Archaeological "pool" approach effective on oil fields

• Sites are being entered into a data base with precise GIS and condition information

More than 8,000 archaeological sites have been recorded on the Mescalero Plain, described by officials with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation as a band of wind deposited sand and dunes in southeastern New Mexico, named for the Mescalero Apaches who once hunted the area.

Evidence of Paleoindians dating to 5,000 BC illustrates thousands of years of mobile hunter-gatherer occupation on the Mescalero Plain. Part of the sparsely populated Chihuahuan Desert, the plain sits atop the Permian Basin, the largest oil and gas basin in North America. Recording, investigating and preserving archaeologically significant sites was a challenge, but the Permian Basin Agreement initiated in 2008 has made strides in protecting valuable areas by pooling money and taking a broader look at the cultural scene.

Holly Houghten, historic preservation officer for the Mescalero Apache Tribe, which is part of the Permian Basin Working Group, said.the tribe receives feedback and also participates in some of the projects under the agreement.

"For us, it has been very positive," she said Thursday. "But it's not just been beneficial for the tribe, but also for the public. At this year's meeting, we said we would like to try to have some more outreach to inform the public about what type of archaeology is in the area and why it is important not to disturb it. It's O.K. to observe and enjoy, but don't collect and pot hunt. Some of those sites that were reexamined and tested were ones badly pot hunted. (The agreement) is beneficial overall to the whole state, not just the tribe."

Instead of an oil or gas company performing an archaeological survey of the specific drilling site proposed before receiving a permit, that company now pays a fee to the Bureau of Land Management for the permit and that money is put into a pool.

"Then the working group decides on different projects that should be done archaeologically within the area for historic preservation," Houghten said. "Some of the projects were to analyze old artifacts from excavations done in the early 1970s and 1960s. They were all left, but never analyzed. That was one project. We also surveyed more of the block area. When they are doing an oil pad, it is like this little quarter mile chunk of land or even smaller like 1,000 by 1,000 meters. With all these little spots all over, it's not worthwhile, because you will miss archaeological sites. There could be one right outside your boundary when you are looking at such a small area."

Members of the advisory council thought a more effective approach would be to combine the funding and do larger scale projects to accumulate a better understanding of the cultural resources within that area, she said.

"One project the tribe requested was to do more identification of Apache sites," Houghten said. "We picked different areas within the quad map that were set aside and included within the Permian Basin study area. It covers a large area. We picked areas where we knew Apaches were present from written documentation and different things. We went out and did surveys or looked at previously recorded sites that were real vague, but we thought were near something identified as a traditional cultural property.".

Tribal representatives ventured into the field with officials from an archaeological firm and identified those important areas and documented them, she said.
"Now the  BLM has those in their data set as areas that are important and what to avoid. areas of concern that are important to the tribe," Houghten said. "The majority are archaeological sites, but some are what we call cultural resource areas, like where we would go to gather (material used for ceremonies)."

The BLM was the federal agency responsible for conducting the Section 106 review process under the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires agencies to identify historic properties and assess the effects of the projects they carry out, fund, or permit on those properties. Federal agencies are required to consult with parties that have an interest in the fate of historic properties when adverse effects are likely to ensue.

"With an understanding of the existing situation, BLM and the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Officer built common ground among archaeologists, managers, tribes, and industry resulting in a collaborative approach to balancing energy development and archaeology," the advisory council publication stated. "The fruits of their efforts were an  improved approach, embodied in a Section 106 agreement that encompasses 1,700 square miles with the most active oil and gas areas. Operating under the agreement is voluntary. If a company chooses the agreement procedures, it contributes the cost of the archaeological survey into a mitigation pool. Under the terms of the agreement, the partners in the program collaborate to determine how the pool’s funds are used, providing effective support for research and interpretation of the area’s archaeology.

Since 2008, the oil industry has paid nearly $11 million into the pool, according to the council. Without the agreement, those funds would have been spent on thousands of small surveys.

"Instead, the pool has built a comprehensive field program, providing millions of dollars for archaeological research and studies that provide a foundation for understanding and managing the area’s archaeological resource," the publication stated.  "Now all resources are managed through a Geographic Information System integrated with the New Mexico Cultural Resource Information System, replacing outdated records in an easy-to-access format. The system provides real-time pictures of surveyed areas and sites, indicating where work is needed.

"The original agreement was so successful that signatories are extending the program’s life through a Programmatic Agreement for 10 more years. Innovative use of the Section 106 process shows that seven years of directed field research has done more to understand and manage the resources than 30 years of business as usual."

The first oil well in the Permian Basin in New Mexico was the Flynn, Welch, and Yates No. 1 drilled in 1924. By 2003, more than 300,000 acres managed by the BLM's field office had been surveyed for oil and gas projects, and more than 8,000 archaeological sites had been recorded.

"In New Mexico, most of the oil and gas development in the Permian Basin occurs on 2 million acres managed by the BLM Pecos District," the council publication stated. "The district processes thousands of oil-and-gas applications to drill annually, making it one of the busiest offices in the nation. For 30 years, BLM’s archaeological program was driven by industry’s needs." The preferred action was 'flag and avoid' to survey and record sites, and redesign projects to avoid the historic properties.  However, over time, intense development in some areas made it difficult to locate projects without harming archaeological sites. Many sites were being lost due to infrastructure maintenance, dune formation, and were ravaged by illegal artifact collecting. An alternative to “flag and avoid” was needed.