A04_Statement_of_Work.pdf

Mullins_Baldy_2022 Ranch Cultural Clearance BLM Uncompahgre Field Office

Project Inspector: Collin Price970-240-5303

Mullins Baldy 2022 Ranch Cultural

C.1-General Requirements

C.1.1- Project Objectives The Mullins Ranch Cultural Clearance if for a joint U.S. Forest Service and BLM project. This project is a combination of manual and prescribed fire treatments of the area. The pinion pine, juniper, mixed mountain shrub, and grass vegetation type will be burned with prescribed fire to reduce the hazardous fuels to maintain current condition class as well as improve habitat and forage for big game. The project area is located on public lands managed by the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office (UFO) and the Ouray District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest (GMUG).

The primary objectives are to treat vegetation within the project boundary using prescribed fire and mechanical treatment to remove mixed mtn. shrub, pinon and juniper and other decadent vegetation. The survey area may be treated with manual means-chainsaw and hand tools or machinery on BLM lands where necessary to reduce vegetation to make holding easier and have less exposure for firefighting resources. This may occur throughout the unit. For this treatment, the use of prescribed fire, manual tools or machinery have the potential to impact cultural resources including but not limited to disrupting stone features, breaking artifacts, obscuring cultural or thermal soil stains, and spatial mixing of surface and subsurface artifacts.

The fieldwork will be completed to meet the reporting deadlines described below. All reports and supporting documents will meet guidelines established by the SHPO, the Department of the Interior/ BLM, and UFO Standards and Procedures. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is Linda Nelson, and the Project Inspector is Shane Rumsey, Uncompahgre Field Office Archaeologist.

C.1.2- Location of Project The project is roughly 1 mile southwest of the town of Ridgeway, Colorado adjacent to Private property just off of HWY.550. Best access is through the Mullins Property. Shapefiles of the survey area and contact telephone numbers for access are available upon request. Contact Rusty Stark: 970-309-4089.

This survey will be conducted within 2 units that total 30 acres in size and located in T45N, R8W, Sections 35,36

C.1.3-Scope of Contract

Proposed Class III Inventory. The area to be inventoried is approximately 30 acres (see attached map). Cultural resources that may be present include rock alignments, open lithic scatters, open camps, open architecture (wickiups), and isolates likely representing seasonal subsistence activities. There may be additional cultural resources such as homestead cabins and other items of European settlement present as well. The fieldwork will be completed to meet the reporting deadlines described below. The purpose is to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and Federal Land Management Act.

C.1.4-Contract Requirements

• The selected archaeological consultant will have a current BLM Cultural Resource Use Permit to perform cultural work in the BLM UFO.

• All individuals responsible for supervising fieldwork; planning; report preparation and approval; evaluations; recommendations, etc. will be listed on the archaeological consultant’s Cultural Resource Use Permit (CRUP) number 8. This person will be responsible for all work done by his employees or subcontractors. Accuracy of all documents and related forms associated with this contract are the responsibility of the authors and the individual responsible for carrying out the terms and conditions of the CRUP permit.

• The archaeological consultant will submit a fieldwork authorization request to the BLM archaeologist/Project Inspector and will schedule a pre-field meeting and literature review with the BLM archaeologist (48-hour notice is required at minimum).

C.1.5 Description of work

• A Class III, 100% pedestrian survey will be conducted to identify, record, and evaluate all cultural resources greater than 50 years old on lands with less than a 30% slope.

The contractor will conduct a Class III cultural resources inventory following the BLM/Colorado Protocol, Colorado Office of Archaeology, and Historic Preservation guidelines, and the Colorado BLM Handbook of Guidelines and Procedures for Inventory, Evaluation and Mitigation of Cultural Resources 1998 (as revised, March 2017).

• A literature review must be conducted prior to starting field work and will include the records at the BLM/UFO and the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to identify all recorded cultural resources and previous cultural inventories, and the historic GLO survey records/maps. The file search will include all previous work within one mile of the project area and be discussed in the final report.

This survey will be conducted within 4 units that total 30 acres in size and located in T45N, R8W, Sections 35,36

Access to the project area is from Hwy. 550 from Montrose, take Hwy. 550 south from Montrose approximately 22 miles to Ridgeway. Just south of Ridgeway Colorado will be county road 12A. Follow County Road 12a east for approximately 2 miles to the fork of County Road 12 and county road 12a stay right to get on to county road 12. Once on county road 12 go approximately 1 mile to Ranch House Lane. Ranch House Lane is the access to the Mullins private property. Follow the two-track road that exits the ranch/barn on the southwest corner.

