A04_-_STATEMENT_OF_WORK-Piedmont.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

FWS PIEDMONT NWR

718 JULIETTE ROAD

ROUND OAK GA 31038-2821

SCOPE OF WORK

PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF PROPOSED FIRELINES, BOND SWAMP

AND PIEDMONT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES, BIBB, JASPER, AND JONES

COUNTIES, GEORGIA

A. INTRODUCTION

The contractor shall perform a Phase I archaeological survey of five permanent fire lines being installed on Bond Swamp and Piedmont National Wildlife Refuges in Bibb, Jasper, and Jones

Counties, Georgia (Figures 1-5 and Table 1). The lines will be approximately 20 feet and will require stumps removal. This investigation is to aid the Service in meeting its responsibilities to cultural resources under the National Historic Preservation Act (P.L. 89-665, Sections 106 and

110), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, the Native American Graves Protection and

Repatriation Act and under regulations and standards promulgated by the Advisory Council on

Historic Preservation, the Department of the Interior, the Service, and the Georgia Historic

Preservation Division.

Figure 1. Fireline being installed at Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Figure. 2. Fire lines being installed at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge.

Table 1. Map References, Lengths, and Coordinates for the Proposed Fire Lines.

Fireline Quadrangle Length Latitude Longitude

Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Pre-suppresion Line

Warner Robins NW 1000 meters Start: 32.736°

End: 32.736°

Start: -83.626°

End: -83.638°

Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge

#1 Line Dames Ferry 1.26 miles/2027 meters

Start: 30.011°

End: 30.005°

Start: -83.702°

End: -83.686°

#2 Line Dames Ferry & East

Juliette

1.38 miles/1475 meters

Start: 30.118°

End: 30.102°

Start: -83.760°

End: -83.749°

#3 Line Berner 2.57 miles/4135 meters

Start: 30.153°

End: 30.138°

Start: -83.802°

End: -83.797°

#4 Line Dames Ferry 0.55 mile/855 meters

Start: 30.086°

End: 30.080°

Start: -83.662°

End: -83.657°

The contractor shall conduct the following tasks:

• Reviews of the Georgia Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources GIS Database

[GNAHRGIS], the Service’s Southeast Region Master Site Files and the extant technical literature.

• Conduct a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed fire line alignments.

Methodology is to include both a pedestrian walkover and systematic shovel testing. The maximum allowable testing interval is 20 meters.

• Conduct follow-up testing of positive shovel test units.

• Clean, inventory, and analyze recovered artifacts. The generated collection(s) will be properly prepared for submission to the R.M. Bogan Archaeological Repository at

Georgia Southern University.

• Submit a management summary briefly describing the initial findings, identified archaeological sites, preliminary determination of eligibility, and future fieldwork recommendations.

• Submit a draft and final report that meets the Service’s and the Georgia Council of

Professional Archaeologist’s 2019 revised standards.

The contractor’s final report will serve several functions. It will aid USFWS in meeting their responsibilities to preserve and protect cultural resources on the Refuges. It shall also be a comprehensive, scholarly document that not only fulfills the mandated legal requirements but serves as a scientific reference for future professional studies as well.

The contractor shall utilize a systematic, interdisciplinary approach to conducting the study.

Specialized knowledge and skills will be used during the course of the study to include expertise in the disciplines of archaeology, history, geology, paleoecology, and other disciplines as required. Techniques and methods used for the study shall be representative of the state of current professional knowledge and development.

B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located along the Ocmulgee River in Bibb and Twiggs

Counties, Georgia, approximately 6 miles south of the city of Macon. This Refuge was established on October 16, 1989 pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 [16 U.S.C.

742(a)], as amended, and the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 [16 U.S.C. 3901(b)] in order to protect, maintain, and enhance the ecosystem of the Ocmulgee River floodplain. It is situated along the fall line separating the physiographic regions of the Piedmont from the Coastal

Plains and contains primarily wetlands associated with the Ocmulgee River floodplain. A strip of uplands and two large limestone bluffs border the wetlands.

