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The City of Phoenix (COP) Aviation Department has prepared a Comprehensive Asset Management Plan (CAMP) Short Range Development Plan for the Sky Harbor International Airport (Sky Harbor) in Phoenix, Arizona, to guide development at the airport over the next 20 years (herein referred to as the Sky Harbor CAMP Project). The plan proposes improvements to the airfield and the construction of two new Crossfield Taxiways, expansion of the passenger terminal, a grade change of the Union Pacific Railroad within the study area, development of a North Cargo Area, and redevelopment of the South Area. Implementation of the Sky Harbor CAMP Project requires the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Federal Railroad Administration. The FAA must approve the changes to the airport layout and the use of federal funds; the Federal Railroad Administration must approve the use of federal funds. Because federal decisions are needed, the project is subject to compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The COP Aviation Department is currently preparing an environmental assessment to disclose the potential impacts of the plan for compliance with NEPA. SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) was tasked with identifying historic properties within the APE to assist the FAA and the COP to comply with NEPA and NHPA review responsibilities. Historic property identification for the Sky Harbor CAMP Project was conducted in several stages, including background research, archaeological reconnaissance, and an architectural survey of the built environment. Because the planning period for the Sky Harbor CAMP Project extends to 2030, properties constructed up to 1980 would reach historic age by that time. Therefore, evaluating properties constructed up to 1980 (i.e., pre-1981) considers the 10-year lifespan of the Sky Harbor CAMP Project as a whole.

SRP contracted SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to conduct a Class III cultural resources survey along a 15.1-mile-long stretch of the Goldfield-Silver King 230-kilovolt (kV) and Browning to Silver King 500-kV electrical transmission line right-of-way (ROW) in Pinal County, Arizona. The purpose of the survey was to identify cultural resources that are listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) so that SRP can take the necessary measures to avoid or minimize impacts to them during future operations and maintenance activities, and to assist the TNF in its management of cultural resources on the lands that it administers.

Arcus Private Capital Solutions, LLC (Arcus) is proposing development of the 24-acre Rittenhouse Ranch parcel, located in Queen Creek, Maricopa County, Arizona. A prior pedestrian survey of the project area demonstrated that a portion of a large prehistoric Hohokam archaeological site, AZ U:10:2 (ASM), also referred to as the Southwest Germann Site, covers the entire parcel. The Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and other State and Federal agencies consider the Southwest Germann Site eligible for the Arizona and National Registers of Historic Places for its potential to provide information important to our understanding of prehistoric Hohokam lifeways in the Queen Creek Delta. Survey results of the Rittenhouse Ranch portion of the Southwest Germann Site documented a parcel wide, low-density surface scatter of prehistoric artifacts, with some burned bone fragments (Courtright 2014), and a moderately dense artifact concentration in the northern portion of the parcel that contained prehistoric ceramic sherds, marine shell, burned bone, and stone tools. The presence of the artifact concentration suggested that this portion of the project area was of higher archaeological sensitivity. Based on survey data, it was unclear if any of the observed bone was human bone. The Rittenhouse Ranch property is privately owned. Development of the parcel is not anticipated to require federal, state, county, or town permits with requirements regarding the treatment of cultural resources other than Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) 41-865. ARS 41-865 stipulates the treatment of human remains and funerary objects found on private land. Arcus retained SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to aid in compliance with ARS 41-865 by conducting surface artifact inventory and subsurface testing to determine whether burials, human remains, or funerary objects are present at the site. An archaeological testing plan—Archaeological Testing Plan for a Portion of AZ U:10:2 (ASM), the Southwest Germann Site, for the Proposed Rittenhouse Ranch Development, Queen Creek, Maricopa County, Arizona (Tremblay and Garcia 2016)—was submitted to the Arizona State Museum (ASM) in support of Burial Agreement 2016-001. The plan outlined a program of work comprising a detailed surface artifact inventory and subsurface testing (backhoe test trenching) to determine if significant subsurface artifacts, features, or human remains were present within the project area. This report describes the methods and results of the testing program. Surface artifact inventory took place from January 14-19, 2016, followed by subsurface testing January 28 through February 11, 2016. Daniel Garcia was the project manager; Caitlin Hayden was crew chief, assisted by crew members Morgan Kinney and Paul Rawson. Casey’s Backhoe Service provided equipment and skilled operators for the project.