This two-track road will take you all the way to the BLM boundary where the survey is to take place. It is approximately 2 miles on the two-track road past the ranch house to BLM lands.

Although a 4x4 vehicle can access the area it is advisable for an atv/utv. This two-track road may become adverse when we. Please ask for the phone number for the landowner to make them aware of your presence.

Literature Review:

• GLO information, maps, and survey notes are available at the UFO, State BLM offices, and on the web at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov. In the case of patented historic properties being recorded, a copy of the patent information must be included with the site form.

Field Inventory:

• All fieldwork and documentation shall be performed to DOI, BLM, Colorado SHPO, UFO standards.

• The following environmental constraints will preclude intensive Class III coverage.

o Previous natural ground disturbance that has modified the surface so extensively that the likelihood of finding cultural resources is negligible.

o Human activity within the past 50 years that has created a new land surface such that all traces of cultural resources have been eradicated.

o Natural environmental characteristics that is unfavorable to the presence of historic properties.

o Slopes greater than 30%, where no potential for rock shelter, rock art, or other cultural properties associated with rock faces or ledges exist.

o Areas with 100% vegetation coverage. These areas will be identified on the final inventory maps and total acres surveyed will reflect an adjustment from total project acres.

C.1.6-Definitions

• Site- is the locus of previous (50-year age minimum) human activity at which the preponderance of evidence suggests either one-time diagnostically interpretable use or repeated use over time, or multiple classes of activities. For example: a) Isolated thermal features such as hearths are to be designated as sites, even though they may represent a single event, due to the interpretable function of such utilization and the potential for chronometric and economic data recovery; b) Single element rock art panels are to be http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ designated as sites due to the interpretable nature of such an event and the potential diagnostic value of the motif; c) Isolated human burials; or d) Loci exhibiting ground stone and flaked stone in association.

• Aboriginal Wooden Structure- wickiups, platforms, brush fences, or other similar aboriginal wooden or brush structures will require an Aboriginal Wooden Structure Component Form for each structure in addition to the OAHP Prehistoric Component Form. These can be found at dargnet.org.

● CO- Contracting Officer

● COR- Contracting Officers’ Representative

● COR/PI- either the COR of the PI

• Isolate- refers to one or more culturally modified objects not found in the context of a site as defined above. Note that this definition makes no reference to an absolute quantitative standard for the site/isolate distinction. For example: a) A discrete concentration of flakes from the same material regardless of the number of artifacts present likely represents a single, random event and is properly designated as an isolate, or b) A ceramic pot bust regardless of the number of sherds that remain.

● PI- Project Inspector

• Site- is the locus of previous (50-year age minimum) human activity at which the preponderance of evidence suggests either one-time diagnostically interpretable use or repeated use over time, or multiple classes of activities. For example:

a) Isolated thermal features such as hearths are to be designated as sites, even though they may represent a single event, due to the interpretable function of such utilization and the potential for chronometric and economic data recovery

b) Single element rock art panels are to be designated as sites due to the interpretable nature of such an event and the potential diagnostic value of the motif

c) Isolated human burials

d) Loci exhibiting ground stone and flaked stone in association.

C.1.7-Special Conditions/Instructions

• Certain geographic areas of the BLM/UFO may warrant special consideration to address what could be considered a landscape of human activity. For example, some areas may exhibit a sparse but continuous presence of lithic debitage, others may have a number of isolated but related historic features (50 yr. +). Rote recordation of these will result in a meaningless plethora of IF forms. When such circumstances arise, it is required for the consultant to devise, in consultation with the BLM/UFO archaeologist, alternatives to standard recording procedures prior to the completion of fieldwork.

• Accurate legal and UTM locations will be required. It is preferred that the SE corner and east section line of the section be used as an anchor for obtaining legal locations. If another corner is used, it must be referenced on the site/IF form. Reliable GPS reading will be required for all site datum and isolated finds. It is also recommended that site boundaries, tools, diagnostic artifacts, and features have a GPS location. The type of GPS unit and its accuracy will be included in the report narrative and on the site/IF forms. All UTM locations must be in NAD 83 and indicated on the report and forms or the report and forms will be rejected. A digital copy of all GPS/GIS data and metadata will be provided along with the final reports.

• Diagnostic artifacts should only be collected if the project could damage, destroy or put the artifact in danger of be collected. Diagnostic artifacts will be either photographed or illustrated as fine line drawings in the report and appropriate OAHP form. All photographs and illustrations will have an appropriate scale.

