S01 Attach 1 SOW.pdf

Natural Resources Conservation Service USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

STATEMENT OF WORK FOR:

CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY OF THE NRCS ROCK

CREEK SITES #10 AND #12 DAM REHABILITATION, MURRAY

COUNTY, OKLAHOMA

Part I: General Information It is the mission of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our nation’s natural resources and environment. The NRCS accomplishes this mission by providing technical and financial support through several federal programs.

A. Introduction/Background

NRCS Oklahoma is soliciting proposals from Cultural Resource Management firms (Contractor) for the completion of an intensive pedestrian cultural resources inventory with shovel-testing on two parcels amounting to approximately 165 acres of private lands and assessment of two historic resources (earthen dams). For this undertaking, NRCS Oklahoma is providing technical and financial assistance to the Murray County Conservation District to continue to provide flood control mechanisms along two unnamed tributaries of Rock Creek, located approximately four and six miles north of Sulphur, Oklahoma.

Projects that receive federal funding from the NRCS through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program and are considered undertakings that are subject to review for potential impacts to historic properties under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) as set forth in 36 CFR 800. The NRCS has assumed the role of lead federal agency and is responsible for compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA. Identification of cultural resources within the areas of potential effect (APE) for this undertaking is therefore necessary prior to project implementation.

B. Scope

The authorized Contractor will complete an intensive pedestrian cultural resources inventory of the APE, with shovel-testing, to identify historic properties that may be adversely affected as a result of the undertaking. As stated previously, and shown on the attached project maps, the APE for this project consists of approximately 165 acres of lands, containing two floodwater control dams, in Murray County in the Rock Creek watershed.

Prior to completing the pedestrian inventory, with shovel-testing, the Contractor will complete a literature and historical research review for the inventory areas using available archaeological records and historic research resources. All cultural resources identified within the APE as a result of the literature review and intensive pedestrian inventory and shovel-testing shall be documented according to professional standards, and archaeological sites shall be evaluated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Architectural survey would take place within an area not greater than a 0.25-mile radius of the project location. Based on a review of aerial photographs and available information, it is not anticipated that many buildings would require survey. However, the Rock Creek 10 and 12 dams are a historic resource (i.e. greater than 50 years of age). The dams have not been previously surveyed at an individual level, or as a potential contributing resource to a larger watershed, and thus will require evaluation for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility.

The architectural survey will consist of photographing the dam, the spillway, the emergency spillway, and any other elements associated with the dam and its operation.

The Contractor will be required to complete, and submit to the NRCS, all required archaeological site documentation, as well as a cultural resources report detailing the results of the inventory. A stand-alone architectural survey report will be prepared, summarizing the architectural survey to include recommendations of eligibility for the Rock Creek 10 and 12 dams or other historic resources identified within the APE. The report will include Oklahoma SHPO Historic Preservation Resources Identification forms for the identified historic resources. The Contractor will also be required to submit all relevant electronic data (e.g., GIS shapefiles, digital images, etc.) collected during the pedestrian inventory and the shovel-testing.

C. Applicable Documents

Procedures for complying with the mandates are outlined in the following references:

• Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended

• 36 CFR 800; Protection of Historic Properties

• Archaeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines

• Archaeological Resources Protection Act (43 CFR Part 7)

• NRCS National Cultural Resources Procedures Handbook

• NRCS General Manual 420, Part 401

• NRCS National Environmental Compliance Handbook

• Oklahoma SHPO Review and Compliance Manual

• Oklahoma SHPO Fact Sheet #2: Review and Compliance

• Oklahoma SHPO Fact Sheet #16: Guidelines for Developing Archaeological Survey Reports in

Oklahoma and Report Components

• Oklahoma SHPO Fact Sheet #12: Evaluating Post-Contact Archaeological Sites for National

Register Eligibility Under Section 106.

• Oklahoma SHPO Historic Preservation Resource Identification Form

• Oklahoma SHPO Architectural/Historic Resource Survey: A Field Guide

Information on the federal historic preservation laws and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation are available from the following National Park Service website: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/standards.htm. The Oklahoma SHPO Review and Compliance Manual is available from the Oklahoma SHPO webpage:

https://www.okhistory.org/shpo/programs/106/rcmanual2015.pdf. Additional resources are available from the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey webpage: https://www.ou.edu/archsur/home.htm.

Part II: Work Requirements The Contractor shall gather sufficient information to enable the NRCS to remain in compliance with https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/standards.htm https://www.okhistory.org/shpo/programs/106/rcmanual2015.pdf https://www.ou.edu/archsur/home.htm federal and state cultural resources laws for the completion of these undertakings. Contractors shall warrant that the provided cultural resources services will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and requirements, and shall be consistent with the NRCS cultural resources program goals and objectives. All work must be performed in accordance with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The NRCS Oklahoma retains the responsibility for all decision-making and consultation required of federal agencies related to compliance with cultural resources protection laws and regulations.

