S01 Attachment 1 Appendix A NRCS Iowa.pdf

Appendix A, Page 1

APPENDIX A

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Iowa Activities, Enhancements, and Practices

With Little or No Potential to Affect Historic Properties

Pursuant to Stipulation V.a of the NRCS Iowa State-based Programmatic Agreement (PA), and in accordance with 36 CFR Part 800. 3(a)(l ), NRCS Iowa has determined that the following conservation activities, enhancements, and practices constitute undertakings with little or no potential to affect historic properties. This determination has been made in consultation with the NRCS Iowa State Conservationist, NRCS Conservation Specialists, Indian Tribes, and the Iowa Historic Preservation Office. If a conservation activity, enhancement, or practice is not listed as paii of this Appendix, then the conservation activity, enhancement, or practice will be considered as having potential to affect cultural resources.

I. General NRCS Iowa Practices with Little or No Potential to Affect Historic

Properties:

NRCS Iowa has determined that the following general practices have little or no potential to affect historic properties, and thus require no further consultation under Section 106.

a) Conservation Planning or Technical Assistance when NRCS Exercises No Control Over Implementation. NRCS Iowa has determined providing general conservation planning and technical assistance to its Cooperators has little or no potential to affect historic prope1iies. This assistance is primarily focused on management and is completed in the office or in the field. Planning and technical assistance involves no ground disturbance activities that would necessitate a cultural resources inventory.

b) CPAs, DIAs, CEMAs. NRCS Iowa has determined that Conservation Planning Activities (CPA), Design and Implementation Activities (DIA), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMA) have little or no potential to affect historic properties. CPAs and DIAs are planning activities utilizing financial assistance provided by the NRCS. As with general conservation planning, CPAs and DIAs have no ground disturbing activities that would necessitate a cultural resources inventory. CEMAs are an evaluation of the environmental condition in support of the planning process. CEMAs may have minimal ground disturbance activities that would fall under Section I(d).

c) Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Determinations. NRCS Iowa has determined that the determination of Highly Erodible Lands (HEL) and Wetlands has little or no potential to affect historic properties. These determinations are primarily completed in the office and involves no ground disturbance activities that would necessitate a cultural resources inventory. Wetlands determinations are occasionally completed in the field utilizing a hand-dug test pit to identify redoximorphic features. Under such circumstances, Conservation Planners will shift the location of test pits to avoid impacts to cultural resources.

Megan.Messerole Highlight

Appendix A, Page 2

NRCS Iowa Soil Survey, Natural Resource Inventory (NRI), and GeotechnicalTesting. NRCS Iowa has determined that limited soil survey testing utilizing handdug test pits, hand probes, and/or augers has little or no potential to affect historic properties, provided that such testing is shifted to avoid impacts to cultural resources, and provided that the testing is located on privately-owned land. Similarly, NRCS Iowa has determined that limited geotechnical auger testing of sediment fill and earthen fill structures associated with dam rehabilitation work has little or no potential to affect historic properties, provided that such geotechnical testing is shifted to avoid impacts to cultural resources, and provided that the geotechnical testing is located on privately-owned land. If either activity is located on Federal, State, or TribalAdministered lands, or if heavy equipment (i.e., backhoes, tractors, excavators, etc.) will be used as part of the testing process, then the activities are considered to have potential to affect historic propetiies.

II. Specific NRCS Iowa Activities, Enhancements, and Practices with Little or No Potential to Affect Historic Properties:

NRCS Iowa has determined that the conservation activities, enhancements, and practices displayed in Table 1 and 2 of this Appendix have little or no potential to affect historic properties, and that further consultation under Section 106 is unnecessary. These conservation activities, enhancements, and practices are considered to have little or no potential to affect historic properties provided that:

a) NRCS Iowa is the lead Federal agency for the purposes of Section 106;

b) A Cultural Resource Flow Chart for the field office (Appendix D) has been completed for the practice. If a practice is listed in Table 1 and meets the exemption criteria, it is considered to have no potential to effect cultural resources and is exempt from further review. If a practice from Table 1 does not meet the exemption criteria or the practice is listed in Table 2, then further review (as laid out in the Cultural Resource Flowchart for Field Offices) is required by trained Field Office staff (FO) to assess the presence of cultural resources within the APE. If FO determine cultural resources are (or may be) present within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), FO will contact the Cultural Resources Specialist (CRS) to further review the practice and APE. If the CRS determines that no historic properties are within the project area, the CRS will document this decision and allow the FO to proceed with project planning and implementation. If the CRS determines there is a historic property in the APE, then further consultation under the Section 106 processes as laid out in Section V. of the NRCS Iowa Programmatic agreement will occur.

