Appendix 5 202403 R10 Field-Reporting Standards-Guidelines.pdf

USDA Forest Service Alaska Region – Heritage Program Field and Reporting Standards and Guidelines

Table of Contents Introduction Roles and Responsibilities

Contracting Officer Representative and/or Agency Heritage Professional Archaeological Contractor and/or Permittee

Cultural Resources Documentation Standards Prefield File Search and Historic Data Searches Field Work Requirements

General Minimum Standards and Specifications

Report Requirements Report Content Report Submission

Appendix A – Spatial Standards GPS Standards GIS Standards Accuracy Tips

Appendix B – Map and Image Standards Mapping Standards Photograph Standards

Appendix C – Isolated Finds Definitions

Appendix D – Isolated Find Form (fillable) Appendix E – Helpful Information for the Field

Shellfish Plants Culturally Modified Trees

Appendix F – Cultural Resource Record (fillable)

Introduction These Guidelines expand on the archaeological inventory strategy established in Appendix D of the Programmatic Agreement among the USDA Forest Service, Alaska Region, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer Regarding Heritage Program Management on National Forests in the State of Alaska 2017 (Alaska Region PA). They are intended to assist the Forest Service and its archaeological contractors/permittees in achieving consistency in the manner in which cultural resource inventories are conducted, as well as in the recording and reporting of the results of those inventories.

Roles and Responsibilities Contracting Officer Representative and/or Agency Heritage Professional The Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or USDA Forest Service Heritage Professional is responsible for ensuring that permittees and contractors follow these Guidelines. The COR will be a Forest Service Heritage Professional. If the work is being done under a contract issued by the Forest

Service, the COR will be an agency Heritage Professional. The reviewer for all work authorized by a permit will be an agency Heritage Professional. The COR and/or agency Heritage Professional reviews the products of the cultural resource inventory, any treatment plan generated for historic properties identified in that inventory, and recommends approval or revision of inventory reports, site records, and treatment plans. Under Forest Service Contracts, the COR is responsible for monitoring the quality of work performed by contract archaeologists, maintaining Forest Service standards of performance as set forth in these Guidelines, and reporting results of this monitoring to the Contracting Officer, and others as appropriate.

The agency is responsible for consultation with the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Alaska Native tribes, Alaska Native corporations, and any other interested parties for cultural resource inventories and other actions associated with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Permittees and contract archaeologists do not consult with tribes, Alaska Native corporations, SHPO or other interested parties.

Archaeological Contractor and/or Permittee Researchers and contractors will be required to have a USDA Forest Service Permit for Archaeological Investigation in order to conduct archaeological work on national forest system lands (per the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, Antiquities Act of 1906, Organic Act of 1897) unless the contractor is hired by the Forest Service. If the contractor is hired by the Forest Service, then the contract will serve as the tool authorizing the activity on National Forest System land and a permit is not required.

Contractors and permittees are required to have a Principal Investigator (PI) identified for the full duration of the project who meets the professional qualifications standards found in the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation per Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2360.92 (see also Section I.a.iii. of the Alaska Region PA).

The COR is the main point of contact for the contract PI. The identified agency Heritage Professional is the main point of contact for the permit PI.

All contract and permit archaeologists who work on NFS lands in Alaska are responsible for conducting inventories in compliance with these Guidelines, including the following:

• Include research design, methods, and curation

• Defining the Area of Potential Effect (APE) per 36 CFR 800

• Creation of a complete and up-to-date cultural resources overview for the project area

• Identifying and documenting cultural resources

• Reporting of findings as outlined in these Guidelines

• Obtaining Forest Service cultural resource numbers from the COR or agency Heritage

Professional/Inspector and corresponding Alaska Heritage Resources Survey (AHRS) numbers from SHPO

• Evaluating properties for eligibility on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) within an appropriate historic context

• Identifying the potential effects of the action on historic properties per 36 CFR 800

• Evaluating the feasibility of avoidance to protect and preserve cultural resources, including historic properties, within the APE

• Recommending additional work steps, e.g., testing, data recovery requirements etc.

Cultural Resources Documentation Standards Documentation resulting from the activities specified in a contract and/or permit, or generated as a result of projects undertaken on the Chugach or Tongass National Forest, shall refer to Forest Service-assigned cultural resource numbers and their corresponding AHRS number. Previously assigned Forest Service names for cultural resources, cultural resource complexes, and geographic features or areas shall be used to maintain consistency with Forest Service documentation and planning. Cultural resource and geographic names assigned by the holder shall be reviewed for consistency/appropriateness and must be approved by the COR or agency Heritage Professional.

Further, all cultural resource classification schemes used in such documentation shall conform to or be compatible with classification schemes described in the Chugach and Tongass National Forest applicable historic context documents. Subsequent classifications based on other descriptive criteria may be used in addition to the standard classification, provided that correlations are clearly identified.

