Attachment_1-_Performance_Work_Statement.pdf

SCOPE OF WORK

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN PREPARATION FOR PROPOSED FIRE LINE,

CAHABA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BIBB COUNTY, ALABAMA

A. INTRODUCTION

The contractor shall conduct an archaeological survey of a proposed 9.8 km long fire line on the western and northern boundary of the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge. This survey follows the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) responsibilities to cultural resources under the

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (P.L. 89-665, Sec. 110) and under regulations promulgated by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Department of the Interior, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The contractor shall conduct reviews of the extant technical literature and the site files and conduct a systematic shovel testing of the proposed fire line. The fire line is estimated to be approximately 9.8 km in length and will be approximately 5 m wide. The proposed fire line is referred to as the Area of Potential Effect (APE). The proposed fire line covers the western and northern boundary of the refuge, in Bibb County, Alabama (Figure 1).

The contractor’s final report will serve several functions. It will aid the USFWS in meeting their responsibilities to preserve and protect cultural resources on the Refuge. It will allow the

USFWS to plan land management activities. 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 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. When conducting all work, the contractor shall also use best practices to mitigate any potential impacts on this endangered species.

B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2002 to protect a section of the

Cahaba River and land around it. The Refuge lies in Bibb County, Alabama and manages 4,784 acres (Figure 2). The Cahaba River stretches approximately four miles through the Refuge with tributaries that empty into the river. Large portions of the refuge are loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations that were planted for timber production from 1998 to 2008, and a fraction of the area is planted longleaf pines (Pinus palustris) that were established between 2003 and 2005. Some of the loblolly pine stands have been previously thinned and some remain unthinned. Stands of upland mixed pine and hardwoods are found throughout the refuge. Southern Pine Beetles have devastated large portions of pine stands on the refuge. Natural montane longleaf pines occur on some south and west aspects of the refuge in uneven-aged stands. Natural shortleaf pines (Pinus echinata) are scattered across upland sites.

Figure 1: Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge. Red border is the area that needs a new fire line.

Figure 2: Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge topo map.

The project area is withing the Warrior Basin physiographic district of the Cumberland Plateau.

Elevations range from around 300 feet above mean sea (AMSL) level along the shores of the

Cahaba River to over 550 feet AMSL on the upper ridge tops. The area has been impacted by past mining activities, methane gas pads, as well as timber harvesting. Past land use has resulted in ground surface erosion. Soils in the project area range from friable to very compact and shallow. The Bibb County Soil Survey (USDA) indicates most of the soils in the area to be

Sipsey-Nauvoo Townley or Sipsey-Nauvoo Sunlight complex with slopes 6 to 35 percent. Also common are Goras-rock outcrop complex with 35 to 60 percent slopes.

C. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

The archaeological investigations will be accomplished in a phased manner involving: (1) background and literature reviews, (2) systematic subsurface shovel testing of the proposed fire break, and (3) follow-up testing of positive shovel test to ascertain the nature, size, depth, integrity, age, and cultural affiliation of the cultural deposits, (4) Preparation of a technical report that outlines the results of the survey, and (5) preparation of the recovered assemblage and the associated documentation, such as field notes, sketch maps, and photographs, for long-term curation.

1. Background and Literature Review. All fieldwork shall be preceded by a literature review and records search. This search will include a review of the Alabama Archaeological Site

Files to identify previously recorded sites in and near the project area, as well as other sources to provide the prehistoric and historic context for the study. Information gained from this research will be used to place recorded sites in context, placed in the larger context of local, state, and regional history, and explicitly tied to the research design and report conclusions.

2. Systematic Subsurface Testing within the project APE. The contractor shall systematically excavate shovel tests along the proposed 7.2-km fire line. The line will measure approximately 5-m wide, so only one transect along the proposed line is warranted. On flat, ridge tops, or areas with less than 6% slope, shovel testing intervals should not exceed 20-m apart.

On areas with slopes of between 6 and 15 % the spacing between tests should be no greater than

30-m apart. Slopes greater than 15% should be shovel tested at a 50-m interval. Care should be taken on areas of slopes to ensure that no rock shelters, caves, or mining activity is missed.

All fieldwork will minimally meet the standards as defined in the 2006 Alabama Historical

Commission Administrative Code Chapter 460x9: Archaeological Investigations, as well the federal standards defined below. All excavated soil must be screened through ¼ inch or finer hardware cloth. Shovel tests should be a minimum of 30-x-30 square cm in size. 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. The locations of all shovel tests should be plotted using GPS technologies. 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; shovel test logs/rosters will be appended to the draft report.

