Minutes, Cultural and Historical Resources Technical Advisory Team
December 14, 2000

The Cultural and Historical Resources Technical Advisory Team met in regular session in Conference Room A at the Pima County Public Works Center, 201 N. Stone Avenue, Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, December 14, 2000 at 10:30 a.m. Those present and absent were listed as follows:
Present:

Dr. Paul Fish, Arizona State Museum (Chair)

Dr. Beth Grindell, Arizona State Museum
Ms. Mary Farrell, Coronado National Forest
Ms. Marty McCune, Historic Program Administrator, City of Tucson
Mr. Joe Joaquin, Tohono O'odham Nation Cultural Preservation Office (alternate)
Mr. David Cushman, Pima County Archaeological and Historic Preservation Office

Absent:

Mr. Max Witkind, Bureau of Land Management
Ms. Sue Wells, National Park Service
Mr. Jerry Kyle, Arizona Historical Society
Mr. Peter Steere, Tohono O'odham Nation Cultural Preservation Office
Ms. Linda Mayro, Pima County Archaeological and Historic Preservation Office

There were three members of the public present:
Dr. Jonathan Mabry, Desert Archaeology, Inc.
Mr. Jim McDonald, Coronado National Forest, USFS
Mr. Rick Karl, Arizona State Museum

1.CALL TO ORDER

The meeting got under way with a call to order by Dr. Fish at approximately 10:40 a.m.

OLD BUSINESS

2.APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 9, 2000 MEETING

The draft minutes for the last meeting was approved with changes recommended by Beth Grindell. Paul Fish made the motion to approve and Marty McCune seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS

3.CONSTRAINTS SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

David Cushman informed the Team that Dr. Grindell has agreed to be the chair of the subcommittee.

Dr. Grindell first reported on the make up of the subcommittee consisting of herself, Paul Fish, Marty McCune, Jonathan Mabry, and Terry Majewski of SRI, Inc., who could not attend the first meeting. David Cushman will act as the County staff liaison.

She then informed the Team that the subcommittee had met on November 30th for two hours during which the subcommittee had listed criteria to be used in the evaluation of places to be considered in the selection process. A list of the criteria and additional management information that is needed for each site was passed out to the Team. Dr. Grindell mentioned that these criteria would need further definition and that this would be the task of the subcommittee in subsequent meetings.

Lastly, she reported that the Subcommittee would be known as the Cultural Resource Priority Subcommittee. She explained that the members thought the term "Constraint" to be too misleading and so decided not to use it.

4.AZSITE DATA ANALYSIS FOR SDCP PHASE II

Mr. Cushman explained that Pima County wanted to be able to describe not only site location but also site function and time period. This is needed to present a more sophisticated analysis of archaeological resources to the public than was possible during the preparation of the Preliminary Draft report on Cultural and Historical Resources. He mentioned that he had asked Beth Grindell if this kind of analysis could be done using the AZSITE data base

Dr. Grindell responded by saying that she and Rick Karl at ASM had pulled together a separate data set of archaeological sites for Pima County as a demonstration project to show the county that it is possible to query the data base as to site type/function and time period. She mentioned that the data still needed to be refined and corrected. She noted that because the Arizona SHPO had recorded buildings as sites that the total count of archaeological sites is still in question.

Mr. Cushman asked if the SHPO sites could be excluded from the archaeological data and Dr. Grindell replied by saying yes, but that further work with the data base was needed.

Rick Karl said that he had simplified the data base so that distinctions can be made between site function and culture/time period. He offered to demonstrate the use of this data base, which he had loaded on a lap top computer and brought to the meeting.

Jonathan Mabry noted that because of the inconsistencies in how site information was recorded in the past, there would be problems with characterizing the data by time period. Mr. Cushman acknowledged this but added that something was better than nothing - Pima County will work with the limitations in the data base.