All pre-field and field research, laboratory analysis, and reports are to meet professional standards as determined through review by the Forest Service. Archival research, particularly as it pertains to historic or traditional (tribal) uses of a project area, will be conducted prior to initiating field surveys.

Prefield File Search and Historic Data Searches All project work will include a records review to determine the types of cultural resources that could be present within the APE and the surrounding area. All cultural resources surveys and all cultural resources identified within ½ mile of the project’s APE will be included in this review. At a minimum, the records review shall include data gathered from 1) the Forest cultural resource files, GIS layers, and databases; 2) the AHRS database system, as appropriate; 3) other historic documents or cultural resources research and technical reports such as Government Land Office searches, BLM land patents, mineral surveys, borough records, published articles and books, ethnographic literature and other historic resources as appropriate; and 4) the current National Register listing. Based on these data, an overview of the precontact, historic, and ethnographic knowledge of the region scaled to the size and scope of the project will be produced.

Unless otherwise stipulated, all previously identified cultural resources or potential cultural resources are to be included in the cultural overview, and an effort will be made to locate all such previously identified or possible resources within the APE during the archaeological inventory.

The records review will be included in both the draft and final report, and will include a summary of the above information with emphasis on each previously identified cultural resource located within ½ mile of the project’s APE, including any known information about the site, which could include a summary of artifacts, list of features, brief description of environmental setting, and previous National Register determinations of eligibility. Records Review will also include a map of the APE, location of the previously identified cultural resources, and any previous surveys identified during the records review;

may be more than one map, depending on the scope, scale, and complexity of the undertaking. See Appendix B for mapping standards.

Field Work Requirements The permittee or contractor shall supply qualified personnel to conduct archaeological survey for and inventory of cultural resources within the Chugach and Tongass National Forest, Alaska. Where necessary, as determined by the Forest Service in consultation with Alaska Native tribes and Alaska

Native corporations, the permittee or contractor may also be required to provide qualified personnel to conduct oral history interviews and other ethnohistoric research.

General There are basic logistical and environmental conditions under which archaeological field work should be performed.

Logistical Needs Common to all Archaeological Investigations Notify the COR/agency Heritage Professional that fieldwork is commencing prior to conducting fieldwork. This step is critical to ensuring the safety of the crew and is required to show compliance with the contract and/or permit. Once this information is received, the COR/agency Heritage Professional will notify the appropriate District personnel (i.e. District Ranger, Law Enforcement) of the planned work schedule. Keep the COR/agency Heritage Professional appraised of any changes to the field schedule.

Minimum Standards and Specifications

1) To ensure complete coverage of surveyed areas, the permittee or contractor shall conform to the inventory strategy described in Appendix D of the Alaska Region PA. Surveyors should be spaced at intervals of no more than 20 meters (approximately 60 feet). Frequent subsurface sampling using a combination of soil probes and shovel test pits will be excavated to non-cultural sediments below the cultural horizon, when possible. Spacing should be reduced as warranted by vegetation and ground cover or if a high probability for cultural resources is suspected. Also, surveyors shall keep and record field notes describing terrain and vegetational features, cultural remains, observational problems, and procedures used to accommodate or compensate for them. Legible field notes shall be submitted for review by the COR/Heritage Professional upon request.

2) Transect centerlines shall be tracked using GPS or map and compass. See Appendix A for spatial data collection standards.

3) Cultural resource locations and survey/inventory areas shall be recorded in the field in accordance with Appendix A Spatial Data Standards. If cultural materials are encountered, shovel test pits and/or soil probes will be deployed from the initial point of discovery, in all four cardinal directions, at five (5) to (10) meter intervals to locate an approximate site boundary.

4) Each discovered cultural resource shall be documented using the Forest Service Cultural Resource

Record (CRR). See Appendix C of the Alaska Region PA. Isolated finds (See Appendix C) shall be documented and assigned Forest Service cultural resources numbers but shall not be assigned an AHRS number.

a) Minimum data to be included in cultural resources documentation includes:

• Location

• Function (where possible)

• Cultural affiliation (where possible)

• Chronology (where possible)

• Site dimensions [precontact resources in metric (meters, centimeters, etc.); historic resources in standard measurements (feet, inches, etc.)]

• Description of artifacts, features, artifact concentrations, and internal spatial patterning

• Environmental setting

• Depth potential and how it was estimated

• Site condition (integrity)

• Site risks (if applicable)

• Forest Service and AHRS numbers assigned to each cultural resource

b) Minimum data to be included in isolated find documentation (See Appendix D) includes:

• Forest Service cultural resources numbers assigned to each isolated find

• Location

• Description, including:

o Function (where possible) o Cultural affiliation (where possible) o Chronology (where possible) o Dimensions [precontact resources in metric (meters, centimeters, etc.); historic resources in standard measurements (feet, inches, etc.)

o Environmental setting

c) Linear Features:

i) Historic linear features, such as roads, railroad lines, utility lines, flumes, or irrigation ditches, often possess varying states of preservation, and their recordation can be problematical because they often extend well outside of an APE. As a result, and unless previously agreed to by the Forest Service in consultation with other parties, the recording of historic linear features shall extend no more than 30 meters beyond the APE boundaries.

