Beginning in 2020, ESI was awarded multiple heritage resource call orders under a Blanket Purchase Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service’s Allegheny National Forest (ANF) to facilitate ANF compliance with Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and the Pennsylvania History Code.
Services included:
- Background Research and Desktop Studies: completed to identify known and potential cultural resources across multiple compartments within the 512,000-acre ANF
- Phase I Cultural Resource Survey: completed field surveys to identify, document, and evaluate resources for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In total, over 200 compartments comprising more than 5,000 acres were investigated via pedestrian survey and shovel testing. Over 10,000 shovel tests were completed in high sensitivity areas, resulting in multiple site revisits and yielding newly recorded isolated finds or archaeological sites
- Reporting and Curation: prepared heritage resource survey reports documenting results of Phase I surveys, including NRHP evaluations for each site and appropriate protection, mitigation, and/or avoidance measures. ESI laboratory staff ensured all artifacts were curated according to Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission standards, facilitating material transfer in accordance with existing curation agreements