Minot Cultural Study

SCOPE OF WORKhttp://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/. Accessed 08/01/2012). The following table, based on the NRCS's official soil series descriptions, gives the profiles for these soil series (http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/osd/index.html. Accessed 08/01/2012). This soils information is provided for information purposes only; actual soil type and associated depths may vary. SOIL SERIES A HORIZON E HORIZON B HORIZONS BC HORIZONS C HORIZONS Zahl 0-13 cm ? 13-51 cm ? 51-152 cm Max 0-15 cm ? 15-94 cm ? 94-152 cm Williams 0-15 cm (Ap) ? 15-91 cm ? 91-152 cm ? ? 3.00 DEFINITIONS 3.01 Cultural Resources include any building, site, district, structure, object, data, or other material relating to the history, architecture, archeology, or culture of an area. 3.02 A Phase I Cultural Resources Investigation is an intensive, on-the-ground study of an area sufficient to determine the number and extent of the resources present and their relationships to project features. It will provide (1) data adequate to assess the general nature of the sites present; (2) recommendations for additional testing and/or archival research of those resources that may provide important cultural and scientific information; and (3) detailed time and cost estimates for Phase II testing and evaluation. 3.03 Phase II Testing and Evaluation is the intensive testing of and/or archival research on a resource that may provide important cultural or scientific information. This testing and archival research will result in (1) information adequate to determine whether the resource is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places; (2) a Phase III mitigation plan for any eligible resources that will undergo a direct or indirect impact; and (3) detailed time and cost estimates for the mitigation. 3.04 Phase III Mitigation is the mitigation of direct or indirect impacts of construction upon eligible sites through the systematic removal of data. It typically includes the excavation of either complete cultural deposits or a systematic sample of them and the thorough analysis and interpretation of the data recovered. The excavation, analysis, and interpretation methods must be adequate to address the important research questions based on which the resource was determined eligible. In addition, because the mitigation process destroys the resource, data should be recovered that may be needed to address future research questions. 4.00 SURVEY AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS 4.01 The Contractor will conduct Phase I cultural resources investigation of the Puppy Dog Sanitary Sewer Expansion Project's proposed sewer main alignment along First Larson Coulee, 53rd Avenue SW, and 16th Street SW at the city of Minot, North Dakota, in accordance with Sections 2.01-2.05 and 3.02 above. 4.02 The Corps' Technical Representative for this contract is Ms. Virginia Gnabasik, St. Paul District archeologist, at +1 (555) 000-0000 or by email at 4.03 If the Contractor has questions regarding any aspect of the required work, conditions or provisions of this scope of work, the Contractor will contact the Contracting Officer and resolve the confusion before proceeding. The Contractor will not proceed with work that is or appears to be beyond this scope of work. If additional work is required, it must be authorized in a contract modification signed by a warranted contracting officer prior to performance. 4.04 The Contracting Officer shall be notified at least five business days prior to the start of field work, to allow the local sponsor to be notified. 4.05 Information on buried utilities in the project area vicinity is available from the city or the appropriate utility companies. The North Dakota One Call Excavation Notice System number for utility information is main office at +1 (555) 000-0000 and hotline at +1 (555) 000-0000. 4.06 The Contractor shall employ a systematic, interdisciplinary approach in conducting the study, using techniques and methods that represent the current state of knowledge for the appropriate disciplines. The Contractor will provide specialized knowledge and skills as needed, including expertise in archeology, history, geomorphology, and other social and natural sciences. 4.07 The Contractor's key personnel working on this project must meet the Secretary of the Interior's professional qualification standards for prehistoric archeologists, historic archeologists, and historians as given in the Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation (as amended and annotated), which is available at 4.08 The Contractor is required by North Dakota Century Code 55-03-01 to obtain a cultural resources permit or archeological license from the Archaeology and Historic Preservation Division of the State Historical Society of North Dakota prior to the start of any field work. Contact Mr. Paul Picha, Chief Archaeologist, at +1 (555) 000-0000 for information and a permit application. Mr. Picha is also the point of contact for burial sites information. All permit fees are the responsibility of the Contractor and will not be subject to separate remuneration. 4.09 The Contractor will provide all materials and equipment necessary to perform the required services expeditiously. 