The site form for a historic linear feature will include:

• Location and boundaries (if known or no more than 30 meters beyond the APE boundaries)

• Description, including dimensions of the feature and any identified associated features, each of which shall be recorded and described

• Setting, or the degree of alteration of the surrounding landscape past the period of use of the feature

ii) Historic cultural resources represented by linear features may be eligible for the National Register, but often possess various levels of integrity along their route. As a result, individual segments within the APE should be recorded and evaluated as to whether they retain sufficient integrity to convey significance (i.e., are contributing to the National Register significance) or have lost integrity and no longer contributing to the overall eligibility of the resource.

d) Architectural Features:

i) Basic recordation of architectural resources may be completed by archaeologists or other appropriate personnel and included in the report (for example, the level of documentation required for a Section 106 review). Specific projects may require the services of a qualified architectural historian to complete a detailed recordation and/or to prepare a historic property management plan (for example HABS/HAER documentation, management plans, National Register nominations, historic contexts, complex eligibility determinations, and Secretary of Interior treatment recommendations applicable to historic architectural resources).

5) Monitor known, previously identified cultural resources within the APE using the following protocols:

a) Use existing CRR or site information as a baseline. Note any changes to the condition of the site such as disturbances, natural or manmade threats, surface visibility, etc.

b) Create an updated CRR following the guidelines in section 4) above.

c) If a known cultural resource has not been evaluated against National Register criteria, collect enough data in the field to prepare a determination of eligibility. This may require additional testing and/or inventory. Use professional discretion.

6) Mapping and photographic standards for cultural resources documentation are as follows:

a) Each discovered cultural resource will be mapped. Each map will include sketch topographic information, including sketch contour lines appropriate to the scale of the resource. Cultural resource maps will include definition of site boundaries, positive subsurface probes and tests (i.e. shell midden, lithics), core area, areas of disturbance, surface artifact concentrations and features. Cultural resource maps will contain only information important in describing the cultural resource. Cultural resource maps will show the entire cultural resource, including areas outside the survey boundaries or APE, with the exception of linear features (See 4c above). All maps will include a north arrow and scale, metric for precontact resources and standard (US English Measurement) for historic resources. See Appendix B for mapping standards.

b) Each discovered cultural resource will be photographed using a scale, with the exception of overviews. As many photographs as are necessary should be taken to clearly depict the condition of each cultural resource and the features present. At least one photograph shall show the physical environment and configuration of the land making up the cultural resource.

Take a photograph of the site from the beach or other opening if applicable. Photographs should also illustrate surface evidence of features and cultural resource disturbance. All photographs shall be submitted to the COR/Heritage Professional for review with the draft documentation package. A photo log will be maintained, see submission requirements at the end of Appendix B.

c) Each discovered cultural resource will be mapped using GPS for inclusion in the Forest Service database, including collecting a GPS point for all positive soil tests and probes. Follow Appendix A Spatial Data Standards. Prior to fieldwork, the contractor and the COR/agency Heritage Professional shall discuss specific contract/permit requirements, such as the spatial recordation of linear cultural resources. Linear features such as roads and trails should be submitted as polygons that represent their actual width. Linear features can be collected but must be post-processed by buffering the feature to represent the appropriate width of the resource before submittal. Examples of potential linear cultural resources include roads, trails, railroad lines, utility lines, flumes, or irrigation ditches. It should be recognized that linear features such as roads may have associated features that would also need to be recorded.

d) Field maps, field notes and forms, report maps, photographs, photo logs, and artifact catalogues will be conveyed to Forest Service upon completion of the fieldwork (typically with the draft documentation package). Upon Forest Service review and comment, the draft report will be corrected and resubmitted to the agency as the final documentation package. This documentation will include digital copies of the final report and any CRRs associated with the project. See Report Submission section for details. Digital files of all GPS and GIS data will be provided as part of the final documentation package to the Forest Service in the format described in Appendix A Spatial Data Standards.

e) Any markers or flagging used during the inventory will be removed before leaving the field, unless otherwise specified in the statement of work. All shovel test and excavation units will be backfilled prior to leaving the field.