c) If the practices do not meet the above criteria and/or are not listed in Table 1 and 2, they should be submitted to the CRS for further review.

III. Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Enhancements CSP conservation practice enhancements will follow guidance listed under the applicable conservation practice standard codes. This includes all E-conservation practice standard-based enhancements. CSP bundles will be reviewed based on each enhancement applicable to the bundle.

d)

1. Is the location a high probability area? (refer to the Cultural Resource Procedures Doc.)

2. Are there historic buildings or structures visible in the 1930s-1970s aerial maps of the project area? (i.e. barns, railroad, mills, bridges, etc.)

3. Are there cultural resources noted in historic plat maps in the project area? (i.e. cemeteries, schoolhouses, etc.)

4. Does ISITES identify archaeological sites in the project area section?

5. Does LIDAR show possible mounds, buildings, villages sites, or unusual anomalies?

1. Has the landowner ever collected artifacts within the project area?

2. Does the landowner know of any buildings, structures, or sites that are 50 years old or older within the project area?

3. Are there low standing structures, foundations, or surface anomalies visible on the surface in the project area that were not apparent on aerial maps? (i.e. mounds, dams, ruins, railroad, well, etc.)

4. Are there artifacts exposed on disturbed or exposed soil?

(plowed fields, cow paths, root throws, cut banks)

5. Did shovel tests in low visibility areas produce any artifacts?

If you answered YES to ANY of the above questions, the project location may have significant cultural resources.

Is there an alternate practice or location available?

During research, if human remains, mounds, or cemeteries, are discovered, stop work and contact the NRCS State Office

Cultural Resources Flowchart for Field Offices Purpose: To ensure that cultural resource reviews and investigations are conducted according to policy.

Scope: When NRCS is the lead agency and conservation practices are being planned.

Producer Name____________________________

Twp ________ Range ________ Sec _______

Tract ____________

Practice(s) ______________________________

Attach a map of the project

Prior to ranking, TRAINED field office personnel shall determine if the conservation practice under consideration qualifies for exclusion from review in accordance with the Iowa Programmatic Agreement;

or, failing that, if cultural resources/historic properties may be present within the Area of Potential Effects.

Circle appropriate actions taken for each of the items listed below.

Process completed.

Record on CPA-52 Environmental Evaluation Worksheet and attach completed flowchart to CPA-52.

In the event that during construction there is a discovery of cultural resources, stop work immediately and contact state office.

The NRCS Archaeologist assesses effects and treatment options through consultation with SHPO/Tribes (30 day minimum process) or the Field Office terminates the technical assistance and notifies the producer.

Submit GeoPortal Cultural Resource Request to the State Office

If you answered NO to ALL the above questions

Did the NRCS Archaeologist determine that a historic property is located within the APE?

Repeat this process on a new flow chart for the adjusted project area or conservation practice.

Do some or all of the conservation practices have potential to affect a cultural resource (See Appendix A: Table 1)

No Yes

Signature: ___________________

Date: _______

Yes

No

Project Area BACKGROUND RESEARCH Project Area FIELD RESEARCH

I certify that I made a field visit to the project area:

Signature: _____________________________

Date of visit: _____________

I certify that I did background research on the project area:

Signature: ___________________________

Date: _____________

No Yes

County ______________

Appendix A, Page 3

IV.

Determine your Area of Potential Effect (APE) including access roads, borrow areas, and staging areas.

Then conduct the background and field research, by answering all of the questions below.

https://gis.sc.egov.usda.gov/portal/home/

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V.

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VI.

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Appendix A: Table 2

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Appendix A: Table 2