The Refuge possesses diverse vegetation communities, including upland mixed hardwood-pine, bottomland hardwoods, tupelo gum swamp forests, creeks, tributaries, beaver swamps, and oxbow lakes. The extensive bottomland hardwoods provide critical habitat for neotropical songbirds of concern, such as Swainson's warbler, wood thrush, prothonotary warbler, and yellow-billed cuckoo. The original land was purchased through cooperative efforts of the Service and the Nature Conservancy. Currently, it consists of approximately 7,348 acres. Most of the

Refuge is owned in fee title by the Service, except for 1,072 acres that are managed by the

Service through a lease agreement with the State of Georgia. Within this agreement, the Service manages Brown's Mount, a historic/cultural site that encompasses 165 acres of upland forest.

The Refuge is situated within the Ocmulgee Old Fields, a traditional cultural property that included a suite of archaeological sites and landscapes holding religious and cultural importance to the Muscogee Nation. Also on the Refuge is the late 19th – mid-20th century Ray Farm, which includes the circa 1905 Craftsman-style house, complex of outbuildings, and the cotton gin site.

Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1939 through Executive Order 8037 of

President Roosevelt. Establishing authorities include the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, and the Refuge Administration Act. The Refuge is located in central Georgia, on the Southern Piedmont Plateau and consists of 34,955 acres in Jones and

Jasper Counties, Georgia (28,552 and 6,403 acres in Jones and Jasper Counties, respectively). In total, this acreage is essentially contiguous and the refuge has reached most of its established acquisition boundary except for several private in-holdings.

The Refuge lies just east of the Ocmulgee River approximately 30 miles north of the city of

Macon, 18 miles east of Forsyth, and 11 miles north of Gray. The refuge's topography is typical of the region, with open low hills interspersed with small streams. Most of the refuge is in forest cover. Habitats and vegetative communities include upland pine and pine-hardwood forests on the ridges, mixed pine and hardwood forests along the numerous creeks, open grassy fields and roadsides, man-made ponds and impoundments, and a few beaver swamps. It is managed and is owned in fee title by the Service and is primarily used by the public for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and hiking. A number of archaeological sites ranging from Woodland lithic and ceramic scatters, a white quartz cobble mound, a concentration of small rock piles, historic farmsteads, and historic cemeteries have been documented.

C. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

The archaeological investigations will be accomplished in a phased manner involving: (1) research design, (2) background and literature reviews, (3) Phase I testing of the proposed fire line alignments with follow-up testing of positive shovel test units to ascertain the nature, size, depth, integrity, age, and cultural affiliation of the cultural deposits; (4) Prepare a technical report describing the investigations and findings; (5) Prepare and/or update state site forms for submission to GNAHRGIS; and (6) Prepare and then submit the recovered assemblage(s) and the associated documentation, such as field notes, sketch maps, and photographs, for long-term curation to the R.M. Bogan Archaeological Repository.

1. Research Design. The contractor is expected to provide a professionally adequate research design as stipulated in 36 CFR Part 66. Objectives should minimally include site discovery and identification, interpretation of recovered materials and identification of cultural components in sites. Cultural components should be identified and discussed within larger regional patterns. Pre-Columbian and historic cultural components will be treated in an equivalent manner and integrated with pertinent geologic and environmental data.

The research design should include a discussion of the known and expected classes of archaeological data and a description and justification of the proposed methodology. Other research problems of local and regional scope should be considered and innovative approaches are encouraged. In addition, the contractor is expected to incorporate Red Cockaded Woodpecker and Georgia Forestry best practices into the research design to mitigate any potential impacts on this endangered species.

2. Background and Literature Reviews. This element should expand upon and synthesize the extant data (See Section B of this scope). It should include general historic background supplemented by locally specific archaeological data. Some examination of files and collections from previous studies may be necessary to place recorded sites in context.

Documentary research will be necessary to exam and reconstruct the area’s geomorphology and paleoecology, the Ocmulgee Old Fields Traditional Cultural Property [Bond Swamp], and the evolution of the 18th through 20th century land use patterns on both Refuges. These data will need to be synthesized, placed in the larger context of local, state, and regional history, and explicitly tied to the research design and report conclusions.

3. Archaeological testing. The investigations shall be conducted in accordance with current professional practices. A 20-meter testing interval is the maximum standardized testing interval allowable for the Phase I reconnaissance survey. Follow-up test units will be placed at five meter intervals along cardinal direction from any positive test unit until two test units are negative in a given direction. Note that the presence of surface debris, trash or relatively recent materials in the upper horizon(s) of a shovel test unit shall be noted in the field records, but does not qualify as positive shovel test unit.