7) Regarding artifact collection and analysis, the permittee or contractor shall adhere to the following:

a) Collections will follow the limited collection policy described in the Alaska Region PA.

i) If collections are to be made, the permittee or contractor shall ensure that these are placed in the Federal repository approved and/or designated by the Forest Supervisor in their permit. When conducting a controlled excavation, the permittee or contractor shall submit an acceptable research design with the permit application. In either case, surveyors shall collect diagnostic artifacts (by time, function, etc.), along with appropriate material samples for analysis (Carbon-14, pollen, etc.). If such finds are isolated, the provenience of each shall be collected following Appendix A Spatial Data Standards and plotted on the topographic project map. If such finds are located within the boundaries of a cultural resource, the provenience of each shall be plotted on the cultural resource map portion of the CRR. All such finds shall be identified, described, organized, provenienced, and packed according to guidelines set by 36 CFR 79 Curation of Federally-Owned and Administered Archeological Collections, as well as additional policies and guidelines employed by the Federal repository named in the permit application. The material, thus treated, shall be conveyed to a Federal repository approved and/or designated by the Forest Supervisor upon completion of the fieldwork.

ii) Include inventories of all collected items/artifact catalog and samples as an appendix to the final report.

iii) Should unanticipated conservation needs arise in the field, consider contacting conservation staff at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau.

iv) If artifacts are not collected, formal tools should be photographed and returned to the probe or test unit from which they came, or if recovered from the surface, left in situ. If the permittee or contractor is concerned that the artifact will be removed, then they can place the item in a safe spot within site boundaries. If they choose to move the item, they are required to take a GPS point at the new location.

b) The permittee or contractor should expect to encounter artifacts manufactured from a wide variety of materials. At a minimum, site descriptions should include identifications of raw material types and apparent functional/typological classes encountered in cultural resource assemblages. Wherever possible, artifacts should be further characterized as to size, form, and typology, referenced to some specified typological system. Similar information regarding isolated artifacts shall be recorded on an Isolated Find form (Appendix D).

c) The permittee or contractor shall inspect all previously identified cultural resources within the project area(s) and record on the CRR any additions or changes to the cultural resource's condition, including if it could not be relocated, and describe these additions or changes in the narrative of the report. Each known cultural resource encountered/monitored will be photographed.

Report Requirements A preliminary written letter report or email shall be prepared upon completion of the fieldwork and submitted to the COR/agency Heritage professional for review as described in the contract or permit. Be sure to emphasize any immediate threat to cultural resources in the preliminary report. A complete draft documentation package (described below) and a final documentation package shall be furnished to the COR/agency Heritage professional for review and comment.

The documentation shall, in form and content, conform to recognized professional standards applicable to cultural resources. It is designed to provide the Forest Service with both findings and management data. Maps, tables, figures, and photographs included in the inventory report should be numbered sequentially and referenced within the report narrative.

Report Content While no categories of information shall be considered excluded by these specifications and no rigid format is required, at a minimum, the report shall contain at least the following information:

1) Title Page should include the project name, ranger district, Forest and borough, author(s) name(s), author title(s) and affiliation(s), principal investigator(s) title(s), and report date.

2) Include a confidentiality statement at the beginning of the report.

3) A Table of Contents that is arranged in accordance with the sequence of topical headings and sub-headings, with corresponding page numbers.

4) An Abstract and Management Summary should include a brief statement of report contents, findings, and recommendations. The summary should:

a) Describe the undertaking, total acreage surveyed (including a breakdown of public and private land surveyed);

b) Summarize the number of cultural resources documented and the number of cultural resources recommended as eligible and not eligible to the National Register;

c) Summarize the nature of historic properties within the project area, to include site type and condition; and

d) Provide recommendations for the preservation of historic properties within the APE.

5) Introduction should include:

a) Discussion of the nature and goals of the project;

b) Location and general description of the project area (at least one map is required, see Appendix

B);

c) A general description of natural setting and environmental background, including flora, fauna, climate, geology, and soils, and any other significant information, emphasizing aspects pertinent to the project findings. The environmental background provides the parameters of the landscape that limit or allow cultural use (such as geology, past and present vegetation and hydrology patterns, landscape islands, past cultural modifications, etc.);

d) A general overview of cultural setting, including a brief discussion of area chronology, settlement patterns and cultural resource types, subsistence patterns;

e) Records review summary. See ‘Prefield File Search and Historic Data Searches’ section above;

f) Expectations section briefly describes the type and density of artifacts, sites, and features anticipated to be encountered during the field work based on the information gathered during the overview research, should summarize or reference permit research design; and

g) Any other significant information, emphasizing aspects pertinent to the project findings.

6) Investigative Methods and Results should include a brief description of field tactics employed, including number of crews, dates of fieldwork, number and names of personnel employed in the fieldwork, spacing, and observation difficulties. Management information shall include number of cultural resources and isolates inventoried, number of known cultural resources monitored, total number of acres surveyed, and rates of survey. Include discussion of how Alaska Region PA Appendix D was utilized if applicable.

7) Analytic Methods need to include specific and complete description of field and/or laboratory techniques used to classify and date artifacts, features, and other techniques used to analyze data.

The description of standard published methods may be incorporated by reference.

