Placer County Water Agency Middle Fork American River Project (FERC No. 2079) Cultural Technical Working Group Meeting

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Placer County Water AgencyMiddle Fork American
River Project(FERC No. 2079)CulturalTechnical
Working Group Meeting

• November 18, 2008

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2008 Cultural Resource Inventory Study Results
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Inventory Work Completed in 2008

• Conducted additional records searches to identify
  previous studies and/or previously recorded
  resources within one-mile radius of four Project
  snow courses
• The snow courses are located in the upper
  Watershed, east of Hell Hole and French Meadows
  reservoirs
• Relocated and examined two previously recorded
  resources to verify location and condition of
  resources
• Revisited two previously unknown resources that
  were found in 2007
• Conducted field surveys to identify new resources

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2008 Inventory Effort/Results

• Additional record searches related to Project
  snow courses
• Identified 15 previous studies within 1 mile of
  each of the snow course locations
• Identified 26 previously recorded cultural
  resources within 1 mile of the snow course
  locations
• Resources include Basque tree carving sites,
  prehistoric bedrock milling sites, lithic
  scatters, prehistoric campsites, and 1 petroglyph
  site
• None of these sites is located within 200 feet of
  a snow course location

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2008 Inventory Effort/Results

• Relocated and examined two previously recorded
  resources to verify location and condition of
  resource
• Relocated one resource that was originally
  recorded as a bedrock milling station and flake
  scatter (FS-05-03-55-201)
• Relocated one resource that was originally
  recorded as a single bedrock mortar
  (FS-05-17-53-468)
• Resource was thought to be a natural feature in
  2007
• Surveys in 2008 indicate the feature is a shallow
  bedrock mortar placed in a natural depression on
  the rock

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2008 Inventory Effort/Results

• Revisited two previously unknown resources that
  were found in 2007
• Revisited a mining settlement that was originally
  recorded in 2007. Updated record to reflect
  additional features found during 2008 surveys
  (FS-05-17-53-372)
• Revisited a resource that was found in 2007 and
  thought to be a ditch segment. Determined to be
  a recent feature based on 2008 survey (PL-02)

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2008 Inventory Effort/Results

• Conducted surveys to identify new resources
  within 200 feet of the following features or
  areas
• Project reservoirs
• Existing Project facilities
• Potential Project betterments
• Project snow courses
• 2008 surveys augment survey work completed in
  2006 and 2007
• 14 new cultural resources were identified during
  2008 surveys

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New Resources Identified in 2008

• 1 Native American rock art site
• 5 Isolated artifacts
• 8 Historic era resources (3 archaeological sites,
  5 objects/structures)

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Update on Implementation of Cultural
ResourcesEligibility Studies
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Eligibility Studies

• Purpose
• Evaluate Resources to Determine if they are
  Eligible for the National Register of Historic
  Places (NRHP)

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Eligibility Studies

• Determining Historical Significance
• Criteria used to evaluate historical significance
  are found in36 CFR 60.4
• Criteria takes into account
• Age (50 years or older, or exceptional resources
  under 50 years of age)
• Integrity
• Significance Criteria
• A. Associated with broad patterns in American
  History
• B. Associated with important persons
• C. Embodies distinctive characteristics of type,
  period, method of construction, high
  artistic value, represents work of master
• D. Potential to yield information important in
  prehistory or history

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Eligibility Studies

• Distributed Draft Cultural Resources Eligibility
  Evaluation Plan on June 18, 2008 for review and
  comment (one letter received from Shingle Springs
  Rancheria)
• Distributed Final Cultural Resources Eligibility
  Evaluation Plan on August 28, 2008
• Obtained ARPA permits from the Forest Service to
  conduct shovel probes and test excavation units
  (TEUs) at specific sites
• Notified Tribes of field schedule by letter dated
  September 18, 2008
• Field studies conducted in 2008 (October
  November)
• Additional research regarding eligibility will
  continue through early 2009
• Draft Eligibility Report will be distributed for
  review and comment in March 2009

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Eligibility Studies

• Eligibility Evaluation Plan identified four types
  of resources
• Category 1 Resources that will not be evaluated
  because they are not affected by Project
  operation and maintenance activities
• Nine resources (two historic era roads, remains
  of a bridge, three historic era sites, one Native
  American site, one multi-component site, and one
  mining ditch)
• Category 2 Resources that will be evaluated
  because they could potentially be affected by
  Project operation and maintenance activities
• Nine resources (four mining ditches, one
  dismissed ditch, one stream diversion berm, three
  Native American sites)
• Category 3 Evaluation approach to be determined
  pending further information
• Four resources (one historic era site, two Native
  American Sites, one mixed component site)
• Category 4 Resources that have previously been
  evaluated for the NRHP
• Four resources (four Native American sites)

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Eligibility Studies

• Four resources were identified as needing further
  information to determine whether evaluation is
  necessary (Category 3)
• Two of these sites were determined not to be
  affected by Project operation and maintenance
  activities (FS-05-03-53-04, FS-05-17-54-468).
  Therefore, evaluation is not necessary.
• The other two sites were determined to
  potentially be affected by Project operation and
  maintenance activities (FS-05-03-53-375,
  FS-05-17-54-214). Therefore, they were evaluated
  for NRHP eligibility.

