Cultural Resources

PCE can help with cultural resource management issues, including surveys, National Register evaluations and tribal consultations. Our services include:

• Literature and site file reviews
• Cultural resource survey reports for CEQA compliance and local agency guidelines
• Cultural resource significance reports and constraints analysis for CEQA compliance
• Construction monitoring

Cultural resource investigations are conducted in three phases. The phase process is designed to aid agencies in meeting Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act obligations.

Phase I

Intensive Field Survey is appropriate in initial project planning and development. Phase I is designed to assess the general nature of the cultural resources present and the probable impact the proposed project will have on archaeological sites. Phase I involves a literature overview, site records review, local interviews with archaeologists and historians, examination of maps, aerial photographs, title searches, and other pertinent cultural resource records. 

Phase II

Phase II investigations involve a complete subsurface survey and testing of identified sites sufficient to determine their horizontal and vertical boundaries, their cultural and scientific importance, and a sites’ eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Sites must be assessed as “eligible” or “not eligible” for the list.

Phase III

Phase III investigations mitigate the impact of projects on archaeological resources determined to be eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. Alternate plans include avoidance, protection, data recovery and combinations of avoidance, and protection and data retrieval plans.