8) Project Findings: All newly identified and revisited/monitored cultural resources shall be discussed in terms of type, estimated age, artifact assemblage, and any other pertinent information. Each inventoried cultural resource will be discussed individually. If multiple (n > 5) cultural resources are involved, the cultural resource discussions shall be accompanied by a table which summarizes the descriptive and classificatory information. While no categories of information shall be considered excluded by these specifications and no rigid format is required, at a minimum, each cultural resources discussion shall contain the Forest Service cultural resources number and corresponding AHRS number, other cultural resource numbers, legal description, UTM and latitude/longitude coordinates, USGS topographic quadrangle(s), on-site terrain and vegetation, artifact assemblage, features, and disturbances. This section of the report should include at least one topographic map identifying all cultural resources visited within the project area.

Be sure to include a discussion of the results of subsurface probing and testing. Include both negative and positive testing/probing results.

Each discussed cultural resource will be accompanied by a cultural resource site map. Cultural resources maps will be drafted versions of the field maps. Report maps shall, in form and content, conform to recognized professional standards applicable to cultural resources reports. Each map shall include appropriate captions, north arrow, scale bar (See Appendix B Mapping Standards), UTM and latitude/longitude coordinates of datum, datum, and date recorded.

9) Data Synthesis and Historic Context should provide a concise synthesis of the project data, depicting the human use and occupation of the project area from precontact times to the present. The historic context serves as the basis for making eligibility determinations.

a) The synthesis shall summarize information derived from existing data and literature, including applicable Chugach and Tongass National Forest historic context documents, and shall include a comprehensive chronology and classification of site types. This discussion should be processual in nature and deal specifically, but not exclusively, with the changes in settlement patterns and land use, land tenure, the changing nature of cultural systems within the area over time, and other topics necessary to provide a coherent synthesis of human use and occupation of the area. The framework for the synthesis shall be the themes that have been identified from the history of research on the cultural resources of the Chugach and Tongass National Forests.

b) The historic context addresses significant research questions (reference permit research design) relevant to the cultural resources recorded in the APE. A historic context will be developed for the site types encountered within the APE (e.g., precontact village, historic mining, etc.). Refer to national, state-wide, regional and Forest-level contexts that have already been developed.

The scope of the historic contexts will be scaled to the size and complexity of the project and the resources encountered. Each cultural resource’s potential to answer specific research questions will be considered in determining eligibility under criterion D, and must be documented in the evaluations.

10) Maps: The report shall include, at a minimum:

a) A vicinity map (based off the 1/2 inch to a mile Forest map);

b) A project area map (based off the USGS topographic quadrangles);

c) A project map of previously surveyed locations showing previously conducted inventory and previously identified cultural resources (based off the USGS topographic quadrangles);

d) A project map of newly surveyed locations showing newly conducted inventory and newly identified and revisited/monitored cultural resources (based off the USGS topographic quadrangles); and

e) An isolated finds map (based off the USGS topographic quadrangles).

11) Figures and Tables should be utilized as appropriate to the scale and complexity of the project. If used they should be referenced in the narrative.

12) Management Information and Recommendations shall:

a) State the results of consulting the National Register and the cultural resources inventories of the Chugach and/or Tongass National Forests;

b) Evaluate all newly identified and previously identified but unevaluated cultural resources in terms of their eligibility for nomination to the National Register. All cultural resources are to be assessed for significance in the draft and final inventory reports with reference to the developed historic context(s). Statements should be brief, but provide justification for the recommendation that includes, but should not be limited to, quoting or paraphrasing general criteria. Historic contexts used for evaluation shall be derived from those developed by professionally accepted sources (Alaska SHPO, Forest Service, etc.). Significance is determined by applying the criteria for inclusion in the National Register (36 CFR 60.4). Cultural resources may be significant at a local, regional, or national level, and this should be discussed as appropriate.

c) The Section 106 process requires the Forest Service to determine if properties are eligible for the National Register. In limited cases (e.g., further site testing is warranted), the label "unevaluated" for inclusion in the National Register may be used. Unevaluated resources are treated as eligible per FSM 2363.22. Permittees/contractors should attempt to complete National Register recommendations based on surface features, soil probing, and limited shovel testing archaeological inventory information whenever possible.

d) Identify any cultural resources which appear to require immediate management attention because of recent or on-going impacts, whether due to natural (e.g. erosion) or cultural (vandalism) agents; and

e) State recommendations for avoiding or mitigating any potential impacts which may result from proposed project activities. The management recommendations address effects to National Register listed, eligible, and unevaluated cultural resources, making suggestions for avoiding, minimizing, or reducing any potential adverse effects. These could include, but are not limited to, avoidance measures, fencing, project redesign, monitoring, and mitigation (data recovery) if avoidance is not possible. Monitoring recommendations could include pre and/or post project implementation.

DO NOT make recommendations regarding cultural resource “clearance” for the project. Forest Service will make a finding of effect determination.