3. Follow-Up Testing of Positive Shovel Test. The contractor shall conduct sufficient follow-up testing of shovel test units yielding pre-Columbian and/or historical materials to ascertain the nature, size, depth, integrity, age, and cultural affiliation of the cultural deposits.

Follow-up shovel tests will be placed at five-meter intervals from any positive test unit until two test units are negative in each direction. Testing should not be extended beyond the National

Wildlife Refuge boundary. For evidence of past mining activities (mine entrance, slag pile, or abandoned equipment for example), photographs, measurements, and maps should be generated, dated, and documented in the report. 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. A site map depicting all shovel tests in the vicinity

(negative, positive and not excavated), the site datum, cultural and physical features, and tied to permanent landmarks will be prepared. A photo of each site will be taken. Shapefiles of each site and the survey area will be provided directly to the Service, as well as a completed GIS attribute matrix (which will be provided to the contractor).

4. Preparation of a technical report that outlines the results of the survey. The Contractor shall prepare a report detailing the results of the archival research and the results of the survey.

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, site inventory with NRHP recommendations, summary, and bibliography. It will aid the USFWS in meeting their responsibilities to preserve and protect cultural resources on the Refuge. It will allow the USFWS to plan land management activities. For each resource identified, the possible adverse effect the proposed fire line will have on cultural resources and recommendations for additional work should be provided.

5. Curation. The contractor shall prepare the recovered assemblage and all associated documentation, such as field notes, sketch maps, photograph, for curation at a repository that meets Federal curation standards and has the capacity to accept additional collections. This facility must be approved by the USFWS, and a copy of the curation agreement must be included with the report materials. The materials will be submitted pursuant to that facility’s standard procedures. 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 Cahaba Refuge NWR

Manager, Steven Trull, and the Regional Historic Preservation Officer (RHPO), Jennifer Grover.

The contractor is required to maintain routine communication with both offices while work is being conducted, including notification of start and completion dates.

2. Drawings, maps, and other materials and guidance will be provided to the extent that the Government determines necessary 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. 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 Refuge Manager. The Refuge Manager will contact the Refuge Law Enforcement

Officer (LEO). The Refuge LEO will notify the County Sheriff and Medical Examiner to determine whether the burial derives from an archaeological or medico-legal context. If deemed to be in an archaeological context, the RHPO will contact the State Archaeologist. 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.

E. REPORT

1. The Contractor shall prepare a bound report: detailing the work done, the results of the archival research and the results of the survey. 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, site inventory with NRHP recommendations, summary, and bibliography. The above items need not be discrete units but shall be discernable to the reader. All report guidelines shall exceed the standards in the Alabama Historical Commission chapter 460x9 Archaeological Investigations.

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. 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.

7. The report should describe the fieldwork results, including the number of positive and negative shovel tests, and the analyses of all recovered or identified materials. This should include a description of the area, noted features and disturbances, soil types and vegetation encountered, number of shovel tests excavated, a profile of a representative shovel test, and general area photos. Newly recorded sites and updated sites must be described individually

(isolated finds can either be discussed individually or placed in a table). The locations of all positive and negative shovel test locations excavated for site definition purposes are required to be presented on the site maps. All sites described in a report must include a map of the site that includes site boundaries, shovel test locations, topography, and features, among other elements.

Consultants must provide at least one overview photograph of the project area and of each site described in the report. Clearly state the determination of eligibility for the NRHP for each site and note which criterion (A, B, C, or D) applies to this eligibility. Sites should be described as

Eligible, Not Eligible, or Undetermined (further investigation required). The term “Potentially

Eligible” is not an acceptable recommendation for the NRHP, in accordance with the guidelines set by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). If an Undetermined status is made, then recommendations must be provided as to what is needed to fully determine the site’s

NRHP eligibility, such as archival research or additional test units, etc., along with rational on how that information would allow for eligibility to be determined. All archaeological materials should be thoroughly described in the report, with citations for artifact classifications and chronological interpretations. Photographs and/or illustrations of representative diagnostic artifacts are encouraged.

8. Summary and Recommendation - Succinctly summarize the results of the research and provide archaeological interpretations. Clearly explain the possible adverse effect the proposed fire line will have on cultural resources and make recommendations for additional work if needed. Include management recommendations relative to ground-disturbing activities and preservation or mitigation of impact on archaeological resources. Usually for Phase I investigations, sites that are not eligible for the National Register require no additional investigations. Sites that are recommended as “undetermined” require further archaeological investigation: most typically a Phase II Assessment of Eligibility for the National Register.

