard survey methodology. Parcel boundaries are drawn around known mine sites and AML features with a small buffer between features and parcel boundaries. All cultural features and/or artifacts should be identified within each parcel boundary. Steep landforms should be inspected for the possibility of historic mining features.

2. Identify from all surface and exposed indications all cultural properties or materials. A datum will be established at each site location from which all features and artifact concentrations will be sketched for the site map. Datums shall be natural features.

3. Locate each cultural resource on a United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5' quadrangle topographic map that is 1:24,000 scale. Show only the cultural resource on the map (do not show all the sites recorded for the project or the boundary of the inventory area). Follow MT SHPO guidance for site maps and photos: https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/docs/Photo_Map_Attachments.pdf.

4. Record all cultural properties, including previously recorded sites, on site or isolated find forms using the 2022 MT SHPO Cultural Site Record forms (https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/Forms). The Contractor will use professional judgement with a clear rationale how mining features are recorded as part of a site update or as a new site. Site boundaries for previously recorded sites may need to be adjusted (smaller or larger). Any site boundary adjustments need to be fully documented with an explanation. Site recordation and evaluation may require that historic mining features outside of the survey units are included and it is expected that the contractor will make the effort to record the entirety of the site. On-the-ground recording of historic features located on patented mining claims/private lands is outside the scope of the contract; however, efforts to document these features through aerial imagery or other means is expected to fully evaluate and assess the site for NRHP eligibility.

For isolated finds, include both photographs of the artifact(s) and overview showing the landscape of where artifact was found.

5. Take at least four photographs of each site recorded and of each survey unit (from each cardinal direction). Noticeable changes in geography dictate that at least one photo of each land type within the unit should be included. Standing historic structures shall be photographed on all sides/elevations to illustrate architectural features. Label all photos with a description, date/time, and orientation. A photographic record shall be maintained and included in the final submission. Follow MT SHPO guidance for site maps and photos: https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/docs/Photo_Map_Attachments.pdf.

6. Prepare scale maps of all sites based on the location of the site datum and include topographic contour lines, cultural features, basic site contents, locations of all collected artifacts, and site boundaries. How site boundaries were determined should be fully explained in the site record and report (ie. topography, distribution of site features/artifacts, and/or specific distance from site constituents). Use of digital aerial photographs zoomed in to show the site is not acceptable when the details of the maps are pixelated and no longer identifiable. While it is not necessary to map all artifacts, indicate areas of artifact concentration. All historic period Euro-American standing structures and mining features; e.g., cabins, barns, adits, etc., shall be mapped in feet. Plot each individual features, diagnostic artifact and site boundary using a GPS unit or field computer with one-meter GPS accuracy. Note the type of GPS equipment and level of accuracy employed. Follow MT SHPO guidance for site maps and photos: https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/docs/Photo_Map_Attachments.pdf.

7. The Contractor shall obtain Smithsonian Numbers from the Montana SHPO for all cultural resources not previously assigned such numbers. The BLM will review all site forms for adequacy prior to the submission to the SHPO for site numbers. The Contractor is responsible for addressing SHPO comments on site forms. The Contractor shall consult with the BLM Archaeologist and Montana SHPO before combining sites with different Smithsonian Numbers, to assure that the appropriate Smithsonian Number is applied.

F. Collections. In general, collection of artifacts is discouraged. However, should culturally diagnostic or unusual artifacts be collected, the following procedures should be followed:

1. Collections shall be labeled and catalogued, using BLM catalog cards, and shall be processed in accordance with Billings Curation Center packaging standards (forms and packaging requirements are available from the Billings Curation Center).

2. All collections belong to the United States Government and will be delivered directly to the Billings Curation Center by the contractor as part of submitting the final inventory report.

G. Methodologies.

The Contractor shall determine the methods and techniques necessary for completion of this study. The proposed work plan including proposed schedule of work to be completed and the use of qualified personnel in each stage of the project should be included in the quote. The Contractor shall conduct the work according to the proposed work plan and procedures so specified. Survey methodology or avoidance of those areas with greater than a 30-degree slope needs to be addressed in the work plan and the inventory report. In all cases, coverage must be thorough.

H. Specifications and Standards.

1. Inventory guidelines and standards for BLM generated cultural resource investigations can be found in BLM's Guidelines for Identifying Cultural Resources (H-8110-1). The Handbook is available upon request to the Montana State Office, Billings, Montana. Additional requirements for the recordation of tipi rings are described in the Handbook and SHPO guidance. Investigators must record the GPS locations of each corner of the unit before they begin the inventory. This information shall be included in the unit summaries.

2. Additional guidance can be found on the Montana State Historic Preservation Office website: http://mhs.mt.gov/shpo/.

3. The BLM DFO Archaeologist and/or BLM DFO Geologist may accompany the inventory crew during survey.

I. Analysis and Report Preparation.

1. Upon completion of the Class III Cultural Resource Inventory; prepare a professional quality report, addressing the general categories outlined below:

a. Title Sheet. Signed by the Principal Investigator.

b. Abstract. Provide a 250-word or less abstract of the report. The abstract must outline the report contents and refer to specific highlights from the narrative.

c. Table of Contents. Provide a complete inventory of report contents.

d. Introduction. Provide an overview of the project including its purpose. Identify the units inventoried for this project, by legal description in table form.

e. Literature Search. Provide a brief but complete discussion on the work that has been conducted in the project area.