All excavated soil must be screened through ¼ inch or finer hardware cloth. One wall of each shovel test pits will be profiled with each soil strata described by texture using USDA Soil

Conservation typology and by color using Munsell Soil Color Charts. Identified features will be hand-excavated. Radiocarbon, soil, floral, and faunal samples will be collected and fully analyzed if encountered. All samples and artifacts recovered from the investigations will be preserved by the contractor. The contractor shall keep standard field records; copies of which will be appended to the draft report.

4. Curation. The contractor shall prepare the recovered assemblage and all associated documentation, such as field notes, sketch maps, photograph, for curation at the USFWS’s designated curation repository at the Georgia Southern University’s R.M. Bogan Archaeological

Repository in Statesboro. The materials will be submitted pursuant to that facility’s standard procedures. In the likelihood that no materials are recovered, then the documentation will be submitted to the Regional Historic Preservation Officer at Savannah Coastal Refuges (address below) at the same time as the final report. Note the contractor shall include curation costs in the budget submitted with the research design.

D. GUIDELINES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

1. All phases of the study shall be closely coordinated with the Deputy Refuge Manager, located at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Round Oak, and the USFWS Regional Historic

Preservation Officer/Regional Archaeologist (RHPO), whose office is located at Savannah

Coastal Refuges. The contractor is required to maintain routine telephone communications with the Deputy Refuge Manager while work is being conducted, including notification of start and completion dates. The contractor’s field director for this survey should plan an initial visit to the

Piedmont Complex to meet with the RHPO and the Refuge staff to familiarize him/herself with the area for purposes of refining the research design.

2. Drawings, maps, and other materials and guidance will be provided to the extent that the Government determines necessary in order to meet the objectives of the study.

3. The contractor assumes all responsibility for liabilities incurred to him or herself, equipment or to sites being studied during the course of this work.

4. The contractor is required to obtain a Special Use Permit from the Piedmont Complex

Deputy Refuge Manager prior to beginning fieldwork and to maintain close contact with the

Refuge Manager during fieldwork to prevent conflicts with Refuge management objectives.

5. In the event that human skeletal remains are discovered, excavation of that specific shovel test unit will cease immediately. The contractor or his/her field director will contact the

RHPO, and the Deputy Refuge Manager. The Deputy Refuge Manager will contact the Refuge

Law Enforcement Officer. If the human skeletal remains are determined to the be Native

American, the RHPO will contact the pertinent federally recognized tribes pursuant to the provisions of the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. Should the human remains be deemed part of a crime scene, then jurisdiction and control will be turned over to the pertinent federal, state, and local law enforcement a

E. REPORT

1. The Contractor shall prepare a bound paper and digital report: detailing the work done, the results of the archival research and the data recovery. The report shall include, (but is not limited to) the following elements: abstract, introduction, methodology, brief evaluation of previous work in the area, consideration of identified cultural resources in the area, the topographic base map, recommendations, summary, and bibliography. The above items need not be discrete units but shall be discernable to the reader. This report will also meet the Georgia

Council of Professional Archaeologist’s 2019 revised standards.

2. The abstract shall be a synopsis of the report where the reader may find general conclusions and recommendations of the survey.

3. The introduction shall include, but is not limited to the following: the purpose of the survey, delineation of the study boundaries, and a general statement concerning the nature of the study conducted.

4. The study area shall be placed in its regional setting with regard to environmental factors affecting the location of cultural resources and the known culture history, which should be briefly summarized.

5. The methodology used in data collection and analysis shall be described in sufficient detail for a reviewer to understand what was done and why. This shall include (but is not limited

to) a discussion of the survey and sampling procedures, the types of data collected, artifact and feature retrieval procedures, recording techniques, classificatory scheme, method of chronological determination, and any special analytical techniques

6. Maps, diagrams and photographs which show the area reconnoitered, and locations of cultural resources recorded, shall be included. All profiles of soil anomalies that are discussed in the report shall also be included as figures. The base topographic map shall depict the locations of all extant structures, architectural ruins, isolated finds or features identified on the island.

7. The report shall contain a brief summary and evaluation of previous archaeological and historical studies of the region, including dates, extent, and adequacy of past work as it reflects on the interpretation of what might be found in the project area.

