Logan Simpson recently completed the fifth year as the  programmatic agreement program manager (PAPM) for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project  (NGWSP) in northwest New Mexico and northeast Arizona. We are responsible for providing independent monitoring and review of BOR’s compliance with the NGWSP PA. Major tasks include assisting BOR with tribal consultation, report review, report distribution, and maintaining lines of NGWSP-related communication. Tribal consultation includes assisting members of 14 tribes with field visits to archaeological sites and traditional cultural properties, regularly updating tribes on NGWSP activities, and ensuring that tribes have opportunities to contribute to the decisions regarding the treatment of cultural resources. Logan Simpson has facilitated 15 PA workgroup meetings and has assisted BOR with review of cultural resources documentation for 21 construction reaches. In addition the Logan Simpson has assisted BOR with presentations to tribal councils and cultural advisory boards and with the development of an amendment to the PA drawing upon our experience drafting agreement documents for other agencies. Most recently, Logan Simpson successfully facilitated the development of a tribal monitoring program that will complement archaeological monitoring during project construction. We are currently drafting a “best practices” manual for cultural resources compliance and consultation for complex construction projects such as the NGWSP.  We were recently reselected and will continue our role as the PAPM for the next five years.

The US Army Dugway Proving Ground requested that Logan Simpson record sites left unrecorded by a previous consultant. We used the previous consultant’s preliminary data (more than 200 GPS points) to locate cultural resources and determine site boundaries. Three sites were defined in the Northern Area and four sites were recorded in the Southern Area. We also prepared National Register recommendations for each site. The Northern Area is covered by a large, extensive dune field. Dunes contain a variety of food resources, were seasonally occupied by prehistoric peoples for several millennia, and these repeat visits often result in dense, sprawling sites. One site—known as the Eleanor site—covered more than 220 acres and contained thousands of prehistoric artifacts associated with the Formative period. The Southern Area is on the playa left by the regression of Lake Bonneville. Several large sites associated with the Paleoarchaic period—the oldest known human occupations in the Americas—were recorded in this area. One of the Paleoarchaic sites, affectionately termed The Beast, covered 360 acres and contained more than 800 Stemmed projectile points. We also used our field-portable XRF spectrometer to source obsidian artifacts, which, because artifacts don’t need to be collected and can be sourced in the field, offered Dugway a value added service. The project presented several challenges, including working in varying environmental conditions; recording several large, unique sites; and coordinating safety and access with Dugway’s Range Control. However, our experience at Dugway and our experience documenting large, complex sites allowed us to plan for these complications and complete all work within schedule.

The BLM Surprise Field Office conducted the Vya B and C projects in Modoc County, California and Washoe County, Nevada. The project will reduce juniper densities resulting in less intense wildfires and higher quality habitat for sage-steppe obligates. Logan Simpson conducted two inventories, one in 2014 and one in 2015, and a total of 7,020 acres were inventoried. Fieldwork resulted in 169 sites. The majority of sites were associated with the prehistoric period and included large lithic scatters, quarry sites, and sites containing rock stacks or cairns. A high number of rock art sites were also recorded; many of these included dozens of panels, hundreds of images, and numerous types of designs and motifs. Several specialized methods were used to document and assess the rock art sites, such as detailed photography, mapping, and assessments of viewshed. All of the inventory areas were in remote, rugged areas and we practiced remote camping to ease travel time to and from the areas, used our ATVs where feasible, and staffed a right-sized crew to expedite fieldwork. We also followed a defined Safety Plan to insure that no safety incidents occurred.