13) Summary or Conclusions section. This would be short and include a recommendation for finding of effect if applicable.

14) A Bibliography or References Cited section shall reference all citations in the text, including printed manuscripts, websites, and other results from archival research. Citations should conform to the style of American Antiquity. References are not required to represent an exhaustive review of the relevant literature, but should be extensive enough to support the report’s discussions in a commonly accepted scholarly manner.

15) The Appendices shall include complete CRRs, Isolated Find forms, table of isolated finds, and maps.

Other appendices may include additional supporting maps, archival documents in support of an historic context, results from specialized analysis, inventories of collected items/artifact catalog, and a sample log.

Report Submission All photographs must be submitted electronically (either via e-mail or other agreed upon media, see Appendix B Illustration Standards). Photographs within the report and CRRs shall be captioned with the Forest Service cultural resources number and AHRS number, project name, name of photographer, date of the photograph, and description of the view indicating the direction of the shot. Photographs not used in the project report or CRR will be submitted separately with a corresponding photograph log.

Draft Report: The draft report is to be written as though it is the final report, including all maps, tables, figures, works cited, and CRRs. Forest Service expects that the need for revisions to the draft report is minimal. A need for major revisions or an inordinate number of editorial mistakes to the draft report will be seen as unacceptable, and may jeopardize a permit or unfavorably affect contract performance, as well as result in the report being “unreviewable” until it is written to meet the standards outlined herein. The draft report documentation package includes:

1) Full report (submit a minimum one digital copy that is compatible with Microsoft and Adobe software, unless prior arrangements have been made with the COR/Heritage Professional regarding submission standards)

2) CRRs (including Forest Service cultural resource numbers and AHRS numbers (the latter issued by SHPO), and any associated field/temporary numbers; submit a minimum one digital copy that is compatible with Microsoft and/or Adobe software, unless prior arrangements have been made with the COR/Heritage Professional regarding submission standards)

3) List of isolates

4) GIS shapefiles of all inventoried areas, cultural resources, and isolate locations following Appendix A

Spatial Data Standards

5) All project photos and accompanying photo log on agreed upon technological format

Unless otherwise approved by the COR/agency Heritage Professional, the draft report documentation package will be submitted no more than 60 days after the completion of fieldwork. The Forest Service will have a minimum of 30 calendar days in which to review the documentation package and inform the permittee/contractor if the Forest Service accepts the package as is, accepts it with editorial modifications, rejects the documention package pending substantive changes, or that the Forest Service needs further review time. Should corrections be warranted, the final report documentation package must be returned to the Forest Service within 30 days of receipt of Forest Service comments, unless prior arrangements have been made with the COR/agency Heritage Professional.

Final Report: The final report documentation package must be submitted to the COR/agency Heritage Professional and include one digital copy that is compatible with Microsoft software and one digital copy that is compatible with Adobe software (unless otherwise negotiated). The contractor/permittee is responsible to provide the Forest Service with the necessary numbers of copies needed for the purposes of consultation, record keeping, data sharing, etc.

The Forest Service is responsible for consultation with SHPO and Alaska Native tribes and corporations.

The contractor/permittee is not responsible for Section 106 consultation.

The contractor/permittee must obtain the permission of the Forest Service before submitting or distributing copies of the final report documentation package to a project proponent or any other individual, organization, group, or agency. The products of the cultural resource inventory are the property of the Forest Service. The COR/agency Heritage Professional may distribute copies of the report to others (e.g., tribes, state and local governments, proponents, etc.). Findings and data resulting from the project may be incorporated into public presentations and publications.

Appendix A – Spatial Standards

GPS Standards Recreational grade GPS units are discouraged, real-time or post processing differential correction is encouraged, and accuracy data is required.

Enable GPS averaging for more accurate data collection.

Provide GPS receiver make and model. Provide external antenna make and model if used.

Ensure that the following raw data remains intact with the GPS file:

• Position dilution of precision (PDOP), and

• Horizontal dilution of precision (HDOP)

When workflow and technology is capable, run a correction post-processing step if necessary. For example, if using an iPad or similar android device, then there should be an external GPS receiver that provides real time or on the fly correction status updates.

GIS Standards All GIS data shall be provided as either a Geodatabase Feature Class or a Shapefile Feature Class using the North American Datum 83 (NAD 83) Zone 6 North. Provide the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system (Northing and Easting) with the appropriate map zone and latitude/longitude in Decimal Degrees including principle meridian.

The following attributes are minimum requirements and should accompany submitted spatial data in the form of Attribute Tables. Additional details and metadata are welcome.

1. Submit polygons of inventoried areas created from points and transect lines collected in the field. Attribute tables should be configured with data fields found in the table below. Certain fields have standard values from which to select. The values correspond to those in the Forest Service database of record.

