NRCS-Colorado Cultural Resource Inventory and Recordation Services

STATEMENT OF WORK FOR NRCS CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY AND RECORDATION OF THREE PROJECTS IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO, NRCS AREA 3 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 The NRCS is providing federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Bill for three Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) projects in Baca and Las Animas, Colorado. These projects are undertakings under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and its implementing regulations, 36 CFR § 800. Historic property identification and documentation within the respective areas of potential effect (APE) is required under 36 CFR § 800.4. This contract is for pedestrian survey and cultural resources documentation within the APEs of the following undertakings: Area 3 Project 748B052505B is an approximately 19.2-acre project located about four miles east of Campo in Baca County, Colorado. The project proposes to drill a new water well and to install a one-acre shrub row. The shrub row will be prepared by disking the area to a six- inch depth. The new plantings will be irrigated with a surface microirrigation system. The project is proposed within the Compass Database mapped boundary of homestead 5BA.2060. Project 748B05250GB has an approximately 41.9-acre area of potential effect located 14 miles northwest of Kim, Colorado in Las Animas. The project proposes installing 18,132.8 feet of livestock pipeline and installing two watering facilities for cattle. The project APE is located on both private land and State Lands. The project overlaps with the Compass Database mapped boundary of historic school 5LA.11145. Project 748B052508V is an approximately 3.3-acre project located 13 miles northeast of Vilas, Colorado in Baca County. The project proposes to install 1,324 feet of fence with pipe H-braces, drill a well and attach a solar pump, and place a fiberglass watering facility for grazing cattle. B. Scope Contractors will complete pedestrian cultural resource survey of 3 APEs, approximately 64.4 acres. The table below details the undertaking, acreage, and land ownership of each APE. The APE is the cultural resources inventory area for each project. See the attached maps of these -- 1 of 12 -- inventory areas. Undertaking Landowner County Acres 748B052505B Private Baca 19.2 748B05250GB Private and State Lands Las Animas 41.9 748B052508V Private Baca 3.3 Total Acres 64.4 Prior to completing the pedestrian inventory, Contractors will secure all required archaeological permits and coordinate with NRCS Colorado to access the survey areas. Before fieldwork, the contractor will also complete a Class I literature review of all previous cultural resources inventories and recorded cultural resource sites within the APE and a mile buffer of the APE. All cultural resources identified within the APE(s) shall be documented and evaluated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) according to professional standards as listed in I. C below. Contractors will complete and submit to the NRCS all appropriate cultural resource site documentation detailing the results of each inventory. Documentation will include cultural resource inventory reports, site forms, and GIS shapefiles. The reports shall also be completed to professional standards as specified in I. C below. C. Applicable Documents Procedures for complying with the previously mentioned 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 • Colorado State Antiquities Act (UCA 9-8-301-308) • Colorado Code Annotated 9-8-404; Agency Responsibilities • Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Manual: Guidelines for Identification: History and Archaeology • If applicable, The Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Office Handbook of Guidelines and Procedures for Inventory, Evaluation, and Mitigation of Cultural Resources Information on Section 106 of the NHPA, 36 CFR 800 and the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines is available from the following National Park Service website: http://www.cr.nps.gov/linklaws.htm. The NRCS documents may be obtained from the National Cultural Resources website: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/cultural.html. Colorado cultural resource information is accessible on the History Colorado website: https://www.historycolorado.org/ -- 2 of 12 -- Part II: Work Requirements Contractors shall gather sufficient information to enable the NRCS and the cooperating agricultural producers to remain in compliance with 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 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 retains the responsibility for all decision- making and consultation required of Federal agencies related to compliance with cultural resources protection laws and regulations. Contractors must meet the Secretary of Interior’s professional standards as specified in Section 11…