Description
I. SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. The Government contemplates selecting a contractor to perform archeological services at a site on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. The primary purpose of this notice is to inquire whether any firm, institution, or individual (hereafter, “contractor”) capable of performing archeological services as described below are already listed on GSA’s Schedule 899-1 (Environmental Planning Services & Documentation). Any such contractor is invited to inform the contracting officer (Mr John Inman) of its schedule listing and other particulars in a one-page summary of its interest, willingness, and capability and a one-page summary of the contemplated principal investigator’s experience and credentials. A secondary purpose of this announcement is to inquire whether any contractor not listed on GSA’s Schedule 899-1 might be interested, willing, and capable of performing the needed services. Any such contractor is also invited to inform the contracting officer of its business size status (small, women-owned, et cetera) in a one-page capability summary of its interest, willingness, and capability and a one-page summary of the contemplated principal investigator’s experience and credentials. These one-page summaries clearly marked “Coffman Cove Archeological Site Excavation; Attn: John Inman” are due to the contracting officer by noon (Alaska time) on July 27, 2005 to fax (907)228-6254 to allow a decision to be made on the method of procurement of these services (schedule buy, non-schedule set-aside purchase, et cetera). II. ACQUISITION BACKGROUND. The contractor will furnish all services, including labor, materials, supplies, equipment, travel, transportation, and professional services, necessary to satisfactorily complete the work. The objectives are to begin the phased data recovery for the Coffman Cove Site, 49-PET-00067. The Coffman Cove Site was previously determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The Contractor will review and incorporate prior research, develop a multi-phased data recovery plan, conduct analyses of recovered artifacts and samples, and write a report on the results of the field investigation and analyses. The Contractor will be expected to work cooperatively with the City of Coffman Cove, the Wrangell Cooperative Association (WCA, a federally-recognized tribe), the USDA Forest Service, volunteers, students, and the visiting public. III. LOCATION. The Coffman Cove Site (49-PET-00067) is located on northeastern Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Prince of Wales Island is the third largest island in the United States and can be reached from Ketchikan via the Inter-Island Ferry Authority or charter aircraft. The nearest large community is Ketchikan, a city of 15,000 people, which can be accessed via Alaska Airlines or the Alaska Marine Highway from Washington State. Ketchikan is approximately 70 air miles southeast of Coffman Cove. The City of Coffman Cove has about 225 people and offers services such as a boat harbor, car rental, fuel, diesel and propane, a general store with essential groceries and limited hardware supplies, laundromat, library, lodging, post office, public restroom, public telephone, RV park and dump, school, souvenirs, and basic auto and tire repair. IV. SITE BACKGROUND. Between 1965 and 1970 the area was leveled and house trailers were placed on the site. A sand quarry was established near the north end of the site, in which human burials were discovered in 1970 and again in 1976. The Forest Service was notified of the 1976 discovery and began to assess site damages at that time. Dr Gerald Clark visited the site in 1976 and was given a small collection of bones and artifacts. The human remains were examined by Dr Lawrence Angel of the Smithsonian Institution, who identified them as probably Tlingit. Dr Clark and an assistant excavated several test pits, which encountered human remains in an undisturbed context. Further testing in 1978 yielded three radiocarbon dates from about 1700 B.C. to A.D. 250, and a single date from ca. 2155 B.C. The site was formally determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Artifacts recovered from the site are interpreted as representing the earliest developmental stages of Northwest Coast Culture. Incised decorations on a bone item appear clearly to be carved in the Northwest Coast art style. The site contains areas with intact midden and intact older deposits without shell midden. The earliest cultural deposits contain hearths and scattered obsidian artifacts. Undisturbed deposits contain deeply stratified midden with extensive layers of shells separated by living floors, hearths, layers of sterile sand and gravel, and by buried forest soil zones. Test excavations have demonstrated cultural deposits can be up to two or more meters deep in some areas. Title to the land in which the site is located was transferred from the United States to the State of Alaska in 1986 under the provisions of the Alaska Statehood Act. After the City of Coffman Cove incorporated in 1989, it was eligible to select lands under the municipal title provisions of the same act. In 1993 the State Office of History and Archaeology conducted investigations at the site to determine future management recommendations, including recommendations for data recovery of certain portions of the site. V. ANTICIPATED WORK RESULTS. The following outcomes are expected from this effort: (1) pre-field research of all prior work that has taken place at the site, including an examination of all previously recovered artifacts; (2) a multi-phased data recovery plan and research design in which each phase is self-contained and is fully completed and reported before the next phase is initiated; (3) participation in consultations with the city and WCA; (4) completion of the first phase of the data recovery plan, incorporating public education and participation from students, community citizens, members of the WCA, and volunteers; and (5) a report describing the methods and results of the field excavation and analyses, with recommendations for any changes necessary to carry out the second phase of the data recovery plan. VI. GOVERNMENT RESOURCES. The Government is prepared to make the following available to the contractor: (1) copies of previous reports and papers relating to the Coffman Cove Site; (2) Prince of Wales Island road guide map; (3) access to all previously-recovered cultural artifacts and samples, as negotiated with the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Office of History and Archaeology; (4) access to Forest Service files containing documents pertinent to the Site and surrounding area; and (5) use of a nearby work camp location for crew living quarters during the field season. VII. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES. The Contractor must ensure that work adheres to the standards set forth in the Archeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines (48 FR 44716, 1983, as amended (Secretary’s Standards)). (1) Pre-field Research. The Contractor will be responsible for research in libraries, museums, tribal interviews, and public agency and private files to prepare a concise narrative of the prehistory of southern Southeast Alaska, with specific reference to prehistoric human use of Prince of Wales Island in relation to larger regional patterns. The purpose of the pre-field research is to provide a context for interpretation of the results of the contract and to provide a basis for developing the data recovery plan. (2) Data Recovery Plan. The Contractor will be responsible for preparation of a data recovery plan and research design that will employ a multi-phased approach, each phase designed so that it is capable of being fully completed before the next phase is begun. (3) Archeological Excavation. The Contractor will be responsible for completion of the data recovery of the Coffman Cove Site. This includes presence on-site, supervising or performing excavation, recording, data analysis, or discussions with City or tribal representatives, the media, or the public. (4) Data Recording and Analysis. The Contractor will be responsible for recording the number, type, provenience, and association of artifacts and features observed during the excavation using established professional archeological techniques, and will provide analyses of the data gathered during the excavation using established archeological and anthropological theory, method, and techniques. (5) Report. The Contractor will be responsible for the preparation of a report describing the project background, prehistoric context, today’s context, archeological methods employed, results of the field work and analyses, and any recommended changes for carrying out the second phase of the data recovery plan. VIII. NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION ACT (NAGPRA). Human remains have been previously discovered within the Coffman Cove Site, and can reasonably be expected to be encountered during the excavation. IX. PUBLIC INTEREST. The State of Alaska is expecting to complete the new ferry terminal building in time for ferry service to begin out of Coffman Cove in June 2006. The Contractor should expect numerous visitors will visit the site when the ferry is in town. The Contractor will be expected to provide information to public visitors concerning the purpose of the excavation, the area’s prehistory and history, and recent discoveries that can be appropriately shared with the public, and may be required to designate a specific staff person with responsibilities to serve as an interpreter for the public. The Contractor will be encouraged to use the excavation of the Site as an educational opportunity for students. These may be college students working on their degrees in anthropology, or even elementary students from the nearby communities on Prince of Wales Island. X. MAPPING. The Contractor will establish permanent datum and/or subdatums (as necessary) to be tied into the Alaska Tideland Survey reference points or another permanent reference point on-site. This reference point will serve as the main reference through all years of the project. The Contractor will also draw a topographic map to show the location of artifact distributions, specifically noted or collected surface materials, cultural features, excavation units, site disturbances, and prominent natural or man-made features within or near the site area XI. EXCAVATIONS. Anticipated excavations include: (1) Area B-west: 30 1x1 meter units be excavated to an expected depth of 2.0 meters; (2) Area B-northeast: 60 1x1 meter units be excavated to an expected depth of 1.0 meters; (3) Area B-east: 50 1x1 meter units be excavated to an expected depth of 1.5 meters. XII. DESIRED INFORMATION. Again, the primary purpose of this notice is to inquire whether any firm, institution, or individual (hereafter, “contractor”) capable of performing archeological services as described below are already listed on GSA’s Schedule 899-1 (Environmental Planning Services & Documentation). Any such contractor is invited to inform the contracting officer (Mr John Inman) of its schedule listing and other particulars in a one-page summary of its interest, willingness, and capability and a one-page summary of the contemplated principal investigator’s experience and credentials. A secondary purpose of this announcement is to inquire whether any contractor not listed on GSA’s Schedule 899-1 might be interested, willing, and capable of performing the needed services. Any such contractor is also invited to inform the contracting officer of its business size status (small, women-owned, et cetera) in a one-page capability summary of its interest, willingness, and capability and a one-page summary of the contemplated principal investigator’s experience and credentials. These one-page summaries clearly marked “Coffman Cove Archeological Site Excavation; Attn: John Inman” are due to the contracting officer by noon (Alaska time) on July 27, 2005 to fax (907)228-6254 to allow a decision to be made on the method of procurement of these services (schedule buy, non-schedule set-aside purchase, et cetera).