Arrow_Creek_Section_110_Inventory_SOW.pdf

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United States Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

North Central Montana District – Lewistown Field Office

LEWISTOWN FIELD OFFICE

ARROW CREEK B.C.A.

CULTURAL RESOURCE SECTION 110 INVENTORY

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. Introduction and Background:

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Lewistown Field Office (LFO) is proposing a Class

III cultural resource inventory and report preparation to comply with the requirements of Section

110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. § 306102 (b)(3)). Section 110 of the NHPA sets out the broad historic preservation responsibilities of Federal agencies and is intended to ensure that historic preservation is fully integrated into the ongoing programs of all

Federal agencies. The proposal for this project includes conducting a proactive Class III inventory of approximately 850 acres within the Arrow Creek Backcountry Conservation Area.

The project is located approximately 12 miles north of Denton, MT in Fergus County. The purpose and need of this inventory are to identify cultural resources, interpret, protect and preserve, and to facilitate the need to answer research questions as outlined by the Statewide

Strategy for BLMs Cultural Resources program implementation.

II. Project Location:

The project area is in Fergus County, in Central Montana within the administrative boundary of the BLM Lewistown Field Office. The specific location of the proposed survey area is listed in

(Table 1), and is approximately 12 miles north of Denton, MT. The inventory parcel is limited to public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The inventory parcels are accessible by public road via the North Denton Road. Road access to the identified survey area is gained as follows: From Denton, MT Follow North Denton Road north for approximately 12 miles. The road will bisect BLM admin in section 15. Access is gained from this point.

Specific parcels are identified on the attached maps and GIS data is available, totaling an area of approximately 850 acres. The Final Deliverable for this contract needs to be completed by Dec.15th, 2025.

Table 1: Project Location

County Township Range Section

Fergus T20N R14E 15, 20,21,22,29,30,31

TOTAL: 850 acres

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III. Specific Background:

A Class III intensive field inventory is a professionally conducted, continuous, intensive survey of an entire target area aimed at locating and recording all cultural properties that have surface and exposed profile indications. In general, a Class III survey is accomplished through systematic inspection carried out by walking a series of close- interval parallel transects until the area has been thoroughly examined. Artificial exposure of the subsurface (metal detecting, auger probing or shovel testing) is sometimes a necessary part of Class III surveys and should be included in identification efforts if ground/surface visibility is completely obscured by heavy vegetative cover. The project area is within the Arrow Creek Drainage; landforms are marked by rocky terrain, deeply incised drainages, steep slopes, and narrow ridges. A thorough examination in these conditions can be challenging. Variation from standard Class III inventory strategies must be defended.

Paleontological localities, if identified, should be noted and reported; complete documentation, however, is not part of this contract. Potential Fossil Yield Class indicates higher than average

(5 PFYC) throughout the survey area.

IV. Objectives.

General Bureau Objective.

The overall Bureau objective is to meet the requirements of Section 110 of the National

Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 306102 (b)(3)) by identifying, documenting, evaluating, and managing historic properties. These requirements will be met in accordance with the requirements for a Class III Inventory as outlined in the BLM-Montana, North Dakota, South

Dakota Handbook H-8110-1 Guidelines for Identifying Cultural Resources and Montana State

Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) guidance.

Specific Study Objectives.

To identify and evaluate, based primarily on surface indications, all cultural resources located on lands identified for survey within the understudied Arrow Creek Backcountry Conservation

Area. In general, site evaluations should be conducted using existing guidance from the Montana

SHPO, the National Register Criteria (36 CFR 60.4), and the National Park Service National

Register Bulletins.

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V. Statement of Work.

A. The bid proposal shall clearly outline the fieldwork methods and qualifications of personnel to be used in the survey. Personnel qualifications shall be consistent with the

BLM Manual 8150, Permitting Uses of Cultural Resources (BLM 2004). The Contractor must have a BLM Montana Cultural Resources Permit that will be valid for the duration of the Period of Performance. The Contractor must be the Principal Investigator and Field

Director listed on the permit.

B. The Contractor shall conduct a site file and literature search with the Montana SHPO to obtain site forms and shapefiles at a minimum, to complete project tasks. The purpose of this file search is to ensure that the Contractor is familiar with all previous work conducted in the general area of the project. This information will be a necessary component of the inventory report. The Contractor may contact North Central Montana District (NCMD) BLM archaeologist Josh Uecker for shapefiles of the project area and additional BLM cultural resource records information upon request. The contractor must submit a BLM Fieldwork

Authorization request to BLM Lewistown Field Manager or NCMD archaeologist for approval prior to commencing fieldwork.

