A04_Scope_of_Work.pdf

SCOPE OF WORK

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE INVENTORY

7IL RANCH

MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE

1. INTRODUCTION

Mojave National Preserve is located in the northeastern Mojave Desert in California.

Established by Congress on October 31, 1994, by the California Desert Protection Act (CDPA), Mojave is a relatively new unit of the National Park Service (NPS). Within the Preserve’s 1.6 million acres, there is a diverse mix of geologic features complemented by unique plant and animal life. Evidence of human uses ranging from archeological sites possibly dating back 12,000 years to historic uses including mining, cattle ranching, and grazing.

The National Park Foundation (NPF) some years ago proposed the purchase of the 7IL for donation to Mojave National Preserve and retire grazing lease within the Colton Hills and Gold Valley grazing allotments. In total, approximately 243,000 acres were considered under this proposal. With the leased lands, the 7IL Ranch covers an area generally 12-22 miles north-south, and 5-20 miles east-west, with over 380 sections.

Livestock grazing of varying intensity has taken place on this ranch for over 100 years.

To comply with applicable policy and regulations, the Preserve seeks to complete eligibility assessments of the ranching improvements scattered throughout the grazing allotments and the ranch itself. This necessitates completion of a cultural resource inventory to identify sites and features and determine which of these features may be potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Resources include primary ranch facilities (main house, secondary houses, and barns), roads, as well as corrals, fences, water troughs, other small scale structures and significant native and non-native vegetation associated with those activities. Several historic mining features are found within the grazing allotment as well.

II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this scope of services is to describe fieldwork, preliminary analysis, and writing tasks; meetings; coordination; document production and distribution; and travel necessary to complete a determination of eligibility (DOE) using the National Register of Historic Places guidelines to complete a Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) for cultural resources found at the 7IL Ranch and across the Colton Hills and Gold Valley Grazing Allotments. This scope seeks to prepare a completed determination of eligibility in the form of a CLI for submission to the California State Historic Preservation Office

(SHPO).

III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The consultant shall provide all labor, equipment, and services to perform all tasks required for the preparation of a CLI for the 7IL Ranch. This effort will include all historic structures and associated cattle watering features at various localities across Mojave National Preserve.

The consultant will participate in field work to update the condition, as necessary, of all eligible objects, features, and structures, including several that may have been modified since the initial inventory and assessment effort, will prepare and maintain a field record, and will prepare a draft and final report detailing the field work (complete with field notes and photographs).

The consultant will work in consultation with Preserve Cultural Resources staff to perform all necessary technical analysis. The consultant will edit the documents and prepare graphic materials to the present standards and requirements of the SHPO. It is anticipated that the consultant will work closely with the Preserve staff to successfully complete this project by submitting the determination/evaluation to SHPO and resolving any additional comments/issues they may have.

All work shall be technically and legally defensible and in full compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended; the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40CFR 1500-1508); the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1963, as amended; and National Park Service Director’s Order 28 relating to cultural resource. Communication and coordination activities such as conference calls and product review meetings with the Contract Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) and other staff as requested by the NPS to facilitate project progress and completion are anticipated.

IV. PROJECT COORDINATION

The consultant will coordinate with designated points of contact as determined by the Contracting Officer (CO). Relevant source materials will be reviewed to develop a clear understanding of the project area, the proposed project, and associated issues. Data gaps will be identified and brought to the attention of the Preserve contact as early as possible in the process.

National Park Service Key Personnel:

Contracting Officer (CO) Jim Read

LAKE MABO

c/o Mojave National Preserve 2701 Barstow Rd.

Barstow, CA 92311 Tel (760) 252-6112 The Contracting Officer oversees all financial and contractual aspects of the work.

Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) David Nichols Mojave National Preserve Castle Mountains National Monument 2701 Barstow Rd.

Barstow, CA 92311

Tel (760) 252-6145

The COTR is responsible for keeping the process on schedule and for technical review of the work and will also be the Contractor’s Key Contact within the Park. The COTR will arrange for NPS personnel to guide the contractor to the ranching developments and provide whatever other support services as are deemed appropriate within the scope of the contract.

V. TASKS AND PRODUCTS

Task 1 Project Orientation The consultant will discuss the project requirements with the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR).

The consultant will meet on-site with the COTR or other Preserve technical staff.

Products under Task 1:

• Clarification of documentation procedures

• Identification of updated research data needs to be addressed

• Revisit discussion of SHPO’s needs, communications

• Discussion of since acquired properties to be added to the nomination resubmittal

Task 2 Data Collection At this time it is not anticipated that the consultant will undertake primary or secondary data collection, excepting gathering what data is necessary to add in newly modified ranching features to be amended to the evaluation. The concentration will focus upon the necessary steps required for successful submittal of the nomination to SHPO.

Products under Task 2

• Research as necessary to fill in any gaps from the existing literature.

• Conduct field survey and document relevant existing conditions of ranch landscape characteristics, including natural systems and features, spatial organization, land use, topography, buildings and structures, circulation, and small-scale features.