• Collection of the following is expected in the Field Office and permitted under the consultant’s Cultural Resource Use Permit:

1) Obsidian – contractors are expected to collect a representative sample of obsidian debitage or tools located during survey for sourcing.

2) All ceramics – Native American ceramics are unusual in our area. Therefore, if ceramics are encountered, the field office archaeologist should be contacted to discuss collection options.

3) Complete diagnostic points – the Field Office is increasingly seeing less points due to unauthorized collection. Consultants are expected to collect complete points that can provide seriation and metric information to help researchers better understand the typologies in the area.

4) Diagnostic artifacts, trade items, and unusual items should be collected if the project could damage, destroy, or put the artifact in danger of being collected. These types of artifacts will either be photographed or illustrated as fine line drawings in the report and appropriate OAHP form. All photographs and illustrations will have an appropriate scale. Reports should have a section that details the items collected during the project so that the archaeologists know what is being curated at the Museum of Western Colorado annually. If artifacts are collected from your project, include a table and paragraph discussing the items collected and their associated numbers (Field Specimen numbers for multiple collections from a single site are required in the report).

• Collection is not permitted on private land unless otherwise authorized by the private landowner in a written agreement.

• A list of all collected artifacts will be included with the report as an appendix. All collected artifacts will be curated according to 36CFR79 and the Museum of Western Colorado, Grand Junction guidelines. Artifacts will be deposited with the Museum, within one year of completion of the project.

• Photographs may be digital as long as they are of good quality. Site photographs will include two site overviews from different directions, when possible, these overviews will include landmarks. All features and/or disturbance will be photographed using a metric scale.

• Photographs or line drawings will be made of all diagnostic artifacts. A metric scale will be included in the photograph or drawing. Illustrated artifacts will be referenced in the Results section with a figure number and artifact number/letter. These illustrations/photographs will also be attached to the associated site/IF form.

• Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Forms will be used for all sites/Isolated finds recorded and/or reevaluated.

• All site plan maps will be drawn to scale and will include at a minimum: datum, identified tools; features; topography; any recent disturbances or intrusions to the site, including but not limited to: previous mechanical disturbance or vegetation manipulation, trash dumping, artifact collector piles; unauthorized excavation, off road vehicle activity;

cattle trampling or trailing; or erosion. The map key will relate specifically to the site plan map.

• Intrusions that are currently or have the potential to impact need data or eligible sites will be photographed and discussed on the site forms and in the report narrative.

• Evaluative testing will only be used if the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) determination cannot be made based upon surface evidence. If necessary, this testing will be conducted during the fieldwork phase. Evaluative testing is limited to a maximum of 2 m2 per site. A brief description of methodology, testing rational, soil stratigraphy and any cultural remains will be included in the report narrative as well as on the site form. If after testing, the site eligibility still cannot be refined; a narrative of site recommendations will be presented discussing of the site’s research potential and specific recommendations to determine eligibility in the future. Prior to sampling any features identified as hearths or potential hearths, storage features, etc., the UFO archaeologist and Contracting Officer will be consulted. Hearth and or storage features will only be sampled with the approval of the UFO archaeologist. If given the go ahead each hearth or feature will be sampled for radiocarbon and subsistence analysis. Artifacts identified during evaluative testing should be analyzed in the field and returned to its location/hole whence it came. The only exceptions are complete or nearly complete diagnostic or sensitive artifacts in danger of illicit collection.

• Need Data sites where limited evaluate testing does not refine the site’s NRHP eligibility recommendations will include a detailed discussion of the site’s research potential and specific recommendations to determine eligibility. These recommendations will be made in concert with previous investigations especially, the Colorado Council of Professional

Archaeologists - Colorado Prehistory: A Context for the Northern Colorado River Basin Prehistoric Context.

C.2 INSPECTION

Task 1

• A preliminary letter report of findings is to be submitted to the Project Inspector within 10 days after completion of fieldwork. At a minimum this letter report must consist of the following items:

o Brief description of each site, which will include site type, temporal or cultural affiliation, and the NRHP eligibility recommendation. This information can be in table format.

o Draft or field sketch site plan map including standard archaeological site information (all relevant references to diagnostic artifacts, features, UTM datum, north arrow, and scale) for each site.

o Copy of a 7.5' topographic map showing the project survey boundary and site locations.

Task 2

Final Report

• The final report/forms will contain the corrections/comments requested by the UFO made during the review of the draft report.