4.10 The Contractor's survey will be an on-the-ground examination sufficient to determine the number and extent of any cultural resources present, including standing structures as well as prehistoric and historic archeological sites. 4.11 The Contractor's survey will include surface inspection in areas where surface visibility is adequate to reveal any cultural materials that are present and subsurface testing in all areas where surface visibility is inadequate, i.e., less than 30 percent. Subsurface investigation will include shovel testing, coring, soil borings, cutbank profiling, or other appropriate methods. If the field methods used vary from those that are required, they must be described and justified in the Contractor's report. 4.12 The survey interval required for subsurface testing is 15 meters (50 feet). However, this interval may vary depending upon field conditions, site density, or size. If a larger interval is used, this decision must be justified in the Contractor's report. 4.13 Shovel tests shall be a minimum of 1 meter (3 feet) deep. Hand auger tests shall be at least 1 meter deep and should be spaced at 10 meter intervals. 4.14 The Contractor's survey methodology should include deep testing using a 1-inch-diameter or larger soil probe, coring device, or bucket auger to determine if deeply buried cultural resources are present or potentially present in the project area. 4.15 Deep testing should extend down to 3 meters (10 feet) below the surface, if possible. While not able to guarantee the penetration of all soil-sediment materials or stratigraphic units to that depth, the Contractor will make every effort to insure that appropriate corings are made. 4.16 The Contractor will screen all subsurface tests through -inch mesh or smaller hardware cloth. 4.17 The Contractor will return all surveyed areas as closely as practical to presurvey conditions. In particular, care must be taken in removing lawn sod so that it can be replaced as closely as possible after the shovel test hole has been backfilled. Care should also be taken to minimize crop damage in agricultural fields. 4.18 The Contractor must keep standard records that include field notes and maps, subsurface testing forms, and photographs. 4.19 The Contractor shall use a global positioning system (GPS) device to delineate the boundaries of a site and any shovel test/auger test/coring/excavation unit locations so that the site and subsurface test locations can be more easily relocated. The Corps' preferred GPS data format is UTM (Projection), NAD 83 (Horizontal Datum), and Meters (Units). See Section 8.02 for additional details. 4.20 State site forms will be prepared for all sites discovered during the survey, and records on previously reported sites will be updated if new information is obtained. Data should be included on the present condition of each site and on the contents and locations of any collections from it. The Contractor will also submit all site forms and updates to the appropriate State agency. In addition, the UTM location of the site shall be noted on all state site forms. 4.21 The Contractor will recommend any Phase II testing and evaluation measures that are warranted. 4.22 The non-Federal sponsor for the project has acquired the necessary rights-of-entry for the proposed First Larson Coulee sewer main alignment to be surveyed for cultural resources under this contract. 4.23 If it becomes necessary in the performance of the work and services, the Contractor will, at no cost to the Government, secure the rights of ingress and egress on properties not owned or controlled by the Government or the non-Federal Sponsor. The Contractor will secure the consent of the owner, or the owner's representative or agent, in writing prior to effecting entry on such property. If requested, a letter of introduction signed by the District Engineer can be provided to explain the project purposes and request the cooperation of landowners. Where a landowner denies permission for survey or testing, the Contractor must immediately notify the Contracting Officer and must describe the extent of the property to be excluded from the survey or testing. 4.24 All cultural artifacts located during the course of the field work belong to the respective property owners. Reasonable efforts will be made by the Contractor to convince property owners to donate the material for curation to a facility meeting the requirements of 36 CFR Part 79 (Curation of Federally-owned and Administered Archeological Collections), so that these artifacts are available to future researchers. The Contractor shall have property owners willing to donate items sign a release form or donation agreement indicating such. Property owners desiring to keep artifacts should have these returned to them after inventory, cleaning, analysis, and photography have been completed. 4.25 The Contractor is responsible for making all curatorial arrangements with the Archaeology and Historic Preservation Division of the State Historical Society of North Dakota in Bismarck, which meets the requirements of 36 CFR Part 79, and has the ability to ensure the preservation of the artifacts and associated records and has procedures for making them available for research and public viewing. The Contractor is responsible for processing the artifacts recovered under the contract for accessioning by the curation facility and for delivering the processed artifacts to the facility. 