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Eligibility Studies

• Evaluation effort includes
• Consultation with Tribes, other stakeholders, and
  resource agencies
• Fieldwork to identify contents and boundaries of
  sites
• Laboratory work to augment and verify field
  information
• Acquisition and review of historical documents

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Eligibility Studies

• Consultation Approach
• Consult with Tribal representatives to evaluate
  archaeological resources
• Determine those historic attributes that may be
  associated with each site recognized by the
  Tribe, recognizing that consultation may involve
  a broader geographical area than the defined
  boundaries of a given site
• Develop understanding of the historical
  associations of the cultural resources
• Notify Tribes if human remains, funerary objects,
  or sacred objects are discovered
• Information developed through Tribal consultation
  will be documented and will remain confidential
  as designated by Tribal representatives
• Consult with resource agencies regarding the
  evaluation of historic structures

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Eligibility Studies

• Fieldwork Approach
• Shovel probes
• Test excavation units where necessary (3 sites)
• Field analysis of recovered materials

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Eligibility Studies

• Laboratory/Office Approach
• Examination of artifacts
• Obsidian hydration and radiocarbon dating
• Sourcing studies
• Consideration of results of excavation and
  lab-generated data to evaluate eligibility of
  sites

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Eligibility Studies

• Research Approach
• Historic Structures
• Gather and review historic data, including local
  histories, mining histories, historic maps and
  photographs, engineering documents, and materials
  found in archives and libraries of local and
  state historical societies and academic libraries
  to evaluate whether features identified during
  field surveys are known resources (i.e., named
  ditches, roads, and berms)
• Evaluate the historical significance of each
  named ditch, road, and berm
• Hydroelectric facilities to be evaluated by an
  architectural historian
• Prehistoric Resources
• Consult with Tribes
• Acquire additional published and unpublished
  information from the Tribes and resource agencies
  to understand age, function, and integrity of
  sites

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Eligibility Studies

• Resources identified during 2008 inventory
  surveys
• These resources will be addressed in a draft
  Supplemental Evaluation Plan that will be
  distributed to the Cultural TWG for review and
  comment.
• Of the 14 new sites identified in 2008, three
  will require eligibility evaluation
• PL-17 Old road
• PL-20 Mining ditch
• PL-22 - Rock art site
• Evaluation effort will include
• Background research
• Consultation with Tribes, other stakeholders, and
  resource agencies

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Next Steps

• Draft 2008 Cultural Resources Inventory Report
• PCWA distributes Draft 2008 Cultural Resources
  Inventory Report to Cultural TWG for review and
  comment in Nov/Dec 2008
• Cultural TWG provides comments to PCWA
• PCWA addresses comments and distributes final
  report to TWG
• Supplemental Cultural Resources Eligibility
  Evaluation Plan
• PCWA distributes Draft Cultural Resources
  Eligibility Evaluation Plan to Cultural TWG for
  review and comment in Dec 2008
• Cultural TWG provides comments to PCWA
• PCWA addresses comments and distributes final
  supplemental plan to TWG

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Next Steps (continued)

• Cultural Resources Eligibility Study
• PCWA consults with Tribes, other stakeholders,
  and resource agencies
• PCWA completes studies and prepares report
• PCWA distributes Draft Cultural Resources
  Eligibility Study Report for review and comment
  (end of March 2009)
• PCWA addresses comments and distributes final
  report to TWG
• Eligibility results are provided to State
  Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)

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Relicensing Schedule Overview
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Relicensing Process Schedule2009 - 2011
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Collaboration Topics
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Development of Historic Properties Management Plan

• Purpose
• Describes a program to preserve and manage
  Historic properties and other important cultural
  resources potentially affected by Project
  operation and maintenance activities
• Content
• Overview of cultural and environmental setting
• Definition of historic contexts
• Historic properties and relationship to historic
  contexts
• Potential project effects
• Management and preservation of Historic properties

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Other Studies that may Pertain to Tribal Interest
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Other Resource Studies

• Aquatic Resources Studies (fish, mollusks)
• Terrestrial Resources Studies (raptors, deer,
  sensitive plants, noxious weeds)
• Recreation Resources Studies (facilities, use at
  developed facilities, dispersed use)
• Land Management Studies (transportation, fire)

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Upcoming Meetings

• Schedule meeting for mid to late March
• Sign up for other TWG meeting notifications