C. The Contractor shall notify the North Central Montana District archaeologist, Josh

Uecker, via email at least seven (7) days prior to the planned date to begin fieldwork. The

BLM will provide a written confirmation via email. The Contractors crew chiefs shall always be in possession of copies of the contract and BLM confirmation of the email to proceed during fieldwork. All fieldwork shall be completed within the date range identified in the Period of Performance. Qualified crew chiefs shall always be present during fieldwork.

D. The Contractor shall perform an on-the-ground search for all cultural resources located in the project unit identified for survey. The Contractor shall serve as the Principal Investigator and Field Director of an inventory crew charged with identifying and evaluating cultural resources located in the project area; and with writing an inventory report upon completion of field work.

E. Formal testing or collection will not be conducted. Artificial exposure of the subsurface

(via auger or shovel testing) is sometime necessary to determine formal site eligibility to the

National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). If limited testing is necessary to determine site eligibility, the contractor will first contact the NCMD BLM archaeologist for review. If historic period architectural structures or remains are located the contractor is expected to conduct a land title examination as part of the site identification and evaluation effort.

F. The Contractor shall employ the Montana SHPO criteria for minimum site definition, i.e., an archaeological or historical site consists of any feature alone or in association with other features (cairns, stone rings) or five or more artifacts situated in a discrete location within 50 meters of each other and/or artifacts or features located more than 100 meters from each other but in obvious association. Sites may also include locations which contain no physical evidence but are important for their associations with the traditions of a group, ethnic community, or Indian tribe; e.g., National Register Bulletin 38. Linear cultural resources (ie.

4 | P a g e historic roads, ditches, rock alignments) shall be recorded in their entirety (albeit only field checked for the portion of the linear site within project boundaries). Isolated features, such as historic mining prospect pits or claim markers, shall be recorded as a site. Isolated finds are classified as any cultural artifact that is not a site. Reference the Montana SHPO for further guidance.

VI. The Contractor shall:

1. Cover the area to be inventoried on foot by employing standard survey methodology.

Systematic linear transect intervals will be spaced 25 meters or less. Steep landforms, such as rock faces, talus/scree slopes, and cliffs, should be inspected for the possibility of cultural remains including but not limited to human burials, rock shelters/caves, hunting blinds, rock art, and historic mining features. If transects are widened the contractor shall document the rationale employed which justifies deviation from the standard interval distance. Justification must be clearly made and thoroughly documented for any areas not surveyed under this contract and will be reviewed by the Bureau of Land Management. This justification should be limited to health and safety concerns. In all cases, coverage must be thorough.

2. Identify from all surface and exposed indications all cultural properties or materials.

3. Locate each cultural resource on a United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5' quadrangle topographic map.

4. Record all cultural properties, including previously recorded sites, on Montana CRIS site or isolated find forms. Site forms shall be completed following the SHPO’s CRIS

Instructions. Employ BLM/SHPO recording standards for stone circles as specified in

Recordation Standards and Evaluation Guidelines for Stone Circle Sites, Planning

Bulletin No. 22 (March 2002).

5. Take at least two photographs of each cultural resource and several of each survey unit. Photos shall not contain people, shadows or gear, except when used for scale. The subject of the photo should be clearly visible. Noticeable changes in geography dictate that at least one photo of each land type within the unit should be included. Standing historic buildings and structures shall be photographed on all sides to illustrate architectural features. Label all photos with a description, date/time, and orientation. A photographic record shall be maintained and included in the final submission.

6. Although scale maps of all sites shall be prepared and include topographic contour lines, cultural features, basic site contents, artifacts, and site boundaries, a physical site datum shall not be established. How site boundaries were determined shall be fully explained in the site record and report (ie. topography, distribution of site features/artifacts, and/or specific distance from site constituents). Use of digital aerial photographs zoomed in to show the site is not acceptable when the details of the maps are pixelated and no longer identifiable. While it is not necessary to map all artifacts, indicate areas of artifact concentration and temporal diagnostics.

