Cultural Resources services
Core Capabilities:
Cultural Resources Management and Planning
Regulatory Coordination and Permitting Assistance
Section 106 Federal, State, and Local Agency Coordination
Archeological Surveys, Testing, and Data Recovery
Tribal Consultation
Cultural Resources Management and Planning
Every member of our team is trained in GIS to provide in-depth resource assessments and plan efficient and thorough fieldwork. We critically evaluate all projects to head-off potential conflicts and barriers as soon as possible. Our team conducts research to identify known sensitive cultural resources in the vicinity of projects and familiarize ourselves with local history. We then use GIS data and other reference materials to determine which portions of a proposed project is most likely to contain significant cultural sites. Goshawk maximizes information retrieval and minimizes project fees by developing plans that focus the greatest effort on high-probability areas while supplying the experience and data to defend those suppositions.
Regulatory Coordination and Permitting Assistance
It can be confusing to navigate the web of cultural resource regulations. Goshawk works closely with our clients to rapidly determine which federal, state, or local regulatory agencies, if any, has jurisdiction over a project. Our team then begins coordinating with the applicable agencies to identify project-specific concerns. Work progresses through archival research, development of a Scope of Work, permitting, commencement of fieldwork, and completion of a report of findings suitable for review by the chief regulatory agency.
Did you know? Goshawk has delivered over 850 cultural resource survey reports to the Texas Historical Commission and over 650 cultural resource survey reports to the New Mexico Historical Preservation Division since 2012. This commitment and familiarity develops great working relationships.
Section 106 Federal, State, and Local Agency Coordination
Our staff is well-versed in the implementation and navigation of cultural resource regulations at all levels. Goshawk works closely with State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) across the Southwest, as well as the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and others to assist our clients in meeting their compliance needs.
Archeological Surveys, Testing, and Data Recovery
Goshawk’s cultural resources team has decades of experience conducting Phase I, II, and III archeological investigations. These projects range from small pedestrian surveys to complex data recovery excavations. Our team also has extensive training and knowledge regarding historic and prehistoric cultural materials. So, whether a project results in the identification of a prehistoric tool or the exhumation of human remains, our staff is equipped with the skills to complete the task at hand. No matter the type of site, we go to great measures to preserve significant cultural resources while helping our clients' projects move forward in a timely manner.
Did you know? Not all identified cultural resources are considered "significant," and therefore worthy of protection. According to the NRHP, significant sites must
a.) be associated with significant historical events;
b.) be associated with the lives of significant historical persons;
c.) embody distinctive characteristics of a period of construction, be the work of a master, possess high artistic value, represent a significant and discernible group of items that may individually lack distinction; or
d.) have yielded, or be likely to yield information important in prehistory or history.
Tribal Consultation
Projects on federally-recognized tribal lands or on property owned by the federal government (or a subdivision of the state government) require consultation with interested Native American tribes. The head regulatory agency involved in the project is primarily responsible for tribal consultation; however, Goshawk helps clients identify interested tribal groups, determine project constraints, initiate tribal notification, and coordinate with tribal leaders. Goshawk advocates for respectful treatment of Native American lands and significant spiritual sites through effective communication and thoughtful project design.