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<br /> <br />Soil Investigations for Data Collection in the Delta <br />Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration 194 <br />2”) is smaller in size than any soil disturbance archaeological testing <br />methodology would create in testing for subsurface deposits, and therefore CPTs <br />are less impact to a site than testing for the presence or absence of subsurface <br />archaeological deposits. Given this, the soil disturbance from a CPT is would not <br />produce a significant impact to previously unidentified subsurface deposits. <br /> <br />3. Boring units do extract soil, but the diameter of a bore-hole (maximum 8”) and a <br />core sample is significantly smaller than what is created during subsurface <br />archaeological testing for the presence or absence of resources. Standard <br />sampling methods include Standard Penetration Tests which produce a core with <br />an approximate diameter of 1.5”, Modified California Sampler produces a core <br />with an approximate maximum diameter of 2.5”, Pitcher Barrel Samplers produce <br />a core with an approximate maximum diameter of 3”, and Shelby tube style <br />samplers (i.e. 101mm Geobarrel and 134mm Geobarrel shelly tubes) with an <br />approximate range in core diameter between 2” to 5”. <br /> <br />a. Many of these cores would not be processed in such a way that would allow <br />the soil of the core to be examined immediately after soil extraction. As <br />such, a monitor would be unlikely to have the opportunity to examine a core. <br /> <br />b. These core sizes are not large enough to produce a notable disturbance to <br />subsurface archaeological deposits. The risk of substantial impacts to a <br />previously unknown subsurface deposit, given the size of the boreholes, is <br />extremely low. Given the low risks of substantial subsurface impacts and <br />small sizes of these cores, an archaeological monitor or tribal monitor during <br />the boring activities would not be warranted. <br /> <br />c. In the event a core is processed in such a way that the soil would be <br />viewable while in the field, cultural sensitivity training for the environmental <br />monitor and the field crew would be designed to aid in the identification of <br />cultural material that could come out of the core (e.g., lithics and organic <br />material less than 5” in maximum width within the geological time lens <br />between the late Pleistocene and modern surface). <br /> <br />4. In the unlikely event a potential tribal cultural resource is identified through <br />archaeological surveys or during field activities, the material would be reported to <br />the consulting tribe with interest in the area and a plan would be made in <br />consultation with the consulting tribe/tribes, in accordance with MM-CUL-2. In the <br />case of human remains, MM-CUL-3 would be followed. <br />During consultation, discussion was also had about investigations, data on Delta <br />geology may support a tribes understanding of historic landscapes, the depths of soils <br />with potential to hold cultural and potential tribal cultural resources, and information on <br />potential tribal cultural resources located throughout the Proposed Project Study Area. <br />Providing data from the soil investigations would help tribes better identify tribal cultural <br />resources for future projects within the study area region while causing non-significant