NRCS-Colorado Cultural Resource Inventory and Recordation Services

STATEMENT OF WORK FOR NRCS CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY AND RECORDATION OF THREE PROJECTS IN COLORADO 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. 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 Alamosa and Costilla Counties, 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: San Luis Valley Project 748B05250GH is an approximately 0.9-acre project located 3 miles south of San Luis, Colorado in Costilla County. The project proposes installing structures for water control to facilitate wetland wildlife habitat management. Wetland Wildlife Habitat Monitoring is also planned; this practice is non-ground disturbing and does not require cultural resource survey. The project is located on a historic farm with acequias and one of the water control structures is being placed within the Joe B. Maez Ditch. The project is anticipated to require recording at least one or two cultural resources. Project 918B05250003 is a 4.6-acre project located 7 miles south of Hooper, Colorado in Alamosa County. The project proposes to install 1,058.2 feet of irrigation pipeline, irrigation reservoir, 171.2 feet of irrigation field ditch, and 15 structures for water control. The practice installations are being placed within the Compass Database mapped boundary of Prairie Ditch (5AL.631), which is officially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The project is anticipated to require recording at least one cultural resources. Scope Contractors will complete pedestrian cultural resource survey of three APEs, approximately 5.5 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 inventory areas. Undertaking Landowner County Acres Estimated Cultural Resources for Documentation 748B05250GH Private Costilla 0.9 1-2 918B05250003 Private Alamosa 4.6 1 Total 5.5 5 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. 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/ 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 Inter…