4.26 Should the Contractor, in the course of conducting investigations under this contract, discover human remains, associated and/or unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony, activity in the vicinity of the discovery shall immediately cease. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate officials at the Archaeology and Historic Preservation Division of the State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHPO) and otherwise follow North Dakota Century Code 23-06-07 and North Dakota Administrative Code 40-02-03 protecting prehistoric and historic burial sites, human remains and burial goods. As soon as practicable after discovery, the Contractor shall notify the Corps' Technical Representative of the discovery, its location, and any information on the nature of the discovery, including items found and their apparent age and condition. No further activity shall be allowed in the area of the discovery until the Corps completes the consultation process with the North Dakota SHPO and the appropriate Indian tribes. 5.00 GENERAL REPORT REQUIREMENTS 5.01 The Contractor shall submit the following documents, described in this section and Section 6.00: field notes, a field report, a draft contract report, and a final contract report. 5.02 The Contractor's field report will be a brief summary of the nature, extent and results of the field work conducted. It may be in the form of a letter to the Corps' Technical Representative. 5.03 The Contractor's field notes will include legible copies of important notes and records kept during the investigation. Especially important are the daily field journal of the Principal Investigator or field director, field site survey forms, and subsurface testing forms. One copy of these notes should be submitted to the Corps' Technical Representative with the draft contract report but should not be bound into the report. 5.04 The draft contract report will detail the approach, methods, and results of the investigation and make recommendations for further work. It will be submitted to the Corps' Technical Representative, who will review it and forward it to other appropriate agencies for review. Comments will be returned to the Contractor, who will make the necessary revisions and submit the final contract report. 5.05 The Contractor's draft and final reports will include at least the following sections, as appropriate to the study. The length of each section depends on the level of detail required of the study and the amount of information available. The reports should be as concise as possible, yet provide all the information needed for evaluating and managing the project and for future reference. a. Title page: The title page will provide the following information: the type of study; the types of cultural resources assessed (archeological, historical, and architectural); the project name and location (county and state); the date of the report; the Contractor's name; the contract number; the name of the author(s) and/or Principal Investigator; the signature of the Principal Investigator; and the agency for which the report is being prepared. b. Management summary: This section will provide a concise summary of the study, containing all the information needed for management of the project. This information will include the reason the work was undertaken, who the sponsor was, a brief summary of the scope of work and budget, a summary of the field work and lab analysis, the limitations of the study, the results, the significance of the results, recommendations for further work, and the repository for records and artifacts. c. Table of contents d. List of figures (includes plates) e. List of tables f. Introduction: This section will identify the sponsors (Corps of Engineers) and their reason for the study and present an overview of the study with each site located on USGS quad maps. It will also define the location and boundaries of the study area (using regional and area-specific maps); define the study area within its regional cultural and environmental context; reference the scope of work; identify the institution that did the work and the number of people and person-days/hours involved; give the dates when the various phases of the work were completed; identify the repository of records and artifacts; and provide a brief outline of the report and an overview of its major goals. g. Previous archeological and historical studies: This section will briefly summarize and evaluate previous archeological and historical research in the study area including the researchers, dates, extent, adequacy, and results of past work and any cultural/behavioral inferences derived from it. h. Environmental background: This section will briefly describe the current and prehistoric environment of the study area, including its geology, vegetation, fauna, climate, topography, physiography, and soils. The relationship of the environmental setting to the area's prehistory and history should be stressed. The level of detail in this section will be commensurate with that of the other report sections. i. Theoretical and methodological overview: This section will state the goals of the sponsor and the researcher, the theoretical and methodological orientation