Any items discussed in the site form shall be depicted on the site map, e.g. roads. All project site maps shall be consistent, e.g. if a datum is depicted on one map, it should be on all maps. When

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GPS technology is not available (i.e., no satellite coverage) all pre-contact cultural properties shall be mapped by compass and tape or paced in meters. All historic period Euro- American standing structures and mining features, e.g., cabins, barns, adits, etc., shall be mapped in feet.

Plot each individual features, diagnostic artifact and site boundary using a GPS unit or field computer with one-meter GPS accuracy. Note the type of GPS equipment to be used and level of accuracy employed.

7. The Contractor shall obtain Smithsonian site numbers from the Montana SHPO for all cultural resources not previously assigned such numbers. The BLM will review all site forms for adequacy prior to the submission to the SHPO for site numbers. The BLM reserves the right to request site forms be submitted as many times as necessary to verify appropriate changes have been completed before submission to the SHPO. The

Contractor is responsible for addressing SHPO comments on site forms.

VII. Methodologies.

The Contractor shall determine the methods and techniques necessary for completion of this study using the guidelines identified herein, discuss those methods and techniques in their bid proposal, and conduct the work according to the procedures so specified.

Survey methodology or proposed avoidance of certain areas needs to be addressed in the proposal and inventory report.

VIII. Specifications and Standards.

1. Inventory guidelines and standards for BLM generated cultural resource investigations can be found in BLM's Guidelines for Identifying Cultural Resources (H-

8110-1). The Handbook is available upon request. Additional requirements for the recordation of tipi rings are described in the Handbook and SHPO guidance.

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

IX. Analysis and Report Preparation.

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

a. Title Sheet. Signed by the Principal Investigator.

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

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

d. Introduction. Provide an overview of the project including its purpose.

Identify the units inventoried for this project, by legal description in table form.

http://mhs.mt.gov/shpo/

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

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

g. Inventory Results. Provide a summary description of each cultural resource recorded that is narrative in nature and illustrates the environmental and cultural constituents of the site (refrain from simply rehashing the site data in a list format). Include photographs of cultural properties located during the surveys.

Use other graphics and tables as appropriate. Note any issues connected with the property's recordation. If a site boundary extends outside of the project boundaries, the site will be recorded in its entirety if on public lands or if on private lands where landowner permission is obtained. If the site extends onto private property and landowner permission is not obtained, then other methods

(i.e. aerial photography) shall be used to document the site, if possible.

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

BLM LFO.

Evaluate each historic property for its eligibility to the NRHP using guidance found in

National Registers Bulletin 15. Contractor shall use an appropriate "Context" in which to evaluate historic properties and shall employ the National Register Criteria (describing both significance and integrity) in those evaluations. The report should clearly identify the approach that is being taken to determine the significance of historic properties. This evaluation design should be reflective of the “Context” and cultural setting of the area.

Contractor shall clearly describe the rationale used to determine which sites are eligible or not eligible. Contractor shall recommend treatment needed to better assess eligibility on unevaluated sites; recommending “unevaluated” on site eligibility is not an acceptable default in lieu of a site eligibility recommendation.

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

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

i. Identify the sites recorded, whether the sites are pre-contact or historic, and what type of site is represented.

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ii. Evaluate each cultural property for its eligibility to the National Register of Historic

Places (NRHP). Contractor shall use an appropriate "Context" in which to evaluate cultural properties and shall employ the National Register Criteria in those evaluations. Contractor shall clearly describe the rationale used to determine site eligibility, determinations of effect and measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effect findings for each site.

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

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

X. Health and Safety Concerns

The Field Director shall ensure that all field work is done a safe manner. Areas considered by the Field Director to pose health or safety concerns shall not be inventoried or otherwise entered by any field crew members. In such cases, the

Contractor shall immediately report these conditions to the BLM Archaeologist who will then advise the contractor on how to proceed.

XI. Acceptance

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

XII. Deliverables (to be submitted to the COR)

a. The Contractor shall submit digital copies of typed site forms with original photographs to the BLM for review prior to submission to the

Montana SHPO for issuance of site numbers.

b. Site form maps should have both the location of the cultural resource described and the delineated survey unit plotted and labeled in black. After review and changes, if any, the Contractor will obtain site numbers. The Contractor will be responsible for addressing comments SHPO may have on site forms.

c. One digital copy of the draft Class III cultural resource inventory report.

