News

November 2011

LSD Archaeologist shares results of Idaho Ice Crevice research

LSD archaeologist Jon Gauthier presented a poster at the 10th Biennial Rocky Mountain Anthropological Conference in Missoula, Montana. Gauthier’s presentation, The Paleoenvironmental Data Potential of Ice Crevice Formations in South-east Idaho and What Lies Beneath: the Paleoenvironmental & Archaeological Data Potential of Deep Basalt Crevices in Southeastern Idaho, shared the results of archaeological research at three ice crevices along the Bear River west of Soda Springs, Idaho. Soda Peak is the northernmost peak in the Bear River Range and sits just below 9,000 feet in elevation. The crevices contain ice year round and Gauthier suggests they could have functioned as game drives or food storage features for prehistoric people, as well as preserving packrat middens and other faunal (macro and micro) remains. Gauthier also presented the methodology for recording and assessing ice crevices and a discussion of the paleoclimactic reconstruction potential of ice crevice research. During fieldwork, faunal (macro and micro) remains were uncovered, including a bison skull suspended in ice at the bottom of a deep, sheltered crevice. Bison were abundant in southeastern Idaho until the early 1800’s. The find suggests that ice crevices contain organic materials that can contribute to archaeological and paleoenvironmental research.

Utah Planning Firm Bear West Joins LSD

Bear West Company, the oldest continuously operating planning firm in Utah, has joined LSD. Bear West brings in-depth local knowledge of Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, where they have worked extensively with local and state clients for almost three decades. The combination expands LSD’s ability to provide planning and public involvement services throughout the Intermountain West, generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. With the merger of the two firms, LSD will make available CommentPro®, web-based software that automates and streamlines collection, analysis, and management of public comments required for compliance with regulations such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Read more.
Read more about CommentPro®

Lakeview Park Opens in Provo

A new playground, tennis courts and a large grassy berm are just a few of the amenities at the City of Provo’s newest Lakeview Park. More than 100 people, including Mayor John Curtis, attended the ribbon cutting ceremony this month for the new $1.3 million, 13-acre park. LSD developed the master plan for the neighborhood park adjacent to Lakeview Elementary. To address safety concerns, and increase student visibility within the park, LSD designers chose Austrian and Scotch pine trees. Residents young and old made use of the new picnic pavilions and tables, walkways, play areas and tot lots and soccer fields. LSD worked closely with Provo staff and the community to achieve a design that meets the community’s needs and provides a safe and enjoyable place for residents to gather and play.

Recent Publication by LSD Archaeologist

A new book published in November by the University of Utah Press includes a chapter co-authored by LSD archaeologist Christopher Watkins. In the chapter, Interaction and Exchange in Fremont Society, Watkins and his co-authors reflect on how prehistoric material moved from its place of origin to its location of archaeological recovery in the Great Basin, and why it matters. Order Perspectives on Prehistoric Trade and Exchange in California and the Great Basin Edited by Richard E. Hughes online.

LSD to survey Delamar Lake for Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative

LSD archaeologists will be conducting GIS modeling and a pedestrian inventory to identify archaeological sites at Delamar Lake in Lincoln County, Nevada.

The remote, dry lakebed, west of the Delamar Mountains, dates back to the Pleistocene period. More than fifty sites of early human activity in Nevada and Utah associated with the Pleistocene period have been identified by the LSD Team. Our goal is to locate and record sites of early human activity to help the Bureau of Land Management in the Southern Nevada District meet its agency goals. The BLM established the Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative (LCAI) to allocate monies from the auction of public land to fund archaeological inventory, evaluation, protection, and management of cultural resources in Lincoln County. Proposals are submitted annually to the BLM. Following a rigorous, competitive process, awards are made based on the quality of the proposed research, how that research fits the needs of the LCAI, and the overall qualifications of the applicant.

LSD Project wins Valley Forward’s coveted President’s Award

The environmental organization Valley Forward has recognized three LSD projects for environmental excellence: US 60 Gonzales Pass, the Saguaro Transplant Research Study, and the Maricopa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The US 60 Gonzales Pass project, a road widening project that involved the inventory of more than 35,000 native plants, won the President’s Award (Best in Show) recognizing Arizona Department of Transportation’s dedication to environmental sensitivity as well as highway safety. The project was featured on the September 19 episode of the PBS television news program Horizon.

In addition to the President’s Award, the U.S. Gonzales Pass won a first-place Crescordia Award in the Site Development and Landscape (Public Sector) category.

In addition to LSD, three civil engineering firms and another landscape architectural firm teamed with the USDA Forest Service and ADOT to complete the project. LSD submitted the project for Valley Forward’s review.

More information about the US 60 Gonzales Pass project click here.

Click here to watch the story on the PBS news program Horizon.

US 60 Gonzales Pass Project Featured in August Issue of
Landscape Architecture Magazine

Landscape Architecture Magazine, published by the American Society of Landscape Architects, featured US 60 Gonzales Pass project in its August 2011 issue. “35,000 Transplants” recognizes the approximately 10-mile road widening project for how well it demonstrates a “close relationship between environmental form and function" as well as integration of “transportation, restoration, and beauty.” This award-winning project involved widening a dangerous, narrow segment of US 60 between Florence Junction and Superior, Arizona to a four-lane highway. Gonzales Pass is the gateway to the scenic lands of the Tonto National Forest and communities in eastern Arizona. More information about the project click here.

