ARCHAEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, AND TRIBAL RESOURCES
EMC Planning Group provides the following archaeological, cultural, and tribal consultation services for public and private sector clients.
CEQA/NEPA Compliant Archaeological Surveys (Section 106)
EMC Planning Group performs archaeological surveys for projects that involve environmental compliance as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). An archaeological survey and/or investigation is performed to determine whether cultural resources are present.
Tribal Cultural Resources
EMC Planning Group assists public clients with tribal consultation requirements pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 52 and Senate Bill (SB) 18. Tribal consultation tasks include requesting tribal representative lists and Sacred Lands File records from the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC); drafting consultation letter offers and responses for client review and distribution; taking part in government-to-government consultation meetings with tribal representatives and lead agency staff; and providing tribal cultural resource mitigation guidance to lead agency staff.
Archaeological Surveys and Testing
EMC Planning Group conducts pedestrian surveys to investigate the surface of a project site in detail. If evidence of potential cultural resources is discovered during the survey, testing can be conducted to ascertain whether the site contains archaeological material beneath the surface
Public and Private Construction Site Monitoring
EMC Planning Group provides archaeological monitoring for public and private construction sites. If archaeological/cultural resources are identified or suspected to be on-site, construction monitoring is conducted to assure avoidance of and/or compliance with mitigation measures. If artifacts and/or human remains are discovered during construction, specific protocols will be executed. Services include: writing of daily notes, taking field photographs, and production of an archaeological monitoring report at the end of the project.
Archaeological/Cultural Impact Feasibility Studies and Project Planning
EMC Planning Group is capable of conducting feasibility studies and developing project plans based on how land development may affect archaeological and/or cultural resources. Feasibility of land use for development can be determined by planning out the details of a project in relation to archaeological/cultural resource impacts and adverse effects. Project planning can also determine if mitigation measures and consultation are required.
California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) Record Searches
The California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) is used to gather background information (previously recorded sites or surveys) about the project site and the surrounding land.
Data Recovery
Data recovery mitigates adverse effects to significant archaeological/cultural resources through the collection of information prior to destruction of a site. In compliance with the standards of treatment for archaeological properties established by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), EMC Planning Group develops recovery plans in coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer, tribal representatives, and other stakeholders involved in the project. By law, all prehistoric and tribal cultural resources recovered from a site will be returned to Native American tribes. Human skeletal remains are not artifacts, they are the remains of a once living person. If human skeletal remains are inadvertently discovered during fieldwork, protocols will be followed according to the law. EMC Planning Group conducts data recovery and follows all established protocols.
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) Nomination and Evaluation
EMC Planning Group assists clients with the evaluation and nomination of cultural resources for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). If extensive research and field surveys determine that the physical characteristics of a site meet nomination eligibility requirements, EMC Planning Group can assist clients with nomination submission.
