Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Plan

Requirements for ongoing and intensive monitoring of project activities by the INL CRM Office to
ensure compliance with agreed upon avoidance tactics.
When the setting is an important element in the significance of an archaeological resource, other
techniques may be employed to effectively remove the resource from the area of potential effect for the
project. Project relocation or physical limitations, restrictions on the timing of project activities,
vegetative or landscape screens, and post-project rehabilitation are a few of the options available for
preventing impacts in these situations.
Decisions regarding the methods used to avoid adverse impact to significant archaeological sites are
made by INL professional archaeologists in regular communication with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
when the project involves sites of tribal importance and are documented and retained in the INL CRM
Office project files. Some survey projects and corresponding recommendations for resource protection are
summarized in technical reports that are submitted to the Idaho SHPO, Advisory Council, Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes, and applicable interested parties.
While avoidance through project modification is the preferred option for avoidance of adverse effects
to INL archaeological resources, it is not always feasible. In the case of an unavoidable adverse effect,
DOE-ID and the INL CRM Office are committed to direct and meaningful consultation with the Idaho
SHPO, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and other interested parties and stakeholders to develop measures to
minimize or mitigate the adverse impact. The INL CRM Office begins this process by preparing a
summary report (see Figure 32).
Decisions about the most appropriate methods for mitigating or minimizing adverse impacts to
significant archaeological sites are always made in consultation with the Idaho SHPO, Shoshone-Bannock
Tribes, and other stakeholders and interested parties. When this situation arises, the INL CRM Office
prepares a summary report for the project according to the standard format presented here as Figure 32.
Critical pieces of information included within this technical report are:
A description of the project and its area of potential effect
A description of the steps taken to identify archaeological resources within this area
Descriptions of the affected cultural resources, including site recording forms and significance
evaluations
A description of how the project will affect cultural resources
A site treatment plan that proposes measures to be taken to mitigate or minimize adverse effects
Copies or summaries of any views provided by consulting parties and the public.
Copies of this documentation are provided to the consulting parties for a 30-day review period.
During this time, all parties work together to consider the actions proposed by the INL CRM Office to
minimize or mitigate impacts to archaeological sites and agree upon a final plan to complete the project.
When concurrence is reached, the INL CRM Office provides documentation of all efforts to the INL
cultural resource management archives and INL project manager; the project can then proceed under the
stipulations for archaeological resource protection outlined in the final plan.
Once the Idaho SHPO has determined that sufficient information has been provided, consulting and
interested parties are given 30 days to review this material and provide their views. The Advisory Council
is also notified of the finding of adverse effects at this time and may choose to enter the consultation
process, notifying all parties and the Secretary of Energy of this fact within 15 days.
Consultation conducted in good faith, as previously described, should lead to agreement on
appropriate strategies to mitigate or minimize the adverse effects of the proposed INL project.
Commitments are formalized in a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by DOE-ID, the Idaho
136