of the study, and the research strategies that were applied to achieve the goals. j. Field methods: This section will describe all field methods, techniques, and strategies and the reasons for using them. It will also describe field conditions, relevant topographic and physiographic features, vegetation conditions, soil types, stratigraphy, general results, and the reasons for eliminating any uninvestigated areas. k. Laboratory and analysis methods: This section will explain the laboratory methods employed and the reasons for selecting them. It will reference accession or catalog numbers of any collections, photographs, or field notes obtained during the study and state where these materials are permanently housed. It will also describe and justify the specific analytical methods used, including any quantitative analysis of the data, and discuss limitations or problems with the analysis. l. Results: This section will describe the cultural resources found during the study. It will minimally include each site's description (including size, depth, and artifact density); its location (USGS quad, legal description and UTM coordinates, and elevation); the amounts and types of remains recovered; its environmental setting; its current condition; the direct and indirect impacts of the project upon it; and any additional interpretations (e.g., site type, cultural components, and human behavioral information). m. Evaluation and conclusions: This section will formulate conclusions about the location, size, condition, and distribution of the resources found; their relationships to other sites in the area; and their possible importance in terms of local and regional prehistory, protohistory, and history. It will also relate the results of the study to the stated goals; identify any changes in the goals; assess the reliability of the analysis; and discuss the potential of and goals for future research. n. Recommendations: This section will recommend any further work deemed necessary. It will summarize Phase II evaluation measures that would be needed to determine whether specific resources are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, as well as a time and cost estimate for this work. It will also describe any areas that were inaccessible and recommend future treatment of them. If the Contractor concludes that no further work is needed at any site, the evidence and reasoning supporting this recommendation will be presented. o. References: This section will provide bibliographic references (in American Antiquity format) for every publication cited in the report. References not cited in the report may be listed in a separate "Additional References" section. p. Appendices: This section will include the Scope of Work, resumes of project personnel; copies of all correspondence relating to the study; state site forms for all sites evaluated, artifact catalog sheets, and any other pertinent information referenced in the text. q. Figures: The locations of all sites and other features discussed in the text will be shown on legibly photocopied USGS 7.5' topographic quadrangle maps bound into the report. In addition, the locations of all subsurface tests will be indicated on maps of appropriate scale and detail, and keyed to the subsurface testing forms included with the field notes. Other recommended figures are regional and project maps, photographs of the project area, and line drawings or photographs of diagnostic artifacts, structures, and unit or feature profiles. r. Tables: The report should include tables of cultural materials by site and provenience (for example, excavation unit and level). Information that may require more detailed tabulation includes lithic tool types and raw materials, ceramic attributes, and floral and faunal remains. 6.00 FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS 6.01 There are no specific format requirements for the field report. A letter report is usually sufficient. 6.02 There are no format requirements for the field notes; however, they must be legible. If the original handwritten notes are illegible, they must be typed. 6.03 Formats for both the draft and final contract reports are as follows: a. The Contractor shall present information in a manner, whether textual, tabular, or graphic that provides the most effective communication method. b. The draft and final reports will be divided into easily discernible chapters, with appropriate page separations and headings. c. The final report text will be typed, single-spaced (the draft report should be space-and-one-half or double-spaced), on 20 lb bond paper, 8.5 inches by 11.0 inches, with 1.5-inch binding and bottom margins and 1-inch top and outer margins, and may be printed on both sides of the paper. All pages will be numbered consecutively, including plates, figures, tables, and appendices. d. All illustrations must be clear, legible, self-explanatory, and of sufficiently high quality to be reproduced easily by standard xerographic equipment, and will have margins as defined above. All maps must be labeled with a caption/description, a north arrow, a scale bar, township and range, map size and dates, and map source (e.g., the USGS quad name or published source). All photographs or drawings should be clear, distinct prints or copies with captions and a bar scale. 