Aspen’s Cultural Resources Group Continues to Grow
Aspen Cultural Resources Group has continued to grow throughout 2021/2022, assisting both private sector and agency clients with cultural resources assessment requirements. Our Team continued to assist lead agencies with Native American consultations, archaeological surveys, site recordation and evaluation, archaeological monitoring, paleontological surveys and testing, and the preparation of technical reports in support of CEQA and NEPA environmental documents for projects throughout California, southern Nevada, and now southern Arizona. Most of our projects have revolved around wildfire reduction, renewable energy, transmission line upgrades, and vegetation restoration projects. Our group continues to expand in size with our recent hiring of three new full-time staff members and we are on the lookout for a mid-senior level cultural specialist. We have continued to expand our capabilities and the services offered to our clients- most recent being our ability to provide GIS predictability modeling of archaeological sites, which helps our clients to better plan for future projects, and our move to digital site recording, allowing us to increase the speed and accuracy in which site records are processed. Descriptions of two recent projects are provided below.
In 2021, Aspen had the great opportunity to work with the Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas Field Office (BLM). Aspen assisted BLM with relocating 36 previously recorded archaeological sites within the Logandale Trails System, a well-known ATV, and 4×4 off-roading area, and assessing their condition. The goal of this assessment was to determine if the site has any recent, significant impacts due to the continued use of the trail system by the public. This investigation was necessary for BLM to amend their Resource Management Plan with a Recreation Area Management Plan and a Travel Management Plan. Aspen staff was greeted with large slot canyons, amazing petroglyph panels, and Big Horn Sheep.
Aspen also had the opportunity to work with the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) on a vegetation restoration project in King, Tulare, and Kern counties, to benefit federally listed species impacted by the Central Valley Project. Aspen was tasked with conducting an archaeological pedestrian survey of approximately 1,200 acres spread across all three counties. Aspen identified, documented, and evaluated five new archaeological sites, and 15 isolated resources. Two of the five sites were recommended as eligible to the National Register of Historic Places for their research potential. Aspen was able to recommend various management strategies to BOR like cultural resources awareness training for restoration crews, avoidance of all known archaeological sites, and protocols for unanticipated discoveries, in order to mitigate impacts to cultural resources.
We look forward to continuing to assist our clients in both cultural and paleontological resource management in 2022 and to we look forward to continuing to grow the services we offer each of our clients.