All contractors must meet the Secretary of Interior’s professional standards as specified in Section 112(a)(1)(A) of the NHPA and in the implementing regulations for Section 106 of the NHPA at 36 CFR 800.2(a)(1) and 36 CFR 800.2(a)(3). Contractors shall be used in accordance with 36 CFR 800.2(a)(3) (“Use of Contractors”). The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, materials, and incidentals necessary to perform archaeological and historical surveying, recording, mapping, evaluations, and reporting. The Contractor shall furnish a qualified Principal Investigator in accordance with 36CFR61.5. The NRCS, through the local conservation district, will ensure that approval for access, necessary for conducting the cultural resources survey, have been obtained prior to initiating fieldwork.

Part III. Technical Requirements A. Pre-Field Work Requirements

Prior to fieldwork, the Contractor shall complete a literature and historical research review in order to identify previously recorded cultural resources and to determine the nature of prior archaeological research in the vicinity of the APE. The literature review will at a minimum include records maintained at the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Oklahoma Archaeological Survey (OAS), but may also involve the NRHP online database, General Land Office plat maps and patents, aerial imagery, and other sources and data repositories, as necessary and where appropriate. For the purposes of this Statement of Work, the literature review will be limited to cultural resources identified within one mile of the APE boundary. However, a broader review of site types, in the vicinity of the APE, might be necessary to gain insight into settlement patterns or landscape-use trends.

B. Pedestrian Inventory, Shovel-Test Requirements, and Architectural Survey

The estimated quantity of cultural resources inventories is approximately 165 acres of private land in Murray County, Oklahoma. The Contractor will be responsible for designing and completing an intensive pedestrian inventory to professional standards, using transects spaced no more than 30 meters apart. Subsurface probes, along the transects, should be no more than 30 meters apart depending on terrain and/or soil deposition. Transects may be GPS-oriented, compass-oriented, contour-oriented, or meander, depending on the terrain and the dimensions of the APE.

The pedestrian inventory shall result in the identification and recordation of cultural resources observable on the surface and in exposed subsurface profiles. All identified archaeological sites must be recorded and evaluated for inclusion on the NRHP, as set forth in 36 CFR 60. For each site, the Contractor shall provide the NRCS with an overall assessment of site conditions and shall also provide NRHP-eligibility recommendations. Determinations of NRHP eligibility will be made by the NRCS in consultation with the Oklahoma SHPO and other consulting parties, as appropriate. These consultations will lead to a determination of project effects, and possibly, to the development of mitigation measures.

The contractor will conduct the survey and evaluation pursuant to the guidelines of the OK SHPO. The architectural survey will consist of photographing the dam, the spillway, the emergency spillway, and any other elements associated with the dam and its operation and evaluation for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility.

All field crews shall be directly supervised in the field by a qualified crew leader. Any changes in survey strategy due to environmental conditions shall be discussed with the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Significant changes to the survey strategy shall be approved by the COR, once consultation with the Oklahoma SHPO and Oklahoma Archaeological Survey is complete, prior to making the change. Artifacts shall not be collected since the APE is private land. Field photographs and field sketch of artifacts will be performed for temporally diagnostic artifacts. Recommendations as to areas requiring further examination, if any, shall be made to the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the COR.

Upon completion of fieldwork, the Contractor shall provide a brief status report to the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the COR. The status report will detail the results of the pedestrian inventory and shovel testing. The status report will note the number of acres that were inventoried for cultural resources, the number of sites that were identified, and any difficulties that were encountered during fieldwork.

C. Cultural Resources Documentation Requirements

Documentation for all cultural resources will adequately record the geographic location, physical characteristics, and relevant scientific, historic, archaeological, architectural, traditional, educational, conservation, and interpretive values. For the purposes of this Statement of Work, archeological sites and isolated finds will be documented in accordance with the guidance and definitions outlined within the Oklahoma SHPO Review and Compliance Manual and Oklahoma SHPO Fact Sheet #16.

Archaeological Sites and Historic Resources

Previously recorded archaeological sites located within the APE will be revisited, and the site documentation will be updated and revised as appropriate. All new sites identified during the inventory must be precisely located on a 1:24,000 scale topographical map and documented on an Oklahoma Archaeological Survey site form and Historical Preservation Resource Identification form, as appropriate, according to Oklahoma SHPO standards. All archaeological sites will be evaluated for eligibility to the NRHP. A GPS data collector shall be used to record the location of all sites. All GPS data must be differentially corrected.

