Ascent assisted SMUD in working with three local tribes to develop measures to either avoid or mitigate for potential impacts to archaeological sites and tribal cultural resources located in portions of Hagan Community Park, the American River Parkway, and two schools that were once part of a large and heavily populated indigenous setting. Upon tribal request and SMUD’s approval, we coordinated a forensic canine survey as a non-ground-disturbing method to identify locations that may contain indigenous human remains within the project footprint. This work involved coordinating with multiple agencies—Cordova Recreation and Park District, County of Sacramento, and Folsom Cordova Unified School District—and the assistant principals of the two schools. Ascent’s archaeologists assisted SMUD with AB 52 tribal compliance and joined tribal representatives in the monitoring of geotechnical borings. In addition, a California Historical Resources Information System search revealed the presence of a historic mining district and a Gold Rush–era Chinese habitation site within the boundaries of the project. We plotted the features associated with these resources using GPS to help SMUD realign the project and avoid significant impacts. The project also includes mitigating for temporary impacts to the Jedidiah Smith Memorial Trail, a nationally recognized trail and extremely popular bicycle link between Sacramento and Folsom.
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Resource Management
