Cultural Resource Services
Chambers Group has extensive experience in surveying, evaluating, and managing cultural resource sites and properties. Chambers Group successfully completes projects while taking into account the goals of clients, agency officials, Native Americans, and other interested parties. Our staff is highly trained in all aspects of archaeological investigations required under historic preservation law. They meet the Secretary of Interior standards for archaeology, history, and historic architecture.
Overview
The primary goal of cultural resource management is to identify, evaluate, and treat the full range of significant prehistoric and historic archaeological resources and historic structures. Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), federal permitting agencies must take into account the effect of a proposed development project on eligible cultural resources, and a mitigation plan must be developed and implemented. Land developers must follow Section 106 procedures when they need a 404 permit to impact wetlands and drainages. Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), cultural resources must be evaluated for importance, and mitigation measures consisting of preservation or recovery must be applied.
Cultural resources are usually identified by a field survey. Once identified, cultural resources or historic properties must be evaluated by determining whether the cultural resource meets NRHP eligibility criteria or CEQA criteria. Evaluation for prehistoric cultural resources consists of delineating site boundaries, obtaining a small sample to determine whether site contents might yield information important in prehistory, and assessing site depositional integrity (determining whether association and context of features and artifacts have been affected). Sometimes, artistic value is applicable, which is the case with rock art sites. Evaluation of historic resources requires historical research to establish the historical associations and context for the resource. It may also require subsurface excavation. Architectural evaluation is necessary in the case of historic structures.
Capabilities
- Field surveys and archival record searches
- Archaeological site testing and data recovery
- Construction monitoring
- Coordination and interaction with Native American groups
- Historic resources treatment plans
- Predictive models and research designs
- Archaeological treatment plans
- Paleontological mitigation plans
- Historic building conservation and restoration plans
Services
Chambers Group professionals conduct cultural
resources studies in accordance with the
Secretary of Interior’s Standards for archaeological investigation and have demonstrated
experience managing large programs and
multiple concurrent task orders in compliance
with Sections 106 and 110 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), and
Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) as well as regularly
perform National Register of Historic Properties
(NRHP) evaluations of cultural resources.
Cultural resource programs are tailored to meet the needs of each project. Specific services may include the following:
- field surveys to identify cultural resources and assess direct and indirect impacts of proposed projects;
- identification of historic structures, uses, land use studies, and interviews with occupants or living relatives;
- development of predictive models and preparation of overviews that synthesize known archaeological and historical data and identify research priorities and problem areas;
- site testing (limited excavation) to evaluate significance to American pre-history, history, and culture in terms of applicable CEQA or NRHP criteria;
- Archaeological Treatment Plans and re search designs for eligible or important pre historic and historic archaeological sites that will be adversely affected by proposed activities;
- mitigation of impacts through excavation (data recovery) of significant sites that cannot be preserved through avoidance;
- on-site mitigation monitoring during construction;
- architectural evaluations to determine the significance of standing historic structures;
- Historic Resources Treatment Plans for significant historic structures which include pro visions for historical and architectural documentation per Historic American Building Survey/ Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) requirements;
- evaluating cultural resources or historic properties for National Register of Historic Properties eligibility (36 CFR 60.4), and pre paring nominations;
- preparation of State of California Department of Parks and Recreation site record forms (DPR 523) for archaeological and historical sites;
- preparation of collections from evaluation and data recovery to meet federal curation standards, if required. Chambers Group also advises clients on collections management and curation procedures if requested.
- interact closely with Native American groups to identify concerns regarding sensitive is sues such as burials, cemeteries, sacred religious sites, and traditionally valued plants and animals. In many instances, Native American monitors are required onsite during excavation.
Chambers Group has considerable experience with many of these groups in the western United States, including the Chumash, Juaneño, Gabrielino, Serrano, Yokuts, and Mono groups of California; the Southern Paiute of Utah and Nevada; and the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Laguna Pueblo of Arizona and New Mexico. Others include the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Diegueño Hohokam, Hoopa, Klamath, Kitanemuk, Kumeyaay, Luiseño, Mewuk, Modoc, Nez Perce, Ohlone, Pit River, Salinian, Shoshone, Shasta, Tataviam, Tongva, and Yurok.
Chambers Group also has extensive experience in survey, evaluation, and impact assessment of marine archaeological sites off the coast of California, and identification, assessment, and mitigation of paleontological resources throughout the western United States.
Cultural Resources Projects:
Biological and Cultural Resources Surveys, Jurisdictional Delineations, Track Upgrade Project (Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), Sub to Parsons Water & Infrastructure)
Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) plans to add a second track along side its existing track from Thermal to Araz (approximately 100 linear miles) in Riverside and Imperial Counties, CA. UPRR plans to widen the track embankment on one side of the tracks by an average of 50 feet and replace the existing bridges and culverts. Chambers Group is preparing biological and cultural surveys and jurisdictional delinations for this project.
Cultural Survey for Desert Ranch Yellowstone Oasis Section 16 (Blixeth, Sub to Brian Arnold)
Project is the first of four separate contracts for the Desert Ranch project; a 5,000+ acre parcel near the Salton Sea. This portion involves cultural and paleontological research, surveys and reports for a one Section (647 acres) parcel (Section 16) in Riverside County, immediately west of the north end of the Salton Sea.
Cultural Resources Investigation, Coachella Valley Management Plan (CVMP) (Bureau of Land Management (BLM))
As part of the Coachella Valley Management Plan (CVMP), the BLM was making land use decisions for BLM-managed land located within the Coachella Valley between Desert Hot Springs and the Salton Sea. To aid the BLM in its decision-making process, Chambers Group conducted a cultural resources investigation of approximately 4,350 acres in areas where the implementation of the CVMP could adversely affect resources eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Three general types of areas were examined during this study: 45 miles of road segments, 400 acres within areas proposed for new hiking trails, and 600 acres in the Drop 31 Area proposed for use as an open off-highway vehicle area.
Transmission Line Survey (Los Angeles Department of Water
and Power)
Chambers Group conducted an archaeological survey in support of the proposed replacement and repair of transmission lines located in the Angeles National Forest (ANF). The services that Chambers Group provided included record searches conducted with the South Central Coastal Information Center of the California Historical Resources Information System and at the ANF Supervisor’s Office to identify known cultural resources that were located within the project areas; a field survey of all areas where ground disturbance would occur; the preparation of a technical report describing the methods and results of the record searches and field survey; and the completion of Department of Parks and Recreation 523 site records for all prehistoric and historic-period resources recorded during the survey. All survey and report requirements were coordinated with the ANF Forest Archaeologist and completed under the terms of a project-specific survey permit issued by the ANF Forest Archaeologist.