7.00 MATERIALS PROVIDED 7.01 The Corps' Technical Representative will furnish the Contractor with access to any publications, records, maps, photographs, or GIS shapefiles that are on file at the St. Paul District headquarters that are appropriate to the study being undertaken. 7.02 At the Contractor's request, the Corps' GIS coordinator (Mr. Keith LeClaire, phone: +1 (555) 000-0000) will provide a Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant Metadata package to generate the required metadata files. 8.00 SUBMITTALS 8.01 The field work completion date for this project will be September 21, 2012. The Contractor will contact the Corps' Technical Representative at least 5 days before the field work begins to discuss the field work schedule and plans. 8.02 All geospatial data produced under this work order must be provided to the Corps. This includes all source data used to generate digital products. a. All spatial data will be shipped in ESRI Shapefile or personal Geodatabase format. b. All spatial data will reference the appropriate UTM Zone, NAD 83, Meters. c. Locational referencing must be accomplished using a Global Positioning System (GPS) that must produce a horizontal accuracy of +/- 2 meters. d. All GPS data must be post-processed to remove atmospheric and systematic errors. The log file produced in the processing of the data must accompany the data. 8.03 All geospatial data provided must include a metadata file compliant with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. The Corps will provide a FGDC compliant Metadata package to generate these files upon the request of the Contractor (see 7.02 above). a. Metadata must be delivered at the same time as the final contract report. b. Metadata compliant files must be submitted as an email attachment to the following address: c. The metadata file must include a description of any digital data acquisition including GPS specifications, i.e., unit manufacturer, model, date and time of collect. 8.04 The Contractor will submit reports according to the following schedules: a. Field report: A brief letter report summarizing the field work and its results will be submitted to the Corps' Technical Representative with five (5) business days after the completion of field work. b. Draft contract report: Four (4) copies of the draft contract report will be submitted no later than 31 days after completion of the field work (NLT October 22, 2012). The draft contract report will be reviewed by the Corps of Engineers, the State Historic Preservation Office, and possibly other reviewers. The draft contract report will be submitted according to the report and contract specifications outlined in this scope of work. c. Project field notes: One legible copy of all the project field notes will be submitted with the draft contract report, but not bound into that report. d. Final contract report: The original (on CD) and 5 hard copies (on paper) of the final report will be submitted no later than 30 days after the Contractor receives the Corps of Engineers comments on the draft contract report (final report will be due on or before December 21, 2012). The final report will incorporate all the comments made on the draft report. The original copy of the final report should be submitted to the Corps on a CD. The original copy will consist of the entire final report, including all text, figures, tables, plates, and appendices. A legible copy of the project field notes should also be included on this CD. 8.05 Curation documents: No later than three (3) months after the final contract report is submitted to the Corps, the Contractor shall provide the Corps' Technical Representative with a copy of the signed curation agreement, copies of artifact inventory sheets with associated accession numbers, and a signed letter from the curation facility stating that all curation accession requirements have been satisfactorily completed (curation papers due on or before March 21, 2013). At this same time, the Contractor will also submit to the Corps' Technical Representative a signed and dated receipt from each landowner to whom artifacts recovered under this contract were returned. 9.00 CONDITIONS 9.01 Failure of the Contractor to fulfill the requirements of this scope of work may result in rejection of the Contractor's report and/or termination of the contract. 9.02 Neither the Contractor nor his representative shall release any sketch, photograph, report, or other materials of any nature obtained or prepared under this contract without specific written acceptance of the Corps' Technical Representative prior to the acceptance of the final report by the Government. Dissemination of investigation results through papers at professional meetings or publication in professional journals is encouraged. However, professional discretion should be used in releasing information on site locations where publication could result in damage to cultural resources. 9.03 All materials, documents, collections, notes, forms, maps, etc., that have been produced or acquired in any manner for use in the completion of this contract shall be made available to the Corps' Technical Representative upon request. 9.04 Principal investigators will be responsible for the validity of material presented in their reports. In the event of controversy or court challenge, the principal investigator(s) may be placed under separate contract to testify on behalf of the Government in support of the findings presented in their reports. 