US Forest Service Tasks GeomorphIS to Conduct Northern Spotted Owl Surveys in Oregon

The USDA Forest Service (USFS) awarded GeomorphIS a task order under our Pacific Northwest (Region 6) professional services BPA to conduct northern spotted owl surveys on the Lower Jackson area of the Umpqua National Forest, Tiller Ranger District. A GeomorphIS-Tanner Environmental Team will conduct field surveys according to the 2012 revision of the “Protocol for Surveying Proposed Management Activities that may Impact Northern Spotted Owls” (referred to as “2012 NSO Protocol”), during the 2024 and 2025 field season. The objectives of the project include determining occupancy status, color band identification, nesting, and reproductive status of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) (NSO). In addition, documenting detections of barred owls (Strix varia) and other owl species will be conducted. Visit results, station summaries, and owl observation data will be collected and entered datasheets and a database provided by the USFS.

Forest Service Tasks GeomorphIS to Conduct Cultural Evaluation of Dixie Fire Burned Sites on Plumas NF, CA

The USDA Forest Service (USFS) has issued GeomorphIS a task order under our Land Management Integrated Resources (LMIR), Blanket Purchase Order (BPA) to conduct archaeological and historic evaluations for the Dixie Fire Burned Structures and Equipment Sites Project to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470) and procedures of the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation outlined within 36 CFR 800. The Project consists of 14 sites, in various locations on National Forest System (NFS) lands managed by the Mount Hough Ranger District (MHRD) of the Plumas National Forest (PNF). The 2021 Dixie Fire went through 12 previously recorded archaeological sites and two possible unrecorded sites that need to be evaluated for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility for a hazardous material (HazMat) cleanup to occur. A GeomorphIS-Bargas Environmental team will survey each site to define the boundaries of the site and any new features, structures, concentrations, etc. that may have been exposed by the fire. All sites will receive a new archaeological site record following the survey. For sites that still retain standing, and undamaged structures, an architectural evaluation is required. The GeomorphIS team will determine if the sites require a standard evaluation or a Consensus or Expedited Determination of Eligibility. Due to the potential hazards associated with each of the sites, all field crew members will be certified with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER).

BLM-ID Tasks GeomorphIS to Conduct Slickspot Peppergrass Survey

The US Bureau of Land Management, Jarbidge Field Office (Twin Falls District), has tasked a GeomorphIS team to conduct a habitat survey of slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum) on about 31,000 acres of public land, during the 2024 field season. The plant, listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), occurs in southwestern Idaho in sagebrush steppe habitats, which are also the focus of widespread conservation concern due to widespread loss of plant communities resulting from wildfire. Data collected about slickspot peppergrass and its habitat are critical for conservation and adaptive management of the species. This inventory work is an integral as part of operational objectives of the Plant Conservation and Restoration Program (PCRP). The PCRP, provides technical support to other programs on native plant community management and implementation of vegetation management and restoration projects that support BLM’s mission, as well as departmental and administration goals.

 

WAPA-DSW Tasks GeomorphIS to Conduct Cultural Resources Survey at Lake Mead

The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) Desert Southwest Region has issued GeomorphIS a task order under our 5-year environmental Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to provide cultural resource Class I and Class III support associated with evaluating cultural sites for WAPA’s facilities in Clark County, Nevada (Mead Water and Road Replacement Project). The GeomorphIS team will conduct up to seven types of cultural services in support of Evaluating Cultural Sites along the Mead substation road (Buchanan Blvd). The pedestrian inventory is expected to be two linear miles (with a 75-foot-wide inventory). There are four known archaeological sites that are eligible/considered eligible/not evaluated for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).