Additional draft reports may be requested as many times as necessary to ensure the report meets what is describe in this SOW.

d. One (1) bound copies of the final Class III cultural resource inventory report.

The report shall be typed and printed on 8 ½ " x 11" paper and shall be single-spaced. All temporary site numbers shall be replaced with Smithsonian numbers assigned by the SHPO across all deliverables, including GIS data.

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e. One completed Cultural Resource Annotated Bibliography System (CRABS) form.

f. One set of final site forms with Smithsonian site numbers and with original color photos, unbound but stapled.

g. One copy of photographic record.

h. One copy of all field notes.

i. One electronic copies (thumb drive) of the report, site forms, photos, photo log, GIS data and associated metadata. GIS data should contain, at a minimum, shapefiles of unit boundaries, area surveyed, and site boundaries. If the

Contractor chooses to submit shapefiles for site contents like artifacts or features, one shapefile depicting only all site boundaries is required. The Contractor will use NAD 1983 Zone 12 or 13 as the projected coordinate system. KMZ files are not acceptable.

XIII. Period of Performance

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

b. Contractor shall prepare a table summarizing the results of the inventory and site shapefiles to the COR within 15 days of completing fieldwork. The table shall contain legal locations and results of survey, including the type/number of cultural resources recorded, and initial recommendations of

NRHP status.

c. Draft site forms shall be submitted within 1 months of fieldwork completion. One digital copy of the draft Class III Cultural Resources Inventory report shall be submitted within 6 months of contract award.

d. The COR will review all deliverables and comment on their adequacy within 20 calendar days of submission. All deliverables (including associated documentation and a completed CRABS form) are due within

30 calendar days of submission of draft report.

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XIV. Payment Schedule

a. Payment shall be tied to completion and acceptance of tasks identified in

Section IX. Period of Performance per the following: A (10%), B (40%), C

(30%), and D (20%).

b. Invoices shall not be submitted unless the contractor has received approval from the COR. Payment requests are submitted electronically per the contract language and not directly to the COR. Rejected invoices are the responsibility of the contractor.

USGS The National Map: National Boundaries Dataset, 3DEP Elevation Program, Geographic Names Information System, National Hydrography Dataset, National

Land Cover Database, National Structures Dataset, and National Transportation Dataset; USGS Global Ecosystems; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line data; USFS Road data; Natural Earth Data; U.S. Department of State HIU; NOAA National Centers for

Environmental Information. Data refreshed April, 2024.

Denton, MT

Legend

Arrow Creek BCA Project Area

Project: Arrow Creek BCA Sec.110 Location: T20N R14E Sec. 15,20,21,22,29,30,31 Quad: Possum Run Creek 7.5' MT Scope: 850 acres Admin: Bureau of Land Management Field Office: Lewistown Field Office Date: 1/29/2025

0.85 0 0.85 1.7 2.55 3.40.42

Miles Scale: 1:150,000

Confidential: Not for Public Use

Figure 1: Project Location Overview

Land Cover Database, National Structures Dataset, and National Transportation Dataset; USGS Global Ecosystems; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line data; USFS Road data; Natural Earth Data; U.S. Department of State HIU; NOAA National Centers for

Environmental Information. Data refreshed April, 2024.

Access

Legend

SURVEY UNITS

Arrow Creek BCA Project Area

Project: Arrow Creek BCA Sec.110 Location: T20N R14E Sec. 15,20,21,22,29,30,31 Quad: Possum Run Creek 7.5' MT Scope: 850 acres Admin: Bureau of Land Management Field Office: Lewistown Field Office Date: 1/29/2025

0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.40.05

Miles Scale: 1:24,000

Figure 2: Inventory Area NE

Land Cover Database, National Structures Dataset, and National Transportation Dataset; USGS Global Ecosystems; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line data; USFS Road data; Natural Earth Data; U.S. Department of State HIU; NOAA National Centers for

Environmental Information. Data refreshed April, 2024.

Legend

SURVEY UNITS 2

SURVEY UNITS

Arrow Creek BCA Project Area

Project: Arrow Creek BCA Sec.110 Location: T20N R14E Sec. 15,20,21,22,29,30,31 Quad: Possum Run Creek 7.5' MT Scope: 850 acres Admin: Bureau of Land Management Field Office: Lewistown Field Office Date: 1/29/2025

0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.40.05

Miles Scale: 1:24,000

Figure 3: Inventory Area SW