Preserving Washington’s past through cultural resources
Workers carefully sift through the soil of an archaeological site in Port Angeles. |
Long before the first shovel of dirt is turned on a highway construction project, WSDOT’s Cultural Resources Program staff will have spent many weeks or months researching the past to discover what historical or archaeological treasures the project area may hold.
Their job is to ensure that WSDOT takes into account significant historical and archaeological features within the project area and that we meet the requirements of federal and state laws, regulations and policies that apply to these sites.
top What are cultural resources?
Cultural resources are:
- Archaeological sites – places where evidence of past activity is preserved, such as a settlement or village
- Historic structures – buildings or bridges that are 50 or more years old
- Areas of traditional cultural importance – areas or sites that are of historical, physical or spiritual importance to tribes or other communities
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Why does WSDOT care about preserving the past?
Historical buildings, like the Northern Pacific Railway Depot in Yakima, are important pieces of Washington's past. |
State and federal laws, regulations and policies exist to ensure that Washington’s rich and diverse cultural heritage is protected. WSDOT is doing its part by considering the impacts of our transportation projects on cultural resources and by working with others to find agreeable solutions when impacts cannot be avoided. Preserving and protecting our cultural resources provides educational opportunities and can lead to better understanding of the cultural values of our shared history.
“The consequences of not doing a proper job up front are time and money,” explained Scott Williams, Cultural Resources Program manager. “If we haven’t done a thorough evaluation and investigation and we find something on the job site, construction stops. A work stoppage can last a few days or many months, depending on the finding. Work can’t start again until after we’ve talked with all those who have an interest. In some cases, we may need to step back and redesign the project to avoid an adverse impact.”
top What does WSDOT’s Cultural Resource Program do?
Cultural Resources staff identify, evaluate and document findings, such as this bone harpoon point, for their historical and archaeological significance. |
Staff members provide technical assistance in areas of evaluation, consultation and documentation, as well as provide cultural resource training to state and local agency employees and tribes. The Cultural Resources Program is responsible for:
- Evaluating highway construction projects to determine what, if any impacts the project may have on cultural resources
- Working with the project team to determine what activities will be done and how those activities may affect any historical or archaeological features:
researching documents for known historical or archaeological features within the project area
surveying the project area to identify and document features – this may be done with a survey of the area, by using geotechnical core samples, digging shovel test holes, or by using ground-penetrating radar
assessing found objects or sites to determine their historical or archaeological significance
- Consulting with tribes, federal and state agencies, local government officials, historical preservation groups and other interested groups in the project area to develop a plan to avoid or minimize disturbance of cultural resources
- Developing solutions to mitigate impacts on historic and archaeological sites – this may include archaeological excavation to recover artifacts, documenting and recording of findings for future archaeological reference, or developing interpretive displays for the public
- Training others:
- to raise awareness of cultural resources and recognize a site when in the field
- to understand applicable laws and regulations
- to know what steps they should take if they discover an archaeological site in the course of their work
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Example of cultural resources work: Columbia River Crossing
While the states of Washington and Oregon are working to refine the Locally Preferred Alternative design for the Columbia River Crossing project, evaluation of cultural resources within the project’s potentially affected area has been under way for more than a year.
This work includes identifying and taking into consideration historical sites and landmarks such as:
- Fort Vancouver – site of the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post and Kanaka Village, which housed Hudson’s Bay workers and families
- Vancouver National Historic Reserve – a 366-acre site that includes Fort Vancouver, Officers Row and Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Field, Columbia River waterfront, and Water Resources Education Center
- Historic properties in Vancouver – 870 historic buildings have been inventoried; of those, approximately 218 are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
- The Carrousel at Jantzen Beach, Oregon
- The 1917 I-5 northbound Interstate Bridge over the Columbia River
“Our goal is to assist WSDOT’s mission to provide an efficient transportation system in a way that respects our past,” said Williams. “Washington has some of the toughest state preservation laws in the nation. History is an important public resource.”
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Contact:
Scott Williams, Cultural Resources Program Manager, 360-570-6651, willias@wsdot.wa.gov.