Categorical Exclusion Form (NEPA) AC-880579.pdf

C u a r t e l d e B a l l a j á , S a n J u a n , P R P O B o x 9 0 2 3 9 3 5 , S a n J u a n , P R 0 0 9 0 2 - 3 9 3 5 w w w . o e c h . p r . g o v 7 8 7 - 7 2 1 - 3 7 3 7

March 08, 2021

Luis E. Rodríguez Rosa Deputy Executive Director PR Highway and Transportation Authority P.O. Box 42007 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00940-1269

Carlos A. Rubio-Cancela State Historic Preservation Officer

CARC/GMO/LGC

C u a r t e l d e B a l l a j á , S a n J u a n , P R P O B o x 9 0 2 3 9 3 5 , S a n J u a n , P R 0 0 9 0 2 - 3 9 3 5 w w w . o e c h . p r . g o v 7 8 7 - 7 2 1 - 3 7 3 7

Oficina Estatal de Conservación Histórica

March 03, 2021

Luis E. Rodríguez Rosa Deputy Executive Director PR Highway and Transportation Authority P.O. Box 42007 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00940-1269

SHPO: 06-20-19-03 EMERGENCY WORKS ON VARIOUS ROADWAYS DUE TO HURRICANES IRMA AND

MARÍA, PR-128, KM 9.0 (ER-HWY-110), 10.8 (ER-HWY-142), 15.2 (ER-HWY-111), AND 17.30-17.35 (ER- HWY-112), ISLANDWIDE, YAUCO, PUERTO RICO - AC-818544/AC-823544/AC-864579/AC-880579

Dear Mr. Rodríguez Rosa, We acknowledge receipt of the archaeological report Identification of Cultural Resources & Assessment of Effects Section 106 Review Process prepared by your consultant Archaeologist Raquel del C. Camacho-Hernández, dated January 28, 2021; and the Cultural Resources Protection Plan for km. 15.2 (ER-HWY-111).

Puerto Rico highway 128 is a property eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. After the review of all the documentation, we concur with your finding that the proposed project will have No Adverse Effect on this historic property, conditioned to the implementation of an archaeological monitoring and protection plan. We have reviewed the protection plan mentioned above. This plan should be revised to include a process (chapter 4) for notifying the Federal Highway Administration and our Office of any unanticipated effects on historic properties, including time frames for notification (such as, no more than two business days) and response.

As soon as we receive the revised plan (to include the date revised) we will continue with our review.

If you have any questions concerning our comments, do not hesitate to contact our Office.

Sincerely, Carlos A. Rubio-Cancela State Historic Preservation Officer

CARC/GMO/LGC/MB

Puerto Rico Highway & Transportation Authority | AC-824544|

Emergency Relief Program

Repair of Landslide at

PR-128 km 15.2 in Yauco

(AC-823544/AC-880579)

Cultural Resources Protection Plan ______

ER-HWY-111

Repair of Landslide ER-HWY-111 Cultural Resources Protection Plan

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Description of current site conditions and structures potentially eligible to the NRHP

3. Structures potentially eligible to the NRHP

4. Cultural resources protective measures

5. Professional qualifications

APPENDIXES

1. CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONITOR DAILY RECORD TEMPLATE

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Emergency Relief Program

Repair of Landslide at PR-128 km 15.2 in Yauco

(AC-823544/AC-880579) (ER-HWY 111)

Raquel Camacho

Arqueologist

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1. Introduction

This document constitutes the Cultural Resources Protection Plan (Plan) for the Repair of a Landslide at Road PR-128 kilometer (km) 15.2 in Yauco (Site) (AC-823544/AC-880579) (ER-HWY 111). Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2. The Plan is presented to the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office (PRSHPO) in support of the document titled: “Identification of Cultural Resources and Assessment of Effects/ Section 106 Review Process and Law 112 Compliance; AC-823544, PR-128, Km. 15.2, ER-HWY-111”, prepared by Archaeologist Ivor Hernández Llanes.

