Appendix C Archaeological Survey Report ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REPORT FOR THE PETERS CANYON BIKEWAY EXTENSION PROJECT, TUSTIN AND ORANGE, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA California Department of Transportation, District 12 Federal Project Number: CML-5955(115) Prepared by October, 2020 Monica Strauss, M.A., RPA Date PQS-Principal Investigator Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology Environmental Science Associates 626 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 1100 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Reviewed by: Jonathan Wright Date PQS-Lead Archaeological Surveyor California Department of Transportation, District 12 1750 East 4th Street, Suite 100 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Approved by: Charles Baker Date Senior Environmental Planner California Department of Transportation, District 12 1750 East 4th Street, Suite 100 Santa Ana, CA 92705 USGS topographic quadrangle: Orange, California APE Acreage: approximately 15.95 acres Resources: Negative Survey Date Completed: October 2020 This page intentionally left blank Summary of Findings Summary of Findings Orange County Public Works (OCPW) proposes to construct a Class I bike line along a 1.15- mile stretch of Jamboree Road from Canyon View to Pioneer Road, and a 1.55-mile-long Class II bike lane on Pioneer Road within the cities of Tustin and Orange, Orange County. The proposed project would connect the existing Peters Canyon Trail to Orange County’s larger bikeway network and would include: the construction of a Class I multi-use bikeway and sidewalk along the west side of Jamboree Road; striping of 8-foot-wide buffered Class II bike lanes on both sides of Pioneer Road; installation of bike path wayfinding signage; and construction of retaining walls with V-ditches, tree removal, landscaping, drainage systems and decorative fence installations, utility relocation, and sidewalk removal along the west side of Jamboree Road. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and OCPW is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The environmental review, consultation, and any other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by Caltrans pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and the Memorandum of Understanding dated December 23, 2016, and executed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Caltrans. The purpose of this study is to identify any cultural resources that could be affected by the undertaking. This report details the methods and results of this study, which included a records search, a Sacred Lands File (SLF) search, Native American consultation, a geoarchaeological review, and a field survey. The studies for this undertaking were carried out in a manner consistent with Caltrans’ regulatory responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR Part 800) and pursuant to the January 2014 First Amended Programmatic Agreement among the Federal Highway Administration, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the California State Historic Preservation Officer, and the California Department of Transportation Regarding Compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106 PA). In accordance with Section 106 PA Stipulation VIII.A, an Area of Potential Effects (APE) was established for the undertaking. The approximately 15.95-acre horizontal APE includes the following components: the construction footprint for the Class I multi- use/combined bikeway and temporary construction area along the west side of Jamboree Road; the entire roadway of Pioneer Road where Class II striping would be established; two staging areas located within existing parking lots in Peters Canyon Regional Park; and access routes to Staging Areas #1 and #2 from a paved entrance off of Jamboree Road and from Canyon View Avenue, respectively. The vertical APE includes the anticipated maximum depth of ground disturbance of 15 feet below ground surface for grading activities, and the maximum height of aboveground components is expected to reach 3 to 8 feet in height for the construction of retaining walls. Peters Canyon Bikeway Extension Project i Archaeological Survey Report Summary of Findings A records search for the project was conducted on July 23, 2020, by staff at the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) South Central Coastal Information Center (SCCIC). The records search included a review of all recorded cultural resources and previous studies within the APE and a 1-mile radius around the APE. The records search results indicate 89 cultural resources studies have been conducted within the records search study area. Of these 89 studies, 12 overlap the APE with approximately 80 percent of the APE having been included as part of previous cultural resources surveys. The records search results also indicate that 35 cultural resources have been previously recorded within a 1-mile radius of the APE. Of these 35 cultural resources, 21 are prehistoric archaeological sites, seven are historic-period archaeological sites, three are multicomponent archaeological sites, three are historic-period built resources, and four are prehistoric isolates. None of the 35 previously recorded cultural resources are located within the APE. Native American consultation was undertaken for the proposed project. An SLF search was conducted by the California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) on June 9, 2020 indicating no known Native American cultural resources are within the APE or its vicinity. The NAHC included a list of 15 California Native American Tribes who may also have knowledge of cultural resources in the area. Outreach letters were sent to all 15 Native American contacts listed on the NAHC’s contact list via certified mail and email on August 17, 2020. Follow-up phone calls were placed on August 26 and September 2, 2020. Of the 15 Native American representatives contacted, six responses have been received to date. The responses are summarized in the Summary of Native American Consultation section of this report. No Native American cultural resources have been identified within the APE based on the consultation conducted to date. On August 13 and October 11, 2020, ESA conducted a pedestrian survey of the APE to identify archaeological resources that could be impacted by project-related ground- disturbing activities. Given the developed nature of the APE numerous survey strategies were employed including reconnaissance (windshield) survey of paved areas, and mixed systematic and opportunistic survey in areas where ground surface was visible. Areas subject to systematic survey were surveyed using transects spaced at intervals no greater than 15 meters (approximately 50 feet). No cultural resources were identified as a result of the survey No archaeological resources were identified in the APE as a result of the archival research or field survey. Given the highly disturbed nature of the APE, which is largely composed of residential development, the likelihood of encountering intact subsurface archaeological deposits during proposed project construction is low. This study concludes that no cultural resources qualifying as historic properties pursuant to Section 106 of the NHPA will be adversely affected as a result of the proposed project; a finding of No Historic Properties Affected is recommended for this undertaking. It is Caltrans' policy to avoid cultural resources whenever possible. If buried cultural materials are encountered during construction, it is Caltrans' policy that work stop in that area until a qualified archaeologist can evaluate the nature and significance of the find. Peters Canyon Bikeway Extension Project ii Archaeological Survey Report Table of Contents Table of Contents Summary of Findings ........................................................................................................ i Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iii Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Project Location and Description .................................................................................... 2 Project Location ............................................................................................................ 2 Project Description ........................................................................................................ 2 Area of Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 3 Sources Consulted ............................................................................................................. 3 Summary of Records Search Methods and Results ...................................................... 3 Summary of Native American Consultation ................................................................. 9 Background ..................................................................................................................... 10 Environment ................................................................................................................ 11 Ethnography ................................................................................................................ 12 Prehistory .................................................................................................................... 13