9.05 The Contractor will be responsible for adhering to all State laws and procedures regarding the treatment and disposition of human skeletal remains. Any human remains encountered will be treated with respect and will not be placed on public display. 10.00 METHOD OF PAYMENT 10.01 The Contractor may make requests for payment under this contract after completion of each contract line item. A letter summarizing work accomplished since the last invoice shall accompany the invoice, which shall reference the Corps' contract number. 11.00 ATTACHMENTS 11.01 Figures accompanying scope of work: a. Figure 1: U.S.G.S. 7.5' Minot topographic quadrangle showing location of proposed First Larson Coulee sewer main alignment. b. Figure 2: Air photo showing First Larson Coulee sewer main alignment to be surveyed for cultural resources. c. Figure 3: Photograph of First Larson Coulee sewer main alignment looking west from U.S. Highway 83. d. Figure 4: Photograph of First Larson Coulee looking west from near U.S. Highway 83, showing coulee bottom vegetation. e. Figure 5: Photograph of First Larson Coulee sewer main alignment looking east along 53rd Avenue SW. f. Figure 6: Construction drawing showing details on low water crossings of First Larson Coulee. g. Figure 7. Minot Puppy Dog Sanitary Sewer Line Expansion along First Larson Coulee, 53rd Avenue SW, and 16th Street SW. ? ? ? contact@example.gov. http://www.cr.nps.gov/local-law/arch_stnds_9.htm. Key personnel include the Contractor's principal investigator, field director, laboratory supervisor, and field crew contact@example.gov. PHASE I CULTURAL RESOURCES INVESTIGATION OF THE PROPOSED FIRST LARSON COULEE SEWER MAIN ALIGNMENT, PUPPY DOG SANITARY SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT, CITY OF MINOT, WARD COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA ? 1.00 INTRODUCTION 1.01 The Contractor will undertake a Phase I cultural resources investigation of the proposed sewer main alignment along First Larson Coulee, 53rd Avenue SW, and 16th Street SW at the city of Minot, Ward County, North Dakota. This proposed sewer main is part of the city's Puppy Dog Sanitary Sewer Expansion Project. The proposed First Larson Coulee sewer main alignment is approximately 8,038 feet long (2,450 meters) by 100 feet (30.5 m) wide, for a total of approximately 18.5 acres. 1.02 This cultural resources investigation partially fulfills the obligations of the Corps of Engineers (Corps) regarding cultural resources, as set forth in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law [PL] 89-665), as amended; the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190); the Archeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974 (PL 93-291); the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation "Regulation for the Protection of Historic Properties" (36 CFR Part 800); and the applicable Corps regulations. Curation of recovered materials and associated records will be at a facility meeting the requirements of 36 CFR Part 79, Curation of Federally-owned and Administered Archeological Collections. 1.03 This cultural resources investigation will serve several functions. The report will be a planning tool to aid the Corps in meeting its obligations to preserve and protect our cultural heritage. It will be a comprehensive, scholarly document that not only fulfills federally mandated requirements, but also serves as a scientific reference for future professional studies. It will identify resources that may require additional investigations and that may have potential for public-use development. Thus, the report must be analytical, not just descriptive. 2.00 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.01 The city of Minot is proposing construction of part of their Puppy Dog Sanitary Sewer Expansion Project along First Larson Coulee, 53rd Avenue SW, and 16th Street SW under the Corps of Engineers' Section 594 Environmental Infrastructure Improvements Program. Sanitary sewer construction under the 594 program specifically involves extending the 24-inch First Larson Coulee interceptor sewer main from approximately 300 feet west of U.S. Highway 83 west along the coulee bottom to the Crystal Springs development at 53rd Avenue SW and 16th Street SW, and installation of a 12-inch collector sewer line from the First Larson interceptor sewer line north along 16th Street SW to the natural watershed divide between First Larson Coulee and Puppy Dog Coulee (Figures 1, 2 and 7). 2.02 The proposed sewer main alignment along First Larson Coulee, 53rd Avenue SW, and 16th Street SW is located in the NE'NE'SE, S'SE'NE, SE'SW'NE, N'NW'SE, SW'NW'SE, SE'NE'SW, N'SE'SW, E'SW'SW , W'SW'SW, and W'SW'NW'SW, Section 2, and the E'ESE'SE and E'ESE'NE'SE, Section 3, Township 154 North, Range 83 West, Ward County, North Dakota (Figure 1). 2.03 The proposed sewer main alignment is approximately 8,038 feet (1.52 miles/2,450 meters) long by 100 feet (30.5 m) wide, for a total of approximately 18.5 acres. The permanent sewer line easement will be 40 feet wide (15 feet on the north/east side and 25 feet on the south/west side of the sewer pipe centerline). There will be 30-foot-wide tempora...