The landslide at the ER-HWY 111 Site is one out of approximately 700 landslides that occurred on several highway segments of Puerto Rico due to the impacts associated with Hurricanes Irma and María. These highway and road segments are either within the Puerto Rico’s Federal Aid Highway System, or under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation and Public Works. The reconstruction activities will be financed by Emergency Funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires that all federal agencies take into account the potential effects of their proposed projects on historic properties.

The repair works at PR-128, Km 15.2 include the following activities:

Cleaning of the existing box culvert.

Stabilization of the bottom and slopes, at the inlet and outlet of the box culvert structure.

Recondition and stabilization of the roadside ditch (recondition of the earth ditches and construction of paved curbs) to collect runoff from the roadway and areas that drain to the east side and convey accumulated runoff to determined outlet points.

Asphalt pavement scarification and resurfacing.

Application of thermoplastic signing.

Furnishing and installation of a corrugated single beam guard rail.

On June of 2019, Hernández completed a site assessment form1 to identify historic properties within the project’s area of potential effects (APE) and assess the project’s effects under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). This form facilitates, streamlines and expedites the FHWA’s compliance process under the Section 106 of the NHPA, and the PRSHPO review of these projects. The assessment identified a road and drainage structure characterized as potentially eligible to the National Register of

1 This form has been accepted by PRSHPO.

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Historic Properties (NRHP) and recommended the implementation of the protective measures presented herein.

PR-128 is documented/characterized as a “Secondary hard surface all weather road” built pre 1940’s. It is an extensive rural highway that begins to the north in the intersection with PR-1111 in Lares and ends to the south in the intersection with the PR-2 in Yauco. It is understood that this road, formerly known as #8, could have originated at the end of the 19th century, as part of the road network of the coffee industry in the area. PR-128 is associated to multiple structures designed and built to handle the runoff water and to prevent landslides. The drainage structure found within the project area is part of the engineering works that were designed and built to handle the runoff water in this section of the road, where the rough topography can be a challenge. This resource may be eligible to the NRHP under Criterion C:

design/construction, because it embodies the distinctive characteristics (form and fabric) of a period and method of construction. Also, this road played an important role in the social and economic development of the region it serves. As such, it is also potentially eligible for the NRHP under criterium A: property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history (Operación Manos A La Obra). The repairs (Appendix 1) of the landslide and road damage on PR-128, km 15.2 in Yauco should have no adverse effect on historic properties, conditioned to the implementation this Archaeological Protection and Monitoring Plan. The potential of finding additional archaeological resources during project activities is very low.

The protection measures to be implemented include:

Annotations in the project’s construction plans drawings.

Implementation of Best Management Practices during construction to avoid potential impacts to the potentially historic structure (box culvert).

Archaeological monitoring during the performance of the maintenance work on or near the potentially historic structure.

The data, figures and photos contained in this report have been in part reproduced from the document titled: Identification of Cultural Resources and Assessment of Effects/ Section 106 Review Process and Law 112 Compliance; AC-823544, PR-128, Km. 15.2, ER-HWY-111 by Archeologist Ivor Hernandez Llanez. The protection measures hereby described reflect the recommendations provided by Archaeologist Hernández in the previously mentioned document.

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Figure 1: Location of ER-HWY-128 on a USGS topographic quadrangle (Source: USGS).

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Figure 2: Location of ER-HWY-111 and closest known cultural resource (3.7 Km) on a satellite photograph (Source: Google Earth).

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2. Description of current site conditions and structures potentially eligible to the NRHP

The site is located on PR-128, a rural road north of Lake Luchetti in Yauco (Photos 1 and 2) (Hernández, 2019). On the northern side of the road, the slope towards Luchetti Lake was eroded as a result of water runoff. The effects of erosion can be seen along the roadway edges and within the drainage structure (box culvert), which is partially unsupported and filled with sediment. The entire landslide area is currently covered with vegetation (Photo 2).

