Historic Preservation Services, Barry M. Goldwater Range, Luke AFB, Arizona
Cultural resource management services
56th RMO/ESMC
U.S. Air Force
Luke Air Force Base, AZ 85307
Approximate cost: Over $5 million
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| Rockshelter on the BMGR |
SRI became the prime contractor for the Luke Air Force Base (AFB)-Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR) program in September 1999 and immediately began providing a full range of services for the multiple U.S. Air Force (USAF) and related holdings in southwestern Arizona. The BMGR, which extends from the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in the south to Interstate 8 near Gila Bend in the north, and from the Tohono O'odham Reservation to Yuma on the west, contains three tactical subranges-North Tac, South Tac, and East Tac-which are used for live fire and simulated artillery and bombing activities for pilot training. The BMGR also contains four other manned ranges used for practice bombing and strafing missions. Our delivery orders for Luke cover the entire range of historic-preservation services. A primary objective for Section 106 and 110 compliance is to inventory a set amount of acreage in each tactical range as it goes "cold" each year for target maintenance and ordnance removal. As part of the integrated cultural resources management plan, SRI has provided comprehensive GIS and site-disturbance data and updates to the 56th Range Management Office (56 RMO) for sites inventoried by SRI and other contractors.
Our field activities began in October 1999, and since that time we have surveyed thousands of acres on each of the tactical ranges and on the manned ranges, and have performed data recovery at several rockshelters, surveys of areas under consideration for special-purpose activities (on the range as well as at Luke AFB and the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Air Field), data recovery of a site on land near the BMGR that involved working with hazardous materials, and site steward training. Working when ranges were inactive, or "cold," SRI would mobilize as many as four survey teams for the 6-8-week period when survey was possible. To maximize the amount of work during these windows of opportunity, SRI became skilled at balancing a complex logistical situation with the need to meet Luke's acreage-coverage requirements. To do this, SRI worked closely with staff from the 56 RMO and USAF DoD explosive-ordnance-demolition experts to ensure that appropriate safety measures were always followed. During active rotations, SRI had more than 20 archaeologists in the field, working on different tasks related to the project, including GIS and GPS mapping, archaeological survey, and site recording. SRI has developed a site-recording form that is linked to our in-house database. The reporting formats from the database include Arizona State Museum Site Record Forms that automatically populate with GIS and GPS topographic map data and other base data.
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| Rock cairn on the BMGR |
Additional task orders for Luke have included collections-management tasks, a study of curation options for materials recovered from the BMGR over the years, a historic context study for military training properties found on the ranges, and Native American consultation support. At the close of each major survey on the range, tours for interested Native American groups were held. Some of these tours included special weekend visits to project locales for Tohono O'odham tribal representatives and elders.
Most of SRI's work for Luke was carried out under a 5-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite quantity contract, but, since 2005, the installation has continued to contract with us for additional work using SRI's GSA Schedule Contract. Between the original contact and subsequent work contracted through GSA, SRI has been awarded nearly 40 delivery orders by Luke AFB.
During the years SRI has been working for Luke AFB, Dr. Jeffrey Altschul has been involved as principal investigator on most delivery orders, and SRI Chief Research Officer Dr. Stephanie Whittlesey is responsible for overall quality assurance on the contract. To maintain continuity, SRI Senior Project Director Christopher Doolittle oversees the work of the field personnel assigned to each individual survey project. A project director is assigned to each delivery order based on expertise and interests; each one leads the field survey or completes the tasks required by a non-field-oriented delivery order, and serves as primary author for the resulting report. As project manager, SRI Chief Operating Officer Dr. Teresita Majewski coordinates personnel and tasks, working closely with SRI staff and personnel from the 56 RMO from the time each delivery order is negotiated and awarded to the time when all final deliverables are submitted. This strategy ensures that all tasks for which SRI is responsible are performed in a timely manner and within budget