If a site within your project limits is declared eligible for the National
and/or State Registers you will need to seriously consider options for
avoiding impacts to the site. It may be possible to redesign the project
so that the site is outside the impact zone (e.g., left as green space).
If redesign is not feasible (e.g., the site covers the whole parcel slated
for development, or avoidance cannot be accommodated from an engineering
stance), the adverse impacts can be mitigated through a Phase III Data
Recovery. In some cases, a combination of avoidance and data recovery will
satisfy the mitigation requirement. While preservation without impacts
is the preferred choice, the preservation process was never intended to
stop development. Likewise, listing on the Registers of Historic Places
does not guarantee the property's protection since unregulated projects
are not required to comply with federal and state laws. However, the intent
of preservation legislation is to foster preservation in harmony with responsible
development.
| Avoidance and Redesign: Archaeologists identified a site within the project limits of a proposed development. The site was later evaluated and determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The proposed development consisted of the construction of a building and parking spaces around the structure. In addition, the developers were required to keep 30% of the parcel as "green" or undeveloped space. They redesigned the project to have some of that green space correspond to the location of the site. Thus, they avoided adverse impact to the eligible site through redesign. |
How does Phase II differ from Phase I?
The surface/subsurface testing in Phase I is designed to find all the sites that may be affected by the proposed development. Specific methods are used to sample a property to locate these cultural resources. A Phase II occurs only if the Phase I finds a site that needs to be evaluated according to the National Register criteria for eligibility. The Phase II process includes more detailed research, greater sampling of the property, a greater variety of excavation units, and more indepth analysis. This may be the last time a site is studied before it is destroyed.
Does my site require a supplemental Phase II survey?
| "In specific cases, where a site with unique, historically documented data is excavated, but the Phase II excavations do not recover the physical evidence expected, it may be appropriate for all involved parties to consider additional Phase II investigations..." (Standards, Section 3.7) |
This depends on what the expectations were for your site and how those
compare to what was found. Did the background information for your site
suggest that you should find a large number and variety of artifact types?
Were features expected (e.g., are camp sites and villages likely for this
area)? If your findings didn't correspond with your expectations a supplementary
survey is recommended.