Archaeological site documentation must include a detailed sketch map with a legend. Sketch mapping will include all site concentrations, diagnostic artifacts, tools, structures, or features. Each sketch map will include a legend and legal location (i.e., section, township, and range). A site datum must be established, mapped using GPS, and depicted on the site sketch map. Mapping by a transit, total station, tape and compass, or GPS is allowed. The provenience of all surface-diagnostic artifacts and tools or features (including historic structures) must be indicated on the site sketch maps. All diagnostic artifacts and features shall be drawn and/or photographed as appropriate. Artifacts and features shall be deemed "diagnostic", either chronologically or functionally (e.g., projectile points, ceramics, scrapers, drills, ground stone, etc.). All temporal information provided by the artifacts or feature shall be recorded on the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey site form and Historical Preservation Resource Identification form, as appropriate.

A minimum of two photographs, displaying different aspects, shall be taken of each site recorded. An overall site photo is required, and pertinent diagnostic artifacts should be photographed. All petroglyphs/pictographs, rock accumulations, foundations, and unusual features shall be photographed.

Historical archaeological sites are cultural resources that are likely or possibly 45 years old, per the Oklahoma SHPO, even if this age cannot be conclusively proven. Historical archaeological sites shall be recorded, described, and mapped in terms of the artifacts and features present (i.e., number and types of tin cans, bottles, wood and metal debris, structures, road or trail remnants, or other artifacts or features, etc.). Historic features (e.g., foundations), shall also be recorded as sites. Historic trail ruts or other historic routes shall be recorded and mapped as historic resources.

Historic resources, part of the built landscape, such as the earthen flood control structures and their accoutrements, will be assessed for National Register of Historic Places eligibility. The dams and associated features will be recorded on Oklahoma SHPO Historical Preservation Resource Identification forms.

The Contractor shall review and edit all site documentation prior to submittal to the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the COR to ensure that all required forms are properly completed, and all information is legible. Special attention shall be paid to the accuracy of location data (i.e., road designation, distance, direction, quarter-section, section, township, range, UTM, etc.).

Isolated Finds

Recorded information on isolated finds shall include its location (section, township, range, meridian and UTM) and a brief description. The presentation of isolate finds in a table format within the cultural resources report text is acceptable. The location of the isolate shall be marked on a USGS 1:24,000 scale topographic map. Diagnostic artifacts shall be sketched or photographed, as appropriate.

D. Reporting and Deliverables Requirements

The Contractor shall produce two summary reports that detail the results of the cultural resources investigation which is standard in Oklahoma. The report format and content shall be sufficient to satisfy current Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation and follow the compliance guidelines outlined by the Oklahoma SHPO. The summary reports shall contain sufficient information to permit the NRCS to make an informed determination of project effects, and information must be presented in such a manner as to allow an outside party to understand the basis for the decision or finding.

• Required Archeological Inventory Summary Report Components:

• A statement of purpose and full project description, including anticipated direct and indirect impacts, project location, total acreage, map reference, legal description, general environmental description, and the historic context by which sites will be evaluated. Names and duties of personnel conducting the inventory and dates of the field work shall also be included.

• A summary of previous archaeological research in the general area.

• A thorough description of the field methods used.

• The results of the inventory with a description of each cultural resource site located in the project area, including previously recorded sites.

• An assessment of the overall conditions of each site at the time of recordation.

• Recommendations concerning the eligibility of each site for inclusion on the NRHP (specific criteria must be assigned to each resource according to 36 CFR 60.4). Sites should be evaluated for NRHP eligibility about their ability to meet criteria set forth in 36 CFR 60.4 as well as to answer research questions identified in the historic context of the report.

• Clear, specific, and consistent management or mitigation recommendations (i.e., avoidance/redesign, fencing, monitoring, testing, data recovery, and/or cancellation of all or part of the project) for cultural resources identified as a result of the inventory.

• A summary discussion of conclusions and recommendations.

• A list of references and bibliographic entries.

• Project maps at the 1:24,000 scale showing the area inventoried, site locations, isolated find locations, etc.

• All site documentation including Oklahoma Archaeological Survey site forms, Oklahoma Historic Preservation Resource Identification forms, continuation sheets, site location topographic maps, site sketch maps, site photographs, and artifact illustrations. These will be included as a detached appendix to the report body.

