Baskett_Slough_Quarters.pdf

INTERIOR REGION 8

Lower Colorado Basin

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COLUMBIA–PACIFIC

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INTERIOR REGION 10

California-Great Basin

INTERIOR REGION 12

Pacific Islands

California*

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United States Department of the Interior

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

20555 SW Gerda Lane Sherwood, Oregon 97140

Phone: 503-625-4377, fax: 503-625-4887

In Reply Refer to: FWS/IR09/IR12 28 March 2022

To: Graham Evans-Peters Program: Refuges Funding: Refuges

From: Anan Raymond, Regional Archaeologist

RE: Section 106 Compliance: Baskett Slough NWR Quarters 55 Removal – Polk County, Oregon.

SHPO Case No: 22-0210

Thank you for requesting our assistance meeting the responsibilities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) in complying with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) for an infrastructure removal project at Baskett Slough NWR in Polk County, Oregon (T7S, R5W, S24, Dallas 7.5’ USGS quad) (Figure 1 and 2).

Summary of Undertaking: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is proposing to remove Quarters 55 (RPI #10004358) at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Polk County, Oregon because it is excess to the needs of the government and is in poor condition. A concrete walkway connects the house to a graveled entry road that leads to the service yard. All equipment and materials will be staged in the graveled headquarters parking area and service yard. Disturbance to the ground is limited to removing vegetation and clearing the lot that was previously disturbed when the basement was excavated and the yard landscaped. The removal activity will be within the footprint of the building. The basement will be filled and the area leveled. The entire compound is about 5 acres in size.

Area of Potential Effects (APE): This project will occur within the footprint of the 2000sqft house and the surrounding building site, approximately .2 acre.

Setting: The project is located on Baskett Slough NWR.

Historic Property Identification Effort: The FWS conducted a cultural resource investigation for the project.

The study was prepared to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended. The effort included archival research, visual inspection of the APE, and development of a regional prehistoric, ethnographic, and historic context that was summarized in a report (Speulda-Drews and Rennaker 2022).

As a result of the investigation, Quarters 55 and three other buildings aged greater than 50 years old within the headquarters complex were evaluated both as a district and individually and determined not to meet the criteria for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The structures were documented and submitted to SHPO on an Oregon Inventory of Historic Properties Section 106 Documentation Form.

Tribal Consultation: The FWS initiated consultation by letter sent to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians on 5 January 2022 via email. CTGR responded via letter dated 4 February 2022 concurring with the APE and proposed identification effort. A copy of the report was sent to CTGR archaeologist on 25 February 2022. No additional comments have been received.

Other Consultation: Consultation with the Polk County Historical Society was initiated by letter sent via email on 28 January 2022. The Polk County Historical Society responded via email on 31 January 2022 asking if it would be possible for the PCHS to photograph the house (exterior and interior) before work begins. The FWS responded that access for photography could be provided. The PCHS also assisted with research of their files and sharing information about the Harland family.

SHPO Consultation: The FWS sent a letter to SHPO initiating consultation via email dated 5 January 2022.

An email was received 14 January 2022 assigning SHPO Case No. 22-0210, and a letter was received dated 28 January 2022 concurring with the APE and proposed identification effort. The FWS submitted the inventory and evaluation report along with a letter presenting the FWS determination of effect via email on 25 February 2022. On 25 March 2022, SHPO sent a letter via email stating:

Thank you for your submittal and the thorough documentation and evaluation of potentially historic properties associated with the USFWS Baskett Slough NWR Quarters Demolition. We concur that the Harland House and associated outbuildings are not individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, nor do they contribute to any potential historic district when considered as a group of closely-related and/or interconnected group of buildings. As such, we also concur that there will be no effect to historic properties for this undertaking.

No response was received from the below-ground resource archaeologist.

Determination of Effect: As a result of the field observations, research, and comparisons with local 1950s architecture and FWS facilities, the headquarters compound buildings were evaluated and determined not to meet National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) criteria individually or as a historic district, therefore the FWS has determined that the proposed plan to remove the residence is considered to be a “no historic properties affected” outcome under 36CFR800.4.d.1, the implementing regulations of the NHPA Section 106. No further cultural resource identification effort is recommended for the project. In addition, archaeological monitoring during the implementation of the undertaking is not warranted. In the event that cultural resources are discovered inadvertently during the implementation of the undertaking, work will cease until the FWS regional archaeologist is notified and an assessment is conducted.

If project activities or locations change, the regional archaeologist should be notified in order to determine whether additional fieldwork or consultation is warranted.

This determination of effect applies only to the activities described above. Plans for future federally-funded ground disturbing activities within the same location may require a separate determination of effect, and may require additional consultation and inventory efforts to ensure Section106 compliance. Thank you for considering cultural resources.

Reference:

Speulda-Drews, Lou Ann and Patrick Rennaker 2022 Baskett Slough NWR Evaluation of Quarters 55 and Headquarters, Polk County, Oregon, National

Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 Historic Properties Identification and Evaluation Report.

Prepared by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Figure 1: APE shown on a portion of Dallas 7.5' USGS quad.

Figure 2: Aerial image showing project area.