Direction for the protection of cultural resources that are vulnerable to catastrophic fires or other natural or human-caused damage

Direction for the protection of cultural resources that are vulnerable to catastrophic fires or other natural or human-caused damage.

Although wildfires are extremely rare in southern Indiana, ice storms and wind events have caused significant damage in the recent past and have resulted in large scale salvage timber sales and prescribed burning. The most prevalent human-caused damage is from the recreational use of all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s) that are illegal to operate on NFS lands on the Hoosier.

The administrative measures we have used to protect cultural resources from human-caused or environmental damage include the use of forest closure orders; law enforcement patrols, surveillance and investigation; and public education and awareness programs. We currently have a closure order issued to prohibit camping and campfires in rockshelters to protect their natural and cultural features and artifacts from recreational impacts.

Direct protection measures include: on-site administrative signing; fencing, gating, and other on-site physical barriers; erosion control and stabilization; vegetation treatments (fuel abatement, defensible space); stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration, and interpretation; relocation; burial and camouflage; adaptive reuse; recordation and data recovery; and monitoring, detection devices, and patrols.

One example of direct protection measures used to reduce or eliminate natural or human-caused adverse effects is the Rickenbaugh House. This 19^th century home and post office had large holes in the roof and was actively being damaged by water. It was stabilized by installing a new roof in the 1980’s. It was later rehabilitated to the 1920s time period. It is adaptively reused as an interpretive center and venue for business meetings and school groups.

We have had success with on-site interpretive signs at Cox’s Woods, Hickory Ridge fire tower, Brooks Cabin, Rickenbaugh House. In addition to signing, the Brooks cabin was relocated and adaptively reused as a visitor contact point outside the Charles C. Deam Wilderness. The Roll Petroglyph, one of a handful of rock art sites in the state, is periodically inundated by the Ohio River. Photogrammetry (measured photographs) was used to accurately and completely document the site. Additionally, a Native American artist recreated the petroglyph and it is exhibited in the Indiana State Museum.

Of the four action items listed in FSM 2364.33 Wildfire Preparedness and Response, one item has not yet been completed. Our archaeologist should become fire line qualified and red carded to work an emergency response incident unescorted. Qualifications require baseline training in firefighting and a rating of at least moderate in the physical conditioning pack test. Until such time, red carded archaeologists (ARCH) must be ordered through the Incident Command System (ICS) if needed.



Figure : Chimney Remnant after wind event

In the aftermath of natural disasters, emergency contingency protocols –protection priorities, and protocols for use by incident command teams during wild land fire incidents and recovery will be developed using the following Heritage Rapid Assessment Tool as a guide (accessed 9/19/2011 from http://fsweb.r8.fs.fed.us/nr/recreation/heritage/Postemergency%20Response/Large%20Scale%20Event%20Recovery/heritage_rapid_assessment_a.pdf .

Heritage Rapid Assessment

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  INFRA Heritage module
  
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  Heritage GIS layers
  
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  Hard copy Heritage status atlases
  
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  Cultural Resource site forms
  
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  Historic maps
  
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  Early aerial photographs (1930s and 1940s)
  
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  Programmatic Agreements and any current Memoranda of Understanding with State Historic Preservation Office(s) (SHPOs) and Tribes, if applicable
  
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  Cultural Resource inventory or survey reports covering portions of the affected area(s) – if available
  
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  Information provided by Tribes
  
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  List of local heritage professional staff
  
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  List of important contacts: SHPO(s), Tribes, THPO(s), consulting parties, known interested parties, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation liaison
  

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  Identify event type: Fire, Flood, Hurricane, Wind, Earthquake, other
  
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  Map(s) of damaged area(s)
  

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  Forest Service policy (FSM 2360)
  
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  Forest plans Existing Programmatic Agreements and/or MOAs with SHPO(s), Tribe(s), and ACHP
  
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  Past Priority Heritage Asset (PHA) and other cultural resource site monitoring documentation (for comparison)
  
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  Historic Property Plans or Heritage Management Plans for cultural resources in the area
  
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  National Historic Preservation Act guidance (regulations 36CFR800 and guidelines)
  
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  Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties
  
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  Archaeological Resources Protection Act and regulations
  
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  Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and regulations
  
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  Executive Order 13007 – Native American Sacred Sites Executive Order 13287 – Preserve America
  
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  Executive Order 13327 – Federal Real Property Asset Management
  

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  Develop assessment boundaries of affected area(s). In addition to the area of immediate impact by the event, be sure to include areas that may have been or could be affected by secondary events of flooding, high winds, landslides, debris flows, road wash-outs, sheet erosion, etc.
  
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  Perform a field assessment on known significant cultural resources located on agency managed lands within the affected area(s). Significant cultural resources include: Priority Heritage Assets (PHAs), National Historic Landmarks, National Historic Trails, historic structures and facilities, known sacred sites, Traditional Cultural Properties (TCPs), historic cemeteries, cultural resource sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, sites considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and sites not yet evaluated and as such are assumed eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
  
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  Notify important contacts and consult with SHPO(s), Tribes, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. If an officially designated National Historic Landmark or National Historic Trail has been adversely affected, notify the appropriate National Park Service Regional Director.
  
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  Contact and work closely with LE&I. Site looting incidents dramatically increase after natural disasters because artifacts are usually exposed. Any cultural resource sites found to have exposed human remains must be especially protected (remains should be covered from view) and closely monitored/patrolled until recovery or site stabilization can occur.
  
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  In consultation with SHPO(s) and Tribes, develop emergency stabilization and/or (where appropriate) data recovery plans for those significant cultural resources or portions of those significant cultural resources that are continuing to suffer damage as a result of the event and are threatened with significant loss (these are non-renewable resources).
  
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  In consultation with SHPO(s) and Tribes, develop evaluation, preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and/or reconstruction plans for those significant cultural resources that have been adversely affected by the event.
  
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  Support - Determine National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 compliance needs for (1) all activities carried out by the agency in support of emergency actions during the occurrence of the event (e.g. fire line construction) and (2) all proposed restoration/recovery/rehabilitation projects and associated activities from other program areas, regardless of their location on or off of lands managed by the agency. If ground visibility/accessibility is seriously compromised by the amount of post-event debris present, consider consulting with SHPO(s) and Tribes to develop a NHPA Section 106 MOA that will permit cultural resource inventories/surveys to take place after emergency activities and/or recovery activities have occurred.