NPS Issues LMIR BPA Task Order to GeomorphIS for Cultural Survey on Buffalo National River, Arkansas

The US Depart of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), Buffalo National River (BUFF) has issued a Land Management Integrated Resources (LMIR), Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) task order to GeomorphIS to provide archeological services to conduct a Pedestrian Survey for Cultural Resources within a Prescribed Burn Unit (PBU) at BUFF. The PBU is required for fire fuel reduction in BUFF, and are in Searcy, Baxter, Newton and Marion Counties, Arkansas. This work is required to meet Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) – Section 106 process to identify resources and evaluate impacts from a defined undertaking. A GeomorphIS-Algonquin team will conduct cultural resource investigations prior to the burn activities for PBU areas. This work is designed to result in the scientific survey to identify above-ground cultural and archeological sites (historic and prehistoric) within the burn units to protect these sites from the effects of controlled burns. This project will also contribute to increased knowledge about the cultural and archeological record for these areas.

GeomorphIS to Conduct Raptor Surveys on the Plumas National Forest

The USDA Forest Service (USFS) has issued GeomorphIS a task order under our Land Management Integrated Resources (LMIR), Blanket Purchase Order (BPA) to conduct raptor surveys for the Plumas National Forest Community Protection Project – Central and West Slope areas. A GeomorphIS-Tanner Environmental Services team will collect field data and report on the presence or absence of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) and their nests in accordance with applicable Forest documents. The team will conduct the surveys using the following established protocols: California spotted owl, “Protocol for surveying for spotted owls in proposed management activity areas and habitat conservation areas”, US Forest Service, Region March 12, 1991 (Revised February 1993); and northern goshawk: “Survey methodology for Northern goshawks in the Pacific Southwest Region”, U.S. Forest Service. 14 May 2002. These surveys will provide data sufficient for informing management decisions and facilitate the implementation of Plumas National Forest’s Community Protection Project – Central and West Slope. The results of surveys will be used to identify appropriate measures to mitigate disturbance to the scoped species (based on confirmation of nest site or reproductive status) and to determine territory locations for management allocations within the boundaries of the project.