8. The report shall contain an artifact inventory.

9. Georgia Site forms shall be completed for each newly identified site and added as one of the report’s appendices.

10. The contractor is responsible for ensuring curation of all records and materials recovered in this study. A curation plan, including the name of the proposed curation facility

(R.M. Bogan Archaeological Repository, ) and certification that it adheres to current Secretary of the Interior Standards, shall be provided with the draft report. Upon USFWS approval of this plan, the contractor is responsible for curating the material or for packing and transmittal of material to the approved facility. The RHPO/Regional Archaeologist (RA) shall be notified of the date of transmittal.

F. FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS

1. The final report shall be clearly printed on 8 x 11 good quality bond paper. A 1" left margin, 1" right margin, 1" top margin and 1.5" bottom margin shall be used.

2. The title page of the report shall include the title and number of contract, the contracting party, the principal investigator's name, and the date.

3. All references cited and/or utilized shall be listed in American Anthropological

Association format. Contacts with individuals shall be cited as well.

4. The location of all sites, cities, towns, villages, highways, rivers, and other features discussed shall be shown on an appropriate figure.

5. Information shall be presented in textual, tabular, and graphic forms that are most appropriate to communicate necessary information. The Contractor shall give every consideration to the use of non-textual forms of presentation, particularly profile (cross-section) drawings in combination with maps, to maximize the quantity and quality of information per page.

6. All tables shall have a number, title, appropriate explanatory notes, and source note.

7. All graphic presentation, including maps, cross-sections, charts, and diagrams shall be referred to as "Figures", and have a border and a margin of 0.75" on the left and right side

(if vertically positioned), 0.25" at the bottom and 0.5" at the top. An effort should be made to avoid foldouts unless absolutely necessary.

8. All figures shall have a title block with the following information:

a. Name of refuge and state.

b. Number and title of the figure indicating the type of information presented, the geographic location of the information if applicable, and the applicable date.

9. All figures shall display a north arrow, linear scale, and key, when applicable. Written scales (such as 1" = x) are not permitted.

10. The location of the Refuge bounds shall be clearly indicated in relation to the material presented on all figures.

11. All figures should be easily reproducible by standard photocopying equipment. Clear copies of historic maps are particularly essential. If clear copies cannot be obtained, transfer of pertinent data to another figure is acceptable.

12. All site locations shall be shown on USGS 7.5 minute quadrangles, and shall be located on the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM). Written directions for sites should be clear enough to ensure its future accurate "on the ground" location by persons not accompanying the survey archaeologist.

13. All measurements shall be metric. Historic period resources shall be recorded in the

English System in addition.

14. Diagnostic and/or unique artifacts shall be shown by drawings or photographs.

15. Black and white photographs are preferred except when color changes are important for understanding the data being presented. No Polaroid or instant type photographs may be used.

16. Negatives of all photographs included in the final report shall be submitted so that copies can be made for distribution.

G. DELIVERIES AND PERFORMANCE

Four products are required and shall be delivered to the District Contracting Officer’s

Representative at the following address in accordance with the time schedule listed below:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Office of the Regional Archaeologist

Savannah Coastal Refuges

694 Beech Hill Lane

Hardeeville, South Carolina 29927

Carolyn Johnson, Deputy Refuge Manager

Piedmont Complex

718 Round Oak-Juliette Road

Round Oak, Georgia 31038

1. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY. The contractor will furnish a brief management summary summarizing the results of fieldwork, with emphasis upon any discovery of archaeological remains within the alternative visitor center tracts. Maps showing locations of finds, and other pertinent figures, shall be appended.

2. SITE FORMS. The contractor will furnish appended to the draft report, the typed original. New and updated site forms will be uploaded to the GNAHRGIS system.

3. DRAFT REPORT WITH CURATION PLAN

4. FINAL REPORT. The final report will be prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined below. Four copies of a draft report that meets these requirements will be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within 45 days of field work completion.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will prepare review comments on the draft report, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer and Tribal Historic Preservation

Officers, and return them to the contractor within 60 days of the receipt of the draft.

The contractor will affirmatively address all comments and submit a revised draft within

30 days of the date of these comments. Subsequent drafts may be required. Upon acceptance of the final draft, the contractor will provide an unbound original plus accompanying illustrations, 10 copies of the report, and an electronic copy on CD. The electronic copy must be formatted as a pdf document.

H. SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Special contract requirement include personnel standards, standards for consultants, contractor obligations for implementation, curation, coordination project scheduling, and quality controls.

1. PERSONNEL STANDARDS. Personnel proposed for this project must meet the following minimal qualifications:

a. Project Directors or Principal Investigators (PI). Persons in charge of the investigation must have a graduate (Master's or PHD) degree or an equivalent level of professional experience as evidence by a publication record that demonstrates experience in field project formulation, execution, and technical reporting. Suitable professional references must also be made available to obtain estimates regarding the adequacy of prior work. If prior projects were of a sort not ordinarily resulting in a publishable report, a narrative should be included detailing the proposed project director's previous experience along with references suitable to obtain opinions regarding the adequacy of this earlier work.

b. Field Archeologist. The minimum formal qualifications for individuals practicing archeology as a profession are a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university, followed by two years of graduate study with concentration in anthropology and specialization in archeology during one of these programs, and at least two summer field schools or their equivalent under the supervision of archaeologists of recognized competence; a Master's thesis or its equivalent in research and publication is highly recommended, as is the PHD degree. Individuals lacking such degrees may present evidence of a publication record and references from archaeologists who do meet these qualifications. For the purposes of this survey, documented knowledge and experience in the Georgia Piedmont [including the Ocmulgee River watershed] history and archaeology are essential for individuals in this role.

c. Consultants. Personnel hired or subcontracted for their special knowledge and expertise must carry academic and experiential qualifications in their own fields of competence appropriate for the level of work they will perform on the project.

2. CONTRACTOR OBLIGATIONS FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

a. The Principal Investigator will be responsible for the validity of the material presented in the report of investigations. In the event of controversy or court challenge, the Principal Investigator may be called upon to testify on behalf of the

Government in support of his/her findings at Government expense.

b. The contractor will assume all responsibility for and take all precautions to prevent damage to property entered. All excavations will be backfilled immediately after completion. The contractor should inquire of the Refuge manager concerning specific precautions to employed within given wildlife habitats.

c. In the event that human skeletal remains are discovered, excavation of that specific shovel test unit will cease immediately. The contractor or his/her field director will contact the RHPO, the Section 106 Compliance Coordinator, and the

Refuge Manager. The Refuge Manager will contact the Refuge Law Enforcement

Officer. If the human skeletal remains are determined to the be Native American, the RHPO will contact the pertinent federally recognized tribes pursuant to the provisions of the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. Should the human remains be deemed part of a crime scene, then jurisdiction and control will be turned over to the pertinent federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

3. CURATION. The contractor will be responsible for safeguarding and maintaining all specimens, photographs, maps, written documentation and other data, acquired as a result of the project until its transfer to the permanent curation facility. Final disposition of records and artifacts will be effected as the result of an agreement between the Federal

Government, State authorities, and the Contractor.

4. COORDINATION. Carolyn Johnson, the Deputy Refuge Manager for the Complex, (478-986-5441) will be the primary contact and shall be contacted to arrange meetings or answer any questions about the Refuge and its fire history. Additionally, Mr. Richard S.

Kanaski, Regional Historic Preservation Officer and Regional Archaeologist (912-652-

4415, ext. 113) shall be contacted directly involving the archaeological fieldwork and any matter which pertains to his role as the RHPO/RA including inadvertent discovery of human remains. The contractor shall maintain close communication with the Deputy

Refuge Manager while in the field.

5. PROJECT SCHEDULING. The award for this project is expected to be in -----. The letter report summarizing results of fieldwork is required prior to -----. The draft report is required prior to ----. The final report will be required within 30 days of government comments.

6. QUALITY CONTROL. You will held responsible for the quality of the services provided and for all damages caused the government as a result of your negligence in the performance of any services furnished under the contract. Although submissions required by your contract are technically reviewed by the government, it is emphasized that your work must be prosecuted using proper internal controls and review procedures. The letter of transmittal for each submission which you make shall include a certification that the submission has been subjected to your own review and coordination procedures to insure completeness for each discipline commensurate with the level of effort required for that submission, and elimination of conflicts, errors and omissions. Documents which are significantly deficient in any of these areas will be returned to you for correction and/or upgrading prior to our completing our review. Contract submission dates will not be extended if a resubmission of draft material is required for this reason.