Little Wannagan CulturalSurvey SOW.pdf

Description of Work

Cultural Resource Inventory and Documentation for Project Planning Dakota Prairie Grasslands

DESCRIPTION OF WORK and PROJECT LOCATION

Project Location

The Little Wannagan Juniper Project is 4000 acres in size located in in Billings County on the Medora Ranger District of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands T141N R102W Sec. 15,21,22,28 and 29. Maps of the project area will be included.

Road access is limited, and contractors may not have direct vehicle access to all survey areas. Use of all-terrain vehicles will only be allowed as authorized in writing by the District Ranger.

Cultural Resource Inventory and Documentation

1) Perform a Class I Inventory (Background Research) for the approximately 4000-acre area, wherein juniper treatment may occur (project area). This will be completed in coordination with the district archaeologist prior to the commencement of fieldwork and will include a records search at the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Results of the records search will inform the Class III inventory.

Portions of the project area that have been previously inventoried may be excluded from the current inventory at the discretion of the district archaeologist, provided the methods utilized during the inventories are consistent with the current project needs. A draft copy of the Class I Inventory and proposed areas to be inventoried shall be provided to the Forest Service archeologist for review and approval.

2) Perform a Class III cultural resource inventory of the project area (map attached) including pedestrian survey and limited shovel testing. The inventory will meet North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) guidelines. Document any newly identified cultural resources and revisit any previously recorded cultural resources within the project area. Confirm or update the mapped boundaries of previously recorded resources using GPS.

Complete site forms (NDCRS) for all newly recorded resources, and site form updates for revisited resources.

Conduct limited shovel testing in the location of isolated surface artifacts to explore the soil stratigraphy, develop an understanding of the potential for buried material, and identify any known disturbance in the vicinity. This is to confirm that the resource meets the definition of an isolated find and not be subject to evaluation as a Historic Property.

3) Provide the results of the Class I and Class III inventories in a professional cultural resources report that meets current DPG and North Dakota SHPO guidelines for reporting. Provide a draft copy (digital) of the report to the district archaeologist for review. The Forest Service archeologist will review the report to meet the quality and requirements of the agency and the SHPO guidelines. If needed, the report will be sent back to the contractor for corrections. Once all corrections have been made, the Forest Service will approve the report.

Upon receiving approval from the district archaeologist, mail one printed (paper) copy of the report and email a digital copy of the report, a shapefile of the inventory area, and resource shapefiles to the district archaeologist at the Medora Ranger District Offices in Dickinson, North Dakota. As the lead Federal Agency, the Dakota Prairie Grasslands is responsible for consultation and will therefore submit the reports to consulting parties.

Technical Requirements and Conditions:

1) An annual Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) permit is required to conduct cultural resource inventories on the DPG. If a contractor does not hold an annual permit, the ARPA permit must be obtained prior to conducting work

2) Resumes/curriculum vitae of Principal Investigators and field leads (as identified in the ARPA permit) must accompany the final report.

3) The contractor shall meet the qualifications found in Appendix A of 36 CFR Part 61.

4) The collection of surface artifacts is NOT authorized under this contract unless the Principal

Investigator determines them to be in imminent danger of destruction.

5) No permanent datums are to be installed at sites.

6) The format for reporting inventory results will be approved by the Dakota Prairie Grasslands and the

North Dakota SHPO.

7) Units of measurement for historical sites should be Imperial and units for precontact period sites should be metric.

8) Copies of all newly recorded site forms must be provided to the North Dakota SHPO to receive

Smithsonian numbers. The DPG will not accept reports with temporary numbers. Prior to submitting the forms, the district archaeologist should review the forms to ensure that site identification meets the DPGs standards.

9) The Class III inventory is the identification phase of the project. It may be possible that enough information is gathered at this stage to allow for evaluation of some resources. Typically, formal testing including systematic shovel probe and formal unit excavation are needed to evaluate a resource. This level of work may be in excess of the “limited ground disturbance” allowed under the annual ARPA permit. An additional ARPA permit may be required. The district archaeologist must be notified prior to any ground disturbance within known site boundaries (this does not include suspected isolated finds).

It is important to note that all submissions MUST follow the above standards, or the work will be returned to the contractor for correction. Neither the Forest Service nor the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office will provide clerical services for the purposes of completing these contract requirements.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Government will provide the following item(s) of Government property to the Contractor for use in the performance of this contract. This property shall be used and maintained by the Contractor in accordance with the provisions of the "Government Property" FAR clause contained elsewhere in the contract.

The Government will provide the following property and services:

Description Location Dates Available Site Identification Strategy Dickinson, ND After award ND SHPO Programmatic Agreement Dickinson, ND After award

PROJECT SCHEDULE AND DELIVERY DEADLINES

• Estimated date for Notice to Proceed: TBD

• Estimated completion of survey work: October 25, 2026

• Brief summary of findings (to include acres surveyed, new sites located/documented, etc.): Draft submittal: January 15, 2027

• 100% Draft submittal: March 15, 2027

• Final report submittal: April 1, 2027