• Collect GPS location data for all cultural resources within historic property boundary.

• Prepare location map and site plan showing contributing resources and historic property boundary.

• Identify the National Register area(s) of significance, period(s) of significance, and prepare a statement of significance and physical history.

• Prepare landscape characteristic and feature narrative summaries and integrity and condition assessment.

• Modify the descriptive assessments for each eligible feature as necessary, to include reorganizing Contributing vs. Noncontributing lists to ensure all contributing landscape characteristics and features are included in the historic property boundary.

• 35 mm black and white photographs or high resolution digital images of each resources with sufficient detail to support conclusions drawn regarding their condition and integrity as determined necessary for this submittal. Include photos of cultural landscape characteristics that contribute to the historic property, including spatial organization and vegetation.

• Close out meeting with Preserve staff to review all findings from the fieldwork.

Task 3 Prepare Draft and Final Report Upon completion of fieldwork, the consultant will prepare a draft and final report consisting of the CLI to be submitted to the SHPO. The contractor will be responsible for the resolution of any additional comments the SHPO may have.

Products under Task 3

• 95% draft report (5 copies) shall be submitted to the COTR. The NPS will review and provide comments to the consultant for the final report within three weeks of submittal by the consultant. The draft report shall include data summarized from fieldwork, site maps, and sketches, photographs and any diagrams generated during the inventory as necessary. Primarily this will apply to the newly added features.

• 100% draft report (5 copies) shall be submitted within two weeks after receipt of NPS comments.

• Final report (five copies) shall be submitted within two weeks after receipt of SHPO concurrence.

All graphic information should be submitted in both hard copy and digital format. All data should be geo-referenced to applicable UTMs, meters, and zones where appropriate.

The consultant will provide the Preserve with all original photographs and negatives as well as all field notes.

VI. COMPLETION ACTIVITIES

Upon completion of the project all field notes, research materials (notes, photographs, copies of historical materials, etc) shall be delivered to the Preserve contact. If originals of field or other records need to be copied for use, the copies will be checked to ensure legibility and the originals will be delivered to the COTR along with the copies.

VII. STANDARD OF WORK

All work performed in the completion of the NRHP nomination shall reflect adherence to professional and regulatory standards and to applicable NPS guidelines, including but not limited to the following:

The NPS Organic Act of 1916 (16 USC 470 et. Seq.); NEPA (42 USC 4371 et.

Seq.); the Wilderness Act of 1964 (16 ISC 11331 et. Seq.); the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s regulations for “Protection of Historic Properties”; the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation” (FR 48:44726-40); Federal Agency Responsibilities under Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (FR 53:4727-46); National Register Bulletin Numbers 15, 16, 24, 35; National Register of Historic Places Photo Policy;

National Register of Historic Places Map Policy; NPS-Guidelines 2, 12, 16, 28, 32;

NPS Cultural Landscapes Program, Cultural Landscape Inventory 2009 CLI Professional Procedures Guide; CFR 800; the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) revised guidelines (1999); and all other pertinent policies and guidelines.

VIII. CONFIDENTIALITY

The information developed under this task order will be the property of the United States government and shall be kept in strict confidence.

IX. SCHEDULE

The draft and final reports have an anticipated schedule. Every effort should be made to expedite product production by all parties.

Field work: To be negotiated between MOJA staff and the contractor.

Draft report due 60 calendar days after close out of fieldwork.

Final report due 14 calendar days after receipt of NPS comments.

IX. MATERIALS PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT

The following documents and materials shall be provided to the consultant as requested;

• NPS-28

• CLI Professional Procedures Guide

X. LEVEL OF EFFORT/SPECIAL SKILLS

To facilitate preparation of a price proposal, it is suggested that this effort may require the services of a principal investigator with extensive knowledge of field investigation and procedures necessary to complete a cultural landscape inventory.

The services of technical and clerical personnel and all direct expenses should be included in the proposed project budget.

XI. PAYMENT

Payment for the services outlined in this scope will be in accordance with established procedures defined in applicable government regulations and consistent with rates and schedules agreed upon between the consultant and the CO.

The consultant will be reimbursed for documented direct expenses associated with travel and other aspects of the work insofar as such expenses are included in the price proposal and the work.

All travel shall be authorized by the COTR prior to commencement of travel and shall be paid in accordance with government regulations. All other direct costs in excess of $150.00 shall be approved by the COTR prior to the consultant incurring them. The consultant shall submit receipts for all direct expenses along with invoices. The consultant shall be paid actual costs of lodging not-to-exceed government per diem rates and per diem rates applicable for meals and miscellaneous expenses. Receipts will be required on lodging but not for meals. Per diem rates (M&IE) shall be paid in accordance with government regulations.

All direct expenses and associated costs for this project such as reproduction, printing, telephone, fax, supplies, postage, express mail, etc will be reimbursed at actual cost.

The contractor must submit copies of detailed receipts in order to receive reimbursement.