The August issue of LAM is available at https://www.asla.org/lamsubscription.aspx.

Valley Forward Recognizes Three LSD Projects for Environmental Excellence

The environmental organization Valley Forward has recognized three LSD projects for environmental excellence: US 60 Gonzales Pass, the Saguaro Transplant Research Study, and the Maricopa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Based in Maricopa County, Arizona, Valley Forward recognizes projects that demonstrate a high level of environmental commitment and contribute to the region’s overall sustainability through its annual Environmental Excellence Awards program. The US 60 Gonzales Pass project, a road widening project that involved the inventory of more than 35,000 native plants, was recognized in the Site Development and Landscape Category. The Saguaro Transplant Research Study, which investigated the survivability of transplanted saguaros, and the Maricopa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which is helping 44 “at-risk” communities protect themselves against the danger posed by wildland fire, were both recognized in the Livable Communities, Sustainable Communities Category.

ADOT Local Government Manual Under Review

LSD recently delivered the draft Local Public Agency Projects Manual to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT’s) Local Government Section. It is currently under review by ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). A number of local governments will also review the manual before it is finalized in December. The manual is designed to guide local governments through the process of identifying and applying for federal funds and complying with regulatory requirements, in addition to topics like certification acceptance and self-administration. It should also serve as a useful resource for ADOT personnel and local community staff involved in projects utilizing federal funding.

LSD Performs Visual Resource Inventories of Million Acres of BLM-Managed Lands

LSD recently completed visual inventory for three Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field offices in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana and is completing inventories for 10 field office in Utah and Colorado. Inventories will be used as a basis for land-use planning decisions as they affect the visual landscape.

Peoria opens Palo Verde Open Space Park

Congratulations to Peoria for opening the Palo Verde Open Space Park! The 4-acre, park at 73rd Drive and Briles Road, is built atop what was the largest Hohokam settlement along the New River. Last fall LSD archeologists studied the site and excavated artifacts for preservation. LSD completed a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the prehistoric site of Palo Verde Ruin for the Arizona Register. And, the nomination is currently being processed for NRHP listing.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/peoria/articles/2011/09/07/20110907peoria-palo-verde-open-space-park.html

LSD Celebrates 21st Birthday

LSD is having a coming-of-age moment this month. The firm is celebrating its 21st birthday by thanking the more than 100 employees who support the company with their time and talents.

LSD Biologists Map Vegetation at Great Basin National Park

Ten LSD biologists are wrapping up field work in eastern Nevada as part of an assessment of the Great Basin National Park’s vegetation mapping efforts for the National Park Service. Attractions at the 77,000-acre park include Wheeler Peak, the second highest peak in Nevada, 48 miles of streams, and more than 400 springs. This winter LSD will produce a vegetation map that provides accurate information on plant community composition, distribution, and abundance that meets the management needs of the Park.

Recent Publications by LSD Archaeologists

The latest issue of Journal of Arizona Archaeology includes three articles by LSD archaeologists Christopher Watkins and Dr. Michael Foster.

In The Organization of Agricultural Labor Among Smallholder Irrigation Agriculturalists: Implications for the Phoenix Basin Hohokam, Watkins proposes that share cropping arrangements existed in prehistoric Hohokam communities.

Watkins was the lead author of Dating Hohokam Canals: A Methodological Case Study. Of four methods reviewed, Watkins suggests that thermoluminescence (TL), a heat-sensitive technique used on pottery and other archaeological samples, is a viable way to date Hohokam canals accurately.

Dr. Foster co-authored Salt, Seashells and Shiny Stones: Prehistoric Hohokam Resource Exploitation in the Papaguería and Northern Gulf of California, which describes routes and strategies the Hohokam used to procure and transport valuable materials for tools, ornaments and food.

Biologist Richard Remington Honored for Efforts to Conserve Bighorn Sheep

The Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society has honored LSD Wildlife Biologist Richard Remington with its John Russo Award, which is given to recognize dedicated and continued efforts to conserve bighorn sheep in Arizona. Richard is the third recipient of this award since 2002. Big-game wildlife have been a special focus throughout Richard’s career; which included nearly 30 years with the Arizona Game and Fish Department in addition to more than seven years at LSD.

LSD Evaluates Survival of Replanted Saguaros for ADOT

An article recently published in the Arizona Republic highlighted LSD’s research and evaluation of nearly 800 saguaro cacti along ADOT highways that were salvaged and replanted because of new roadway construction projects. Utilizing their extensive plant research experience, LSD conducted field surveys to determine the cacti’s survivability. LSD’s research indicated a 71 percent survival rate of the relocated cacti and provided cost-saving recommendations to ADOT for future native plant relocation and salvaging projects.

A full copy of the Arizona Republic article can be found here:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/05/19/20110519arizona-highway-saguaros-removal.html

LSD’s Award-winning US 60 Gonzales Pass Project to be Featured in
Landscape Architecture Magazine

Landscape Architecture Magazine will to publish a story featuring LSD’s award-winning US 60 Gonzales Pass project in its August 2011 issue. The 10-mile US 60 Gonzales Pass project involved the widening of a two-lane highway to four lanes in order to improve the safety and capacity of the roadway. LSD’s landscape architects addressed the aesthetic, restoration, and environmental components. This project has won several awards, including the 2009 ADOT Partnering Award from ADOT, the 2009 Top 10 Project Award from Roads and Bridges Magazine, and the 2011 American Society of Landscape Architects – Arizona Chapter Professional Design Award.