The Contractor shall submit an electronic draft report, including all specified documentation, to the NRCS for review and comment. Upon receiving and incorporating the NRCS comments on the draft report, the Contractor shall generate final reports and archaeological site documentation. Final copies shall be submitted to the NRCS electronically and include the following components, and in accordance with the Oklahoma SHPO Review and Compliance Manual and Oklahoma SHPO Fact Sheet #16. The report shall use the following format:

• TITLE/COVER PAGE

• TABLE OF CONTENTS

• ABSTRACT

• INTRODUCTION

• RESEARCH DESIGN

• ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

• CULTURAL SETTING

• PRE-FIELD RESEARCH

• PRE-FIELD RESEARCH RESULTS

• FIELD WORK

• FIELD WORK RESULTS

• SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

• ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES

• CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

• BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES CITED

The Architectural Report will follow the Oklahoma SHPO’s Field Guide for Architectural/Historic Resource Surveys publication or standard format utilized by the historic preservation and architectural historian community.

The Contractor shall generate final reports and submit to the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the COR, in duplicate, in the following quantities:

Final Archeological Inventory Summary Report consulting partner copies: 6 bound copies of the report and all associated Oklahoma Archaeological Survey site form(s) and Historical Preservation Resource Identification form(s), when applicable.

E. Period of Performance and Payment

The Contractor shall deliver a draft and a final professional survey report, and all site documentation as outlined above.

• The following performance schedule shall apply:

• Fieldwork will be completed within 40 days from the effective date of this task order. The

Contractor shall notify the NRCS once the fieldwork has been completed, and a brief electronic status report will be submitted.

• Draft report and site forms will be submitted to the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the COR for comment no later than 30 days after completion of fieldwork.

• The final report and site forms will be submitted to the COR no later than 15 days after receiving comments from the NRCS.

• Upon approval of the final report, the NRCS will submit the final report and site forms to the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, Oklahoma SHPO, and tribes for review and concurrence.

• If the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, Oklahoma SHPO, or tribes request minor clarification edits in selected sections, the contractor will address such issues and submit an amended report to NRCS within 15 days. If additional field work is requested by the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, Oklahoma SHPO, or tribes, a separate SOW and performance schedule will be negotiated.

• Exceptions for delays due to weather will be allowed, though work must be accomplished as soon as the weather allows. The Contractor shall immediately notify the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the COR if exceptions to the schedule or specified tasks are required.

• Payment will be authorized as follows:

• Completion of fieldwork: 40%

• Submission of draft report: 30%

• NRCS acceptance of final report: 30%

The Contractor shall submit a payment request via an invoice to the NRCS.

Part III: Supporting Information A. Confidentiality

Information generated from the cultural resources survey, completed on behalf of the NRCS, is classified as CONFIDENTIAL. Its distribution and use are restricted. No one is allowed to publish or disclose any part of this information without the permission of the NRCS.

B. Place of Performance

As stated previously, the APE for this undertaking consists of approximately 165 acres of private land in Murray County, Oklahoma. Legal descriptions and topographic map references are located in the table below.

Project Name Ownership Location Map Reference Acreage

Rock Creek Watershed Site #10 Private Section 15, Township 2 North, Range 3 East, Indian Meridian

Sulphur North 7.5-minute series (topographic) map

Rock Creek Watershed Site #12 Private Section 12, Township 1 North, Range 3 East, Indian Meridian

Sulphur North 7.5-minute series (topographic) map

The project is located within two discontinuous land parcels and is characterized as two irregularly shaped polygons. Four-Wheel-Drive vehicles with adequate ground clearance are highly recommended for onsite travel.

C. Special Considerations

The Contractor must advise the NRCS archaeologist who will coordinate with the COR if there are any access restrictions which could delay the work. The NRCS will work with the Contractor and the landowner/administrator to resolve the access issues.

Technical cultural resource questions should be directed to the NRCS archaeologist K.C. Kraft at (405) 742-1271 or kc.kraft@usda.gov. Contracting questions should be directed to the Contracting Officer.

Changes to task order content, analysis approach, level of effort, schedules and deliverables shall be made in writing by a revision to the task order by the Contracting Officer. These changes must receive written approval from the Contracting Officer before the additional work is commenced.

A task order is completed when the required end products are delivered by the Contractor and accepted by the NRCS in accordance with the executed task order and any formal revision thereof.

The Contractor shall be paid for the survey of 160 acres. If the estimated quantity and the actual quantity vary more than 15%, an equitable adjustment in the contract price shall be made upon demand mailto:kc.kraft@usda.gov of either party. The equitable adjustment shall be based upon any increase or decrease in costs due solely to the variation above 115% or below 85% of the estimated quantity. The Contractor will be required to inform the COR and the Contracting Officer in writing if the estimated quantity and the actual quantity are anticipated to vary more than 15% before equitable adjustment is approved.