3. Structures potentially eligible to the NRHP

Hernández (2019) identified a box culvert located underneath PR-128, Km 15.2. This drainage structure is within the project area and is part of the engineering works that were designed and built to handle the runoff water in this section of the road, where the rough topography can be a challenge. It must have been built as part of the road construction works (pre-1940’s). This resource may be eligible to the NRHP under Criterion C: design/construction, because it embodies the distinctive characteristics (form and fabric) of a period and method of construction.

Photo 1: General views of the project area and destabilized box culvert.

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Photo 2:

Photo 3:Detail of sediment filled box culvert.

4. Cultural resources protective measures

The following protection measures should be implemented as part of the repair works to be performed at the project’s site:

Preconstruction Phase

The construction drawings should identify the drainage structure currently identified as “box culvert” as “historic box culvert”.

The construction drawings should include an annotation describing the protection measures that should be implemented during construction to prevent any adverse effect to the historic box culvert.

Construction Phase

An Archeological Monitor shall be active for the duration of the construction activities within the project site.

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The Archeological Monitor, in coordination with the Contractor, shall inform the construction crew of the existence and location of the historic box culvert to be protected and the required protective measures to be implemented during construction works.

The Archaeological Monitor, with the project’s Engineer -in-Charge, shall inspect, document (including photos) and verify the conservation status of the historical box culvert, prior to the beginning of any construction activity within the project’s site. Photographic documentation of this activity shall be included as an Appendix to the Archaeological Monitor’s Final Progress Report

The Archaeological Monitor shall notify the project’s Engineer-in-Charge of any observed activity that might affect the physical integrity of the protected structures. This includes a daily inspection of the condition of the structures.

The Archaeological Monitor, in coordination with the project’s Engineer-in-Charge, shall notify the PRHTA’s Authorized Representative immediately if any additional (not previously identified) archaeological materials and/or potentially historic structures are detected while performing the construction works associated to this project. The PRHTA shall notify (within no more than two business days from receiving the notification from the Archaeological Monitor/Engineer- in Charge) the Federal Highway Administration and the PRSHPO of any unanticipated effects on historic properties.

While performing the procedures to scarify the existing road’s surface, remove the sediment from the historical box culvert and install the guardrails adjacent to the historic box culvert, the Contractor shall perform the required works taking precautions to not damage the protected structure.

The Archaeological Monitor shall maintain a daily record of activities (see Appendix 3) detailing:

o Date o Time of initiation of construction activities o Status of the integrity of the historic box culvert

Not impacted/Impacted

If Impacted;

o Document the historic box culvert status with photos o Describe the situation

Puerto Rico Highway & Transportation Authority | AC-823544/AC-880579| 10 o Describe the corrective actions recommended and provided to Project’s field Engineer-in-Charge o Other observations and /or recommendations for the Project’s field Engineer-in-Charge

No more than 30 calendar days after the end of the demobilization of the construction crew from the project’s site, the Archaeological Monitor shall present a Final Monitoring Report containing:

o A summarized description of the monitoring efforts performed.

o Copy of the certification of As-found status of the historical box culvert at the beginning of the construction activities.

o Copy of the daily monitoring reports.

o Photos of the condition of the protected resource at the end of the construction period.

5. Professional qualifications

The archaeological monitoring team must be led by an archeologist who meets the Professional Qualification Standards established in 36 CFR Part 61 and the additional requirements, as follows:

Graduate degree in archeology, anthropology or closely related field, Plus at least one (1) year of full-time professional experience or equivalent specialized training in research, archaeological administration or management;

At least four (4) months of supervised analytical and field experience in Puerto Rican archeology in general;

Demonstrated ability to carry out the investigation until its completion; and, At least one (1) year of full-time professional experience at the level of supervision in the study of the archaeological resources of the colonial period.

Any additional personnel to intervene in the implementation efforts of this Plan must have experience in historical archeology and monitoring projects related to the properties of the colonial periods. It is recommended that the work team have a specialist in historical conservation.

NEPA_CE_Signed_4.29.20.pdf