R1-IMAT Nez Perce-Clearwater NF Salmon River Cultural Resource Survey

DESCRIPTION OF WORK This contract will require the re-recording/ monitoring/ updating, and evaluation of 12 previously recorded archaeological/historical sites along the Salmon River Wild and Scenic River Corridor within the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness. If jet boats are used for this contract, the contractor shall use one of the twelve authorized operators listed on page 2-72 of the FCRNR Wilderness Plan, and cannot conduct fieldwork between June 20 and September 7 which coincides with the float permit (control) season along the Salmon River. The contractor also cannot camp along the river corridor in any previously reserved camp location. A list of prohibited camp locations will be made available to the contractor. The contractor must use approved fire pans and human waste receptacles while operating within the Salmon River Wild and Scenic River Corridor. Because of low-light conditions and snow conditions which may hamper ground visibility, no field work will be accepted that occurs between November 15 and March 15 of each year. Low water levels occurring on certain stretches of the Salmon River between September 8 and November 14 of each year may affect the use of jet boats as a form of travel. No permanent datums (such as steel rods, bridge spikes, placards etc) shall be used to mark site locations. No archaeological excavation activity is required or approved for either task. No collecting of surface artifacts is authorized under this contract unless the Principal Investigator determines them to be in imminent danger of destruction. The contractor shall meet the qualifications found in Appendix A of 36 CFR Part 61. The contractor shall re-record 12 historic properties and evaluate each for their National Register eligibility. Each site shall be reported on the Archaeological Survey of Idaho site form. Any site possessing historic buildings and/or main agricultural canals will also be reported on the Idaho Historic Sites Inventory form. It should be noted that many sites were recorded decades ago and have not been visited since by archaeologists. Thus, both comprehensive descriptive and locational data for many sites are fragmentary and incomplete. It is also common to find historic components present at previously documented prehistoric sites. Often these historic components were not recorded or noted at the time the site was originaly recorded. In short, the contractor will likely have to start over in terms of documenting each site and reporting their attributes according to current sdtandards. The results of all the above work are to be included in both a draft and final professional report summarizing all aspects of the site-update work. The project is located in a rocky riverine environment and may require walking long distances over steep, rugged terrain. PROJECT LOCATION The location of the cultural resource work will be within an approximate 12 mile stretch of the Salmon River from roughly river mile 113-125. This generally corresponds with that stretch of river extending between the Shepp Ranch (mouth of Crooked Creek; T24N, R6E, Section 12) downstream to the Vinegar Creek boat launch (T25N, R5E, Section 31) which is located at the end of the Salmon River road extending east (upriver) from Riggins, Idaho.