Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook 2010
HERITAGE RESOURCES
36. Are (1) project clearance/inventory, (2) project implementation, (3) mitigation, and
(4) enhancement completed in accordance with the requirements and regulations for
heritage resources?
Goal: Identify, evaluate, preserve, protect, and enhance heritage resources.
Objective: Protect heritage resources (see the Heritage Resources Forest-wide
Standards and Guidelines). Provide public outreach about heritage stewardship.
Background: The Forest Plan provides guidance on maintenance of a heritage
resource management program that identifies, evaluates, preserves, and protects
significant heritage resources. This guidance applies Forest-wide and on a projectspecific basis pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended,
as well as other relevant acts and implementing regulations (for example, the
Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection
and Repatriation Act). Section 106 of the NHPA requires that the Forest Service take
into account the effect an "undertaking'' (project, activity or program funded in whole or
in part under the direct or indirect jurisdiction of a Federal agency) may have on
heritage resources eligible for or listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(National Register). When it is deemed necessary to complete a heritage resource
survey for an undertaking, previously identified heritage resources within the project
area are monitored for condition status. Section 110 of the NHPA requires a federal
agency to inventory, protect, use and interpret all heritage resources eligible for or listed
on the National Register.
The Alaska Region has a Programmatic Agreement (PA) with the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation and the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer. The PA
formalizes our compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA and implements monitoring
standards. These standards call for monitoring of project areas either during or after
project implementation to judge the effectiveness of current models that predict the
heritage resource sensitivity of any given area of the forest.
Sampling / Reporting Period: Annual / 5 years
Data Collection:
Project Inventory/Clearance
 At the end of each fiscal year, compile a list of all Section 106 undertakings and
Section 110 activities completed during that year.

Determine whether consultation with the Alaska State Historic Preservation
Officer was accomplished, according to the programmatic agreement, prior to the
release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement or the Environmental
Assessment for public review, or before signing a decision memo.
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Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook 2010
Project Implementation
 Determine whether inventory and evaluation was accomplished under the
supervision of a qualified heritage resource specialist.

Determine whether each undertaking or project included a statement of the
operating conditions required to protect heritage resources in the project area.
Determine if these included the pertinent clause notifying the operator of his or
her responsibility to protect marked sites when working in the project area and
the operator's liability for damage.

Determine whether sites were discovered during project implementation.
Mitigation
 Determine whether mitigation measures were effective in protecting heritage
sites.

Identify whether disinterment of human remains and associated grave goods,
sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony followed the Native American
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Enhancement
 Determine whether significant and suitable heritage resource sites were
managed to realize their recreational and educational values to the public.

Document whether heritage resource properties and their records were protected
to prevent degradation or unauthorized use under authority of the Archaeological
Resources Protection Act of 1979 and the regulations in 36 CFR 296.
Evaluation Criteria: Compliance with Heritage Resource Standards and Guidelines.
The expectation is for 100% compliance at all sites, except as documented during the
NEPA and NHPA process.
Precision and Reliability: Most variables will be examined by qualified heritage
resource professionals providing high precision and reliability. Some variables may be
evaluated by other professionals who will be trained to recognize those specific
conditions, also providing high precision and reliability.
Results: Tabulate information obtained through data collection above by Section 106
undertaking and Section 110 activities as outlined in an amended Programmatic
Agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office, and assure that all Forest
Standards and Guidelines are being implemented to the fullest extent of the heritage
laws; tabulate Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
related discoveries, public presentations and public outreach projects such as Passport
in Time projects, all with some aspect of site inventory and monitoring, and all
volunteer-based projects.
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Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook 2010
Tabulate and account for all volunteer and community outreach projects. Passport In
Time volunteers contribute hundreds of hours each summer inventorying Forest lands.
Forest Service employees and volunteer camp hosts, recreation and GIS specialists
contribute significant hours to discovering new sites and monitoring existing sites.
Analysis:
 Summarize compliance with Standards and Guidelines for all undertakings and
projects. Present the total number of undertakings and projects, and percent
compliance for each standard and guideline examined.
 Discuss intentional or unintentional deviation from any heritage resource
standard or guideline, including what corrective action, if any, is planned.
Feedback Mechanism:
Evaluate management practices and change, if needed; Forest Plan Heritage and
Sacred Sites Standards and Guidelines.
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