f. Environmental and Cultural Setting. Provide a brief but complete overview of the environment in which the survey units are located. In addition, discuss the cultural setting, again briefly, including both the pre-contact and historic periods.

h. Methodology. Provide a summary of the methodology used, including names of field personnel, dates the fieldwork was conducted and field conditions (weather, ground survey coverage).

g. Inventory Results. Provide a summary description of each cultural resource recorded that is narrative in nature and illustrates the environmental and cultural constituents of the site (refrain from simply rehashing the site data in a list format). Include photographs of cultural properties located during the surveys. Use other graphics and tables as appropriate. Note any issues connected with the property's recordation. If a site boundary extends outside of the project boundaries, the site will be recorded in its entirety if on public lands or if on private lands where landowner permission is obtained. If the site extends onto private property and landowner permission is not obtained, then other methods (ie. aerial photography) to document the site will be used, if possible.

Indicate results from evaluation of eligibility and determinations of effect (36 CFR 800.9). Measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effect findings shall be identified in the inventory report and treated as recommendations to the BLM DFO.

Evaluate each cultural resource for its eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) using guidance found in National Registers Bulletin 15. Contractor shall use an appropriate "Context" in which to evaluate historic properties and shall employ the National Register Criteria (describing both significance and integrity) in those evaluations. The report should clearly identify the approach that is being taken to determine the significance of historic properties. This evaluation design should be reflective of the “Context” and cultural setting of the area. Contractor shall clearly describe the rationale used to determine which sites are eligible, unevaluated, and not eligible and how the AML feature is either contributing or non-contributing to site eligibility.

To determine if a site possesses Criterion D values, it must be able to contribute to the theoretical and substantive knowledge of archaeology. A justification of eligibility under this value, should clearly state which research issues can be addressed by investigation of the site, especially through reference to existing historic context documents; and it should outline the most pertinent methods of analysis, comparison, and synthesis of archaeological and archival materials.

h. Summary and Recommendations. Discuss the results of the inventory in summary form. Include the following information in one table:

i. Identify the sites recorded, including the name of the mine and AML feature number.

ii. Identify the NRHP evaluation (ie. Eligible Criterion D/Not Eligible/Unevaluated), determinations of effect and measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effect findings for each site. The Contractor shall make recommendations regarding the effect of the proposed remediation action for each AML feature and site.

i. References Cited. Include a list of all sources cited in report.

j. Appendices. Provide an appendix to incorporate typed site and isolated find forms, copies of USGS maps with the depicted units, and photographs of individual units.

k. Maps and Graphics. Provide appropriate maps, tables, and graphics necessary to support the report narrative. Maps, graphics, and photos in all copies of reports must show the same degree of detail as the electronic images.

V. Health and Safety Concerns:

The Field Director shall ensure that all field work is done a safe manner. Abandoned mine lands features can pose physical and environmental hazards. The Field Director will ensure that all fieldwork is conducted in a safe manner around these hazards. Mines considered by the Field Director to pose health or safety concerns shall not be entered into by any field crew members.

VI. Acceptance:

Final acceptance of all items/services to be delivered under this contract shall be the responsibility of the Contracting Officer. The government may withhold final payment pending completion of any necessary rework by the Contractor.

VII. Deliverables (to be submitted to the COR):

A. The Contractor shall submit digital copies of typed site forms (.doc) with original photographs to the BLM for review prior to submission to the Montana SHPO for issuance of site numbers. Site form maps should have both the location of the cultural resource described and the delineated survey unit plotted and labeled in black. After review and changes, if any, the Contractor will obtain site numbers. The Contractor will be responsible for addressing comments SHPO may have on site forms.

B. One electronic (.doc) copy of the draft Class III cultural resource inventory report and site forms.

C. Two (2) bound copies of the final Class III Cultural Resource Inventory report. The report shall be typed and printed on 8 ½ " x 11" paper and shall be single-spaced.

D. Two sets of final site forms with Smithsonian site numbers and with color photos.

E. One copy of photographic record.

F. One copy of all field notes.

G. All catalog records and associated forms as specified by the Billings Curation Center.

H. One electronic copy (thumb drive or FTP download only; no CD) of the report (PDF), site forms (PDF), photos (.jpg), photo log, GIS data and associated metadata. GIS data should contain, at a minimum, shapefiles of unit boundaries, area surveyed, site boundaries, datum, features, and both temporary site number and Smithsonian numbers. The Contractor will use NAD 1983 Albers as the projected coordinate system.

VIII. Period of Performance:

A. Site file and literature search shall begin no later than 30 calendar days after the order has been issued and completed within 10 calendar days. A summary table of this information shall be turned in with the fieldwork authorization request.

B. Contractor shall prepare a table summarizing the results of the inventory and site shapefiles to the COR within 30 days of completing fieldwork. The table shall contain results of survey (i.e., indicate type/number of sites located and recorded and corresponding AML feature number)

C. One digital copy of the draft Class III Cultural Resources Inventory report and the draft site forms shall be submitted no later than March 1, 2025. The COR will review all deliverables and comment on their adequacy within 30 calendar days of submission.

D. All final deliverables (including collected artifacts and associated documentation) are due by June 1, 2025.

IX. Payment Schedule:

A. Payment shall be tied to completion and acceptance of tasks identified in Section IX. Period of Performance. Period of Performance per the following: A (10%), B (30%), C (40%), and D (20%).

Map Reference: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest/BLM Interagency Travel Maps (Central). Units are in black.

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