• Final payment is contingent upon the comments/corrections being made in the final report.

• The report and all required survey and site forms will meet the guidelines established by the Secretary of Interior’s Standards, the BLM Colorado Handbook, Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation guidelines, and the BLM UFO 2013 Standards and Procedures.

• Cultural resource legal, UTM, or specific narrative descriptions are not to be presented anywhere in the report narrative.

• Mitigation discussion of disturbances or intrusions that are currently or have the potential to impact Eligible sites will be included in the management recommendations of the report.

• The report cover page, appendixes with legal/UTM locations, and maps with site locations must contain the following statement in large font, bold type “For Official Use Only: Disclosure of site locations prohibited (43 CFR 7.18).”

• A single copy of the Draft Report will be submitted to the Uncompahgre Field Office archaeologist (Project Inspector) no later than September 30, 2022, with field work completed

• Two bound copies of the final report and forms with photographs, maps, and associated documentation will be submitted to the UFO archaeologist by May 30, 2023, final day of period of performance

• At the OAHP suggestion we are now requiring consultants to send a CD with the PDF files of the survey report and site/IF documents. These files will ultimately be utilized by SHPO to place the electronic documents on to the Compass database for easier retrieval by authorized cultural resource professionals.

o This CD may also include the GIS data and metadata, as outlined in the BLM/UFO 2013 Standards and Procedures.

• Site and Isolated Find forms MUST NOT be bound with the report narrative.

C.3-PAYMENT

Deliverables by task

Task 1 40%

Preliminary Letter Report- A preliminary report as described in C.2 Inspection shall be submitted. Upon acceptance of the letter report an invoice may be submitted to the Contracting Officer for payment of one-half of the contract money.

Task 2 60%

Final Payment- Upon acceptance of the final report as described in C.2 inspection Final Report, the contract will be considered complete, and an invoice may be submitted to the contracting officer to release the final half of the contract. The contractor must abide with the aforementioned scope of work and produce an acceptable document(s) before payment will be released.

• The final report/forms will contain the corrections/comments requested by the UFO made during the review of the draft report.

• Final payment is contingent upon the comments/corrections being made in the final report.

The fieldwork will be completed to meet the reporting deadlines as described. All reports and supporting documents will meet guidelines established by the SHPO, the Department of the Interior/ BLM, and D-E NCA Standards and Procedures. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is Linda Nelson, and the Project Inspector is Glade Hadden;

Uncompahgre Field Office Archaeologist.

SCHEDULE

Section H- requirements

H.1- Key Personnel

H.1.1 The contractor shall assign to this contract key personnel that list may include the following.

● Contractor Representative

● Foreman

● Inspector

H.1.2 The Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel without notifying the Contracting Officer within a reasonable timeframe and in advance and shall submit justification (including proposed substitutions) in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on the contract.

Proposed substitutes should have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced.

H.1.3 All individuals responsible for supervising fieldwork; planning; report preparation and approval;

evaluations; recommendations, etc. will be listed on the archaeological consultant’s Cultural Resource Use Permit (CRUP) number 8.

H.2-Prework Conference Prior to commencement of work, the Contractor shall attend a meeting to discuss the contract terms work performance requirements, and safety. Also, at this meeting such items as work progress schedule, quality control, camping/worksite shall be finalized in writing.

• A preliminary letter report of findings is to be submitted to the Project Inspector within 10 days after completion of fieldwork. Upon acceptance of the letter report an invoice may be submitted to the Contracting Officer for payment of one-half of the contract money. At a minimum, this letter report must consist of the following items:

o Brief description of each site, which will include site type, temporal, or cultural affiliation, and the NRHP eligibility recommendation. This information can be in table format.

o Draft or field sketch site plan map including standard archaeological site information (all relevant references to diagnostic artifacts, features, UTM datum, north arrow, and scale) for each site.

o Copy of a 7.5' topographic map showing the project survey boundary and site locations.

• A single copy of the Draft Report will be submitted to the Uncompahgre Field Office archaeologist (Project Inspector) no later than September 1, 2022

• Two copies of the Final Report and associated forms, photographs and/or documentation are to be submitted to the Project Inspector by September 30, 2022. Upon acceptance of the final report an invoice may be submitted to the contracting officer for the remainder of the contract money.

• All documentation will meet guidelines established by the State Historic Preservation Office/Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the Department of the Interior/BLM, and BLM/UFO 2013 Standards and Procedures.

Unit Map

Travel Map