9. The report shall contain an artifact inventory.

10. Alabama State Site Forms shall be completed for each newly identified and/or revisited site and added as one of the report’s appendices. For newly identified sites, state site numbers (trinomials) must be obtained prior to the submission of the report and sites must be identified by these assigned numbers in the report. Updated site forms must be submitted for previously discovered sites.

11. The report shall contain a log of all shovel tests attempted during the course of the survey. The log should denote the presence or absence of cultural materials, soils, depth of excavation. If a test was not excavated rational for why it was not must be noted.

12. A curation plan, including the name of the proposed curation facility 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 and acceptance of the report as final, 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 the number of contracts, 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.

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). Coordinates should be provided in both

NAD 27 and NAD83 as well as Township, Section, and Range (TSR). Written directions for sites should be clear enough to ensure its future accurate "on the ground" location.

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. Digital Photographs will be high resolution, 600 dpi or better. No Polaroid or cell phone photographs may be used.

G. DELIVERIES AND PERFORMANCE

1. Management Summary. The contractor will furnish a brief management summary report summarizing the results of fieldwork, with emphasis upon any finds that require immediate action within 30-days of the fieldwork completion. Maps showing locations of finds, and other pertinent figures, shall be appended.

2. SITE FORMS. The contractor will furnish appended to the draft report.

3. DRAFT REPORT WITH CURATION PLAN Two printed copies and an electronic version of a draft report that meets the requirements outlined in this SOW will be submitted to the USFWS within 60-days of fieldwork completion. The material should be submitted to:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Office of the Regional Archaeologist

Savannah Coastal Refuges

694 Beech Hill Lane

Hardeeville, South Carolina 29927

The USFWS will prepare review comments on the draft report, in consultation with the State

Historic Preservation Officer and Tribes and return them to the contractor within 60-days of the receipt of the draft.

4. FINAL REPORT. The final report will be prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined. 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 on archival quality paper, six bound copies of the report, and an electronic copy on CD. The electronic copy must be formatted as a pdf document.

5. CRGIS Attribute Matrix. The contractor will ensure that all site data is entered into the Government provided CRGIS Attribute Matrix. The data, along with the GIS shape files of areas surveyed, site polygons and shovel test locations will be submitted to the RHPOs office along with the final report.

H. PROJECT SCHEDULING

The following milestones are anticipated:

1. Fieldwork to commence within 30 days of notice to proceed and acceptance of the research design.

2. Submission of First Partial Invoice.

3. Management Summary to be submitted within 30 days following completion of the fieldwork.

4. Draft Technical Report and Curation Plan to be submitted within 60 days following completion of the fieldwork.

5. Submission of second partial invoice.

6. Comments and recommended revisions to be provided to the contractor within 60 days following submission of the draft report and curation plan.

7. Revised Draft Technical Report will be submitted within 30 days following receipt of the comments and recommended revisions. The USFWS will have a 15-day review period. If deemed that the contractor has satisfactorily addressed the comments, the USFWS will indicate to the COR that the report has been accepted and request that contractor provide the contracted number of bound and digital copies. If deemed inadequate, the contractor will have 15 days to resubmit a revised draft to the USFWS for review. Our review of the resubmitted draft will be 7 days. If this version is satisfactory, the USFWS will indicate to the COR that this version has been accepted as the final technical report.

8. Submission of the final report, associated appendices, and GIS Shapefiles and CRGIS

Attribute Matrix of the survey area and historic properties within 30 days of notification that the USFWS has accepted the revised draft technical report.

9. Transfer of the collection, associated documentation, and digital copy of the final report to the approved repository should be made within 15 days following notification that the

USFWS has accepted the final report. A final payment will be made after the USFWS has been notified by the curation facility curator that the contractor has transferred the archaeological collection and associated documentation to them for accession. Note the collection must be boxed according to the federal and the repository's curation standards.

The contractor is responsible for the accession fees charged by the repository.

10. Submission of the third and final invoice.

I. SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Special contract requirements 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 Central Alabama 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, 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. Any submitted documentation and materials remain the property of the U.S. Government.

4. COORDINATION. Ms. Jennifer Grover, Archaeologist (470-728-5246) will be the primary contact and shall be contacted to arrange meetings or answer any questions on the nature of the work to be performed. Additionally, Mr. Richard S. Kanaski, Regional

Historic Preservation Officer and Regional Archaeologist (912) 257-5434) shall be contacted directly on 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 Refuge Manager Steven Trull (321-302-9227) while in the field.

5. QUALITY CONTROL. You will be 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 ensure 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.