Prior to widening, the City of Tucson (COT) Department of Transportation sponsored a series of investigations to identify archaeological sites that would be affected by the road project and to mitigate adverse effects to the sites, where needed. The first step in identifying archaeological sites was a cultural resources survey, conducted by SWCA Environmental Consultants in 2009. Although no archaeological sites were found during the survey, much of the study area was inaccessible due to development or lack of right-of-entry; given that the area is known to contain buried cultural resources not visible on the ground surface, SWCA had recommended identification testing prior to construction. In 2014, COT contracted SWCA to conduct the site identification testing for the current Road Improvement Project. The testing entailed a program of backhoe trenching within the APE. Most of the trenches were excavated to 1.5 meters (m) (5 feet) below modern ground surface (bmgs), and in areas suspected to have deep Holocene deposits, trenches were excavated to 3.7 m (12 feet) bmgs. The testing resulted in the discovery of two archaeological sites: AZ AA:12:1152 (ASM), and AZ AA:12:1153 (ASM). SWCA recommended both sites eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion D, and recommended that they be avoided if possible, or subjected to data recovery if the project continued to pose adverse effects to the sites. The COT Historic Preservation Office consulted the Department of Transportation and ascertained that the project could not be redesigned to avoid either site. COT instructed SWCA to proceed with data recovery excavations at both sites. SWCA developed a research design and plan of work for the proposed excavations (Griset et al. 2014). Necessary permits were then acquired from the Arizona State Museum (ASM): Arizona Antiquities Act Project Specific Permit No. 2015-046ps; the associated Repository Agreement No. 2014-605; and a standard burial agreement (Case No. 2015-002).

Benchmark Environmental Consultants (Benchmark) is engaged in consultation with the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) regarding the proposed installation of telecommunications facilities within the boundary of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)-listed Gila Pueblo site. Gila Pueblo incorporates a prehistoric Salado habitation and a reconstructed pueblo-styled educational facility that is historically significant. Gila Pueblo has been assigned the Arizona State Museum (ASM) site number AZ V:9:52 (ASM). The Gila Pueblo buildings are currently occupied by the Gila Pueblo Campus of the Gila Community College District of Gila County. The Gila Pueblo archaeological site is known to include abundant buried features, some of which are known to have been covered over by the historically reconstructed Gila Pueblo buildings. Large portions of the site have been excavated during previous projects; but very little accurate spatial data exists regarding the location of known features or previous investigations within the overall site area. The proposed construction entails removal of an existing light pole in the parking area adjacent to the Gila Pueblo buildings, and its replacement with a new 35-foot-tall light pole designed to support a telecommunications antenna array. Additional facilities to be installed adjacent to the new light-pole cell tower include a prefabricated equipment cabinet and a transformer. The Arizona SHPO concluded that if the APE for direct effects included significant buried cultural resources, the project would result in an adverse effect to the archaeological component of the Gila Pueblo site (AZ V:9:52 [ASM]); however, survey of the modern ground surface, and the supplemental research conducted, could not satisfactorily establish the presence or absence of buried deposits in the project area. Therefore, identification testing was required to determine if significant subsurface artifacts, features, or human remains were present within the project APE for direct effects. Benchmark retained SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to prepare and implement a plan for identification testing at the cellular tower site. This report describes the results of the identification testing effort.

Pima County Department of Transportation is proposing to construct a newly aligned road in Pima County. The realigned road would cross through two previously investigated archaeological sites—AZ AA:12:11 (ASM) and AZ AA:12:788 (ASM), the latter more commonly known as the Rillito Fan site. Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation retained SWCA Environmental Consultants to develop and implement a Phase 1 data recovery (data testing) plan for the portions of these two sites that would be affected by the road construction. The purpose of data testing was to locate and identify the archaeological features and deposits that would be adversely affected by the road construction, and to provide the baseline archaeological and geomorphological data that would guide more intensive Phase 2 data recovery excavations. Phase 1 data recovery included the surface collection of culturally or temporally diagnostic or unusual artifacts, and the mechanical excavation of test trenches. Twenty-four artifacts were collected from the surface of AZ AA:12:788 (ASM), most of them decorated pottery sherds. One hundred twenty-three trenches were excavated to a depth of approximately 1.5 m (5 feet) below the modern ground surface; eight of these trenches were subsequently further excavated to about 3.7 m (12 feet) below the modern ground surface, in most cases along only a portion of their length. Almost all of the trenches were 20 m long; a handful of trenches were shorter in order to avoid obstacles such as vegetation. East of the Santa Cruz River, the trenches within the proposed 150-foot-wide ROW were generally spaced 10 m apart, whereas in adjacent areas of the APE where project impacts are not anticipated to be as great, trenches were generally spaced 20 m apart. Only two trenches were excavated west of the river and were placed to avoid the ROW, as well as the easements associated with two large overhead transmission lines. Eighty-four trenches were excavated in or partially within AZ AA:12:788 (ASM), 15 trenches were excavated in or partially within AZ AA:12:11 (ASM), and 24 trenches were excavated outside currently recorded site boundaries to test for the presence of cultural resources not visible on the modern ground surface. This report describes the methods and results of the Phase 1 testing and provides recommendations for Phase 2 data recovery to mitigate the adverse effects of the proposed road construction.