Inventories (polygons):

SURVEY ID PROJECT_NAME PROJECT_NUMBER SURVEY_DATE COMPANY/AGENCY

NAME

FIELD_METHOD_NARRATIVE FIELD_METHOD_TYPE SURVEY_STRATEGY SURVEY_TRANSECT_INTENSITY ACCURACY

(m)

COMMENTS

6/11/2020

Survey using standard procedures detailed in Alaska FS Heritage Program Management Programmatic Agreement.

Pedestrian Field Survey

Reconnaissance -non statistical

0-15 meters

Survey using soil probe and shovel testing

Subsurface Probing during Field Survey

Intensive Survey -complete examination of

APE

0-25 meters

Visual Reconnaissance Other: Please Explain Sample Survey -statistical 16-30 meters

Other: Please Explain

20-40 meters

31-50 meters

> 50 meters

Other: Please Explain

2. Each cultural resource must have GIS data. Points shall be collected for a Site Datum, Positive Test Locations, or Features. When satellite coverage or canopy do not allow for accurate collection of multiple points, use the compass and tape method described in the Tips section below. Polygons shall represent Site Boundaries and Features as appropriate. Attribute tables should be configured with data fields found in the table below. Linear features such as roads and trails should be submitted as polygons that represent their actual width. Linear features can be collected but must be post-processed by buffering the feature to represent the appropriate width of the resource before submittal.

Cultural Resources (points and polygons):

CULTURAL RESOURCE TABLE TO ACCOMPANY POINT AND POLYGON SPATIAL DATA

PROJECT

NAME

PROJECT

NUMBER

RESOURCE_ID

(AHRS, FIELD

ID or FS

NUMBER)

RESOURCE_NAME DATE_VISITED_OR_RECORDED COMPANY/AGENCY

NAME

SITE_TYPE POINT_TYPE

(DATUM,

TEST,

FEATURE)

POLYGON_TYPE

(FEATURE,

BOUNDARY)

ACCURACY

Isolated Finds (points):

ISOLATED FINDS TABLE TO ACCOMPANY POINT SPATIAL DATA

PROJECT

NAME

PROJECT

NUMBER

FIELD

NUMBER)

DATE_VISITED_OR_RECORDED COMPANY/AGENCY

NAME

ACCURACY

Accuracy Forest Service Heritage staff strive for 1-5 m accuracy; low accuracy is usually due to canopy density, mountainous terrain, position of satellites on the horizon and potentially time of day.

Provide justification for the GPS equipment and post processing methodology used so that identified Heritage Professional can ensure professional standards were met. For example, ‘we used a new iPad and there was no post processing software available, so we used our external receiver while in the field’ or ‘satellite coverage or canopy did not allow sub meter accuracy’. Explain why you decided to use the data collection tools you selected for this job.

Tips Tips for collecting data and mapping cultural resources in the Alaska Region:

Inventories:

• Bring hardcopy aerial imagery and topo maps in the field as a backup since accurate GPS point, line or polygon data is sometimes hard to achieve.

• Collect points or polylines along your survey transect rather than streaming a line (our satellite coverage is generally not good enough to collect lines or polygons). Create a polygon based on points collected that will accurately reflect the area inventoried.

Cultural Resources:

• Establish a datum with your GPS. Go to the beach or the nearest canopy opening, stand at one spot and set your datum. Collect as many points as necessary to acquire good accuracy.

• From the datum use a compass and tape to map site features, positive tests, and environmental attributes like terraces, streams and vegetation. Using tape and compass set up additional datums as needed from the high accuracy datum you collected with your GPS unit.

• Use a polyline or collect point data to define your site boundaries if accuracy is sufficient (1-5 m).

• If you have hardware/software that yields sub-meter accuracy, mapping site features with the GPS unit is acceptable.

Appendix B – Map and Image Standards Mapping Standards Mapping data provides spatial relationships of cultural resources data not easily transmitted through text or photographs. Maps used in cultural resources reports and site forms can include but are not limited to project location maps, site and isolate location maps, and site plan view maps.

Project location maps show the inventory area and the APE without displaying site and isolate locations.

These maps may appear in the body of the report, and may become public. Include site level, project level (example at end of appendix), and geographic level maps.

ALL maps (including sketch maps) will contain the following information:

• Base map used

• Scale (see below for specifics)

• North arrow

• Township/Range/Section

• Forest Service project number

Site location maps will contain the following additional information:

• Site boundary or point

• Relation of sites and isolates to APE boundary

• Scale, use professional discretion when selecting a map scale. 1:24,000 is considered standard.

A complete set of site and isolate location maps using the USGS topographic base maps need to be provided in each report; individual site location and sketch maps will also be included with each site form.

Site plan view maps should convey information about the site at an appropriate scale. This information provides a visual reference for information provided elsewhere in the report and site form.