Dr. Grindell finished by observing that Pima County needed to tell her how the data will be used first so that ASM can assist in developing an appropriate data file. Mr. Cushman agreed that was the logical first step in the process. He suggested a meeting.

5.OUTLINE FOR A REGIONAL CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT REPORT

Mr. Cushman brought up the subject of a regional cultural resources management plan explaining that the county wants to develop one for its own use but also wants to be consistent with what other governments and agencies are currently doing. That way, he explained, cultural resources management can be coordinated to some degree by at least identifying common goals and practices. He suggested that the Team prepare an outline of the management report that would be sent to each agency/government with a request that they summarize information on their own programs. Listed below is the outline that the Team prepared.

Part I
Introduction
History of CRM Program
Authority - laws
Current Practices
Priorities
Future Management Goals
Part II
Pima County's proposed CRM goals.

Mr. Cushman explained that Part II would be where Pima County discusses its own management goals and priorities for cultural resources on county lands. As envisioned, the agencies would contribute to Part I to reflect what others are doing, how, and why. Then Part II would be the county's statement on the same along with an explanation of future needs for proper management.

The Team approved of this approach.

6. NCPTT MODELING GRANT - ONE MORE TIME?

Mr. Cushman informed that Team that the National Center for Preservation Training and Technology was once again seeking grant applications for the following year. He reminded the Team that Pima County had submitted a grant proposal last year to build and test a surface probability model for archaeological sites, that it had been well received, but was not funded due to lack of funding. He asked the Team if Pima County should resubmit.

The response was a unanimous yes.

Dr. Fish said that he was still interested and that he had spoken recently to Gary Christopherson, another participant in the original grant proposal, and that he too would like to be involved.

Dr. Mabry suggested calling first to see if they have the funding this time.

Mr. Cushman pointed out that the money that was originally included for model testing probably will not be available this time so that the grant would be limited to just building the model. Survey needed to test the model would have to follow later in some manner.

Ms. McCune thought that more federal money might be available through the SHPO program and also through the state Heritage Fund. She noted, however, that the Heritage fund could not be used for survey projects.

Dr. Mabry suggested the testing be done through a volunteer program.

Mr. Cushman said that all of these alternatives would have to be considered but couldn't be included as part of the grant itself. At any rate, he said it was worth trying again and that he would contact the NCPTT representative.

7.MARANA MOUND FIELD VISIT - DATES/CONTACTS

Mr. Cushman reminded that Team that we needed to set a date for the field visit to the Marana Mound site for the cultural, science, and ranch teams. He told the Team that Linda Mayro was trying to set up a workshop on purchasing development rights as a conservation strategy for the end of January and he asked if it might be better to do the field trip in February.

Dr. Fish pointed out that more of the site would be open by then and so February would be better from that perspective. Others agreed that there was no disadvantage to waiting.

Mr. Cushman asked Joe Joaquin if the Cultural Committee of the Tohono O'odham could make a Friday visit to Marana. He noted that he knew they usually met on Mondays but suggested Friday might be better. Mr. Joaquin said that while Mondays were easier, the Cultural Committee could come on a Friday.

Mr. Cushman suggested either Friday, February 9th or the 16th. All agreed that these dates would work for them. He said he would present them to the Ranch and Science Teams. Mr. Cushman also thought that other groups should be invited such as the Tucson Pima County Historical Commission, the Board of County Supervisors, the Mayor and Council of Tucson, representatives from Marana, etc. All agreed that this would be a good opportunity to educate these organizations.

Ms. McCune pointed out that she would need to know by January 10th at the latest to inform the TPCHC.

8.NEXT MEETING

The next scheduled meeting will be on Thursday, January 18, 2000 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Pima County Public Works Center Conference Room D.

9.ADJOURNMENT

As there was no further business to come before the Cultural and Historic Resources Technical Advisory Team, the meeting was adjourned at 12:25 p.m.

(Notes taken by David Cushman, Pima County Cultural Resources Office)