Site plan view maps will contain the following additional information:

• Features - numbered if more than one of each is present

• Locations of internal spatial patterning (e.g., concentrations of artifacts and/or features)

• Natural features on the landscape within the site boundaries

• Any artifacts called out in the site form or report

• Author (archaeologist responsible for data shown on map)

• Date of data collection in field

• Scale (precontact resources metric, historic resources standard)

• Datum

Photograph Standards At a minimum, all artifact and feature photographs will be of sufficient quality to document the essential diagnostic elements of the artifact/feature. To achieve this goal, the following data requirements must be met for a site to be considered fully documented:

Artifact and feature photographs shall meet the following data criteria:

• Images will be taken using a camera with 10 megapixels or better resolution

• Images will be reproduced at a minimum size of 3 x 5 inches using 600 dpi

• Universally acceptable format such as jpg., tiff., etc.

• All images will contain an easily interpretable scale [metric for precontact artifacts and standard

(US English Measurement) for historic artifacts]

• Minimum perspective photographs of precontact artifacts: front and back, minimally, and ideally profile, if practicable

• Minimum perspective photographs of historic artifacts: representative sample of each makers mark on site, all distinguishing characteristics (e.g. pattern, vessel form, etc.)

• If the aforementioned data criteria and critical elements cannot be met using digital photog-raphy then the artifact(s) in question will be sketched by hand in order to meet these re-quirements

Artifact photographs shall convey the following critical elements:

• Length, width, thickness (in metric for precontact artifacts; standard for historic artifacts)

• Material type and color (may require additional written notations)

• Flaking scars (where applicable)

• Presence or absence of re-working (where applicable)

• Use-wear, polish, or other evidence of use (where applicable, e.g. groundstone)

• Makers mark or manufacturing trademark (where applicable)

• Distinguishing or diagnostic characteristics

Captions to artifact photographs will contain:

• Dimensions (length, width, thickness)

• Assigned artifact number (if more than one is present)

• Raw material

• Artifact type

• Forest Service cultural resources site number and AHRS number

• Forest Service project number

• UTM and latitude/longitude

Submission Requirements:

All digital images will be submitted in an acceptable electronic format. Photo logs are to be submitted with the draft report documentation package. Minimum data to include in the photo log, which is to be attached to the report as an Appendix, include description, UTM and latitude/longitude, Forest Service project number, Forest Service cultural resources number and AHRS number, direction/orientation, date, photographer, camera used, and photo number.

Appendix C – Isolated Finds

Use professional discretion when deciding whether to record an isolated artifact, isolated feature, or culturally modified tree (CMT) or a group of CMTs (grove) as a site or as an isolated find (IF). Sites will be recorded on a Cultural Resource Record (CRR, Appendix F) and IFs will be recorded on the IF form (Appendix D).

Due to their infrequency and significance, the following isolates will be recorded as a site on a CRR:

• Stone Tools

• Historic or Precontact Rock Cairns

When isolated CMTs or multiple CMTs are recorded on an IF form, there is no requirement to populate the location information section of the IF form. Instead, document the following for each tree (see CMT section of form):

• GPS Waypoint (Latitude/Longitude)

• Type of scarring

• Tree species

If there is any uncertainty about which form to use, reach out to the COR/agency Heritage professional.

The COR/agency Heritage professional may require additional documentation upon review of findings.

Call orders and/or operating plans may include more specific guidance relevant to IFs

IFs recorded on an IF form will be given a project specific field number but will not be given a Forest Service cultural resource number or an AHRS number. The IF field number will follow this format:

• IF designates that this is an isolated find

• Project number assigned by COR/agency Heritage professional (replace R with IF)

• # - sequential number assigned by contractor/permittee

• Example o Report number is R2022100420002 o Field number for first IF recorded is IF2022100420002-1 o Field number for second recorded is IF2022100420002-2 o And so on

See Appendix A for spatial data requirements for IFs recorded on an IF form.

Definitions Isolated Artifact – A single artifact that is spatially discrete from any other artifacts; a single artifact broken into two or more pieces (e.g., broken historic-aged bottle) may be recorded as an isolated artifact as long as no other artifacts or features are associated. Artifact must be more than 50 years old.

Isolated Feature – A single feature unassociated with other features or artifact scatters (e.g., prospect pit, adit, shaft, wolf trap, marten trap set, monument) may be recorded as an isolated feature. Feature must be more than 50 years old.

Culturally Modified Tree – A tree or group of trees that has/have been altered by human use. Alteration must be more than 50 years old. See Appendix E for additional information, including illustrations of types of scarring:

• Trees harvested or modified for a variety of products, including but not limited to wood for canoes, totems, and houses, bark for baskets, mats, and clothing, and cambium for food. Must exhibit clear tool marks. Thickness of healing lobe indicates relative age.

o An illustrated classification of common types of scarring is included in Appendix E.

• Other modifications include notching, blazing, and marking associated with the timber…