Table of Contents J.2 Cultural Resources - Archaeological Resources 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1642 2. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ................................................................................... 1642 a. Regulatory Setting ............................................................................................... 1642 (1) State ............................................................................................................ 1642 (2) Local ............................................................................................................ 1644 (3) Native American Consultation ..................................................................... 1645 b. Cultural Setting .................................................................................................... 1645 c. Local and Site Conditions .................................................................................... 1646 3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS .................................................................................. 1649 a. Methodology ........................................................................................................ 1649 b. Thresholds of Significance .................................................................................. 1651 c. Project Design Features ...................................................................................... 1653 d. Project Impacts .................................................................................................... 1653 (1) Project Construction .................................................................................... 1653 (a) Prehistoric Period ................................................................................. 1653 (b) Historical Period ................................................................................... 1657 (c) Native American Resources ................................................................. 1659 (2) Project Operations ....................................................................................... 1659 (3) Impacts Under the No Annexation Scenario ............................................... 1659 4. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .......................................................................................... 1660 5. PROJECT DESIGN FEATURES AND MITIGATION MEASURES ........................... 1661 a. Project Design Features ...................................................................................... 1661 b. Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................ 1661 (1) Prehistoric Period ........................................................................................ 1662 (2) Historic Period ............................................................................................. 1664 6. LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE AFTER MITIGATION .................................................... 1664 City of Los Angeles NBC Universal Evolution Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report November 2010 Page i WORKING DRAFT - Not for Public Review Table of Contents List of Figures 201 Predicted Sensitivity of Project Site for Prehistoric Surface Sites ........................ 1655 202 Predicted Sensitivity of Project Site for Prehistoric Buried Sites .......................... 1656 203 Predicted Sensitivity of Project Site for Historical Period Sites ............................ 1665 City of Los Angeles NBC Universal Evolution Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report November 2010 Page ii WORKING DRAFT - Not for Public Review IV. Environmental Impact Analysis J.2 Cultural Resources - Archaeological Resources 1. Introduction The following section is based on the archaeological resources technical report, the NBC Universal Evolution Plan: Cultural Resource and Paleontological Studies, Universal City, Los Angeles, California, prepared by Statistical Research, Inc., March 2010, for the proposed Project. The full text of the report is included as Technical Appendix L-2 to this Draft EIR. 2. Environmental Setting a. Regulatory Setting Federal, State, and local governments have developed laws and regulations designed to protect significant cultural resources that may be affected by actions that they undertake or regulate. The National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are the basic federal and state laws governing preservation of historic and archaeological resources of national, regional, State and local significance. As archaeological resources are also considered historic, regulations applicable to historic resources are also applicable to archaeological resources and are discussed and analyzed in this section. Whereas federal agencies must follow federal archaeological regulations, most projects by private developers and landowners do not require this level of compliance. As the Project does not require a federal permit and would not use federal money, federal archaeological regulations are not applicable to the Project. (1) State State archaeological regulations affecting this Project include the statutes and guidelines contained in CEQA (Public Resources Code Sections [PRC] 21083.2 and 21084.1) and the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations [CCR] Title 14) Section 15064.5). CEQA requires lead agencies to carefully consider the potential effects City of Los Angeles NBC Universal Evolution Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report November 2010 Page 1642 WORKING DRAFT - Not for Public Review IV.J.2 Cultural Resources - Archaeological Resources of a project on archaeological resources. Several agency publications, such as the series produced by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, provide advice on procedures to identify such resources, evaluate their importance, and estimate potential effects. CEQA recognizes that archaeological resources are part of the environment, and a project that “may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource [including archaeological resources] is a project that may have a significant effect on the environment” (PRC Section 21084.1). For purposes of CEQA, a historical resource is any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record, or manuscript listed in or eligible for listing in the California Register of Historic Resources (PRC Section 21084.1). A resource is eligible for listing in the California Register of Historic Resources and considered a “historical resource” under CEQA if it meets any of the following criteria: Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California’s history and cultural heritage; Is associated with the lives of persons important in our past; Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values; or Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history [CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a)(3)]. Archaeologists assess sites based on all four criteria but usually focus on the fourth criterion, above. The California Code of Regulations also provides that cultural resources of local significance are eligible for listing in the California Register of Historic Resources (CCR Title 14, Section 4852). In addition to “historical resources,” CEQA also considers project impacts to “unique archaeological resources.” As used in CEQA, “a unique archaeological resource” means an archaeological artifact, object, or site about which it can be clearly demonstrated that, without merely adding to the current body of knowledge, there is a high probability that it meets any of the following criteria: Contains information needed to answer important scientific research questions and that there is a demonstrable public interest in that information; City of Los Angeles NBC Universal Evolution Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report November 2010 Page 1643 WORKING DRAFT - Not for Public Review IV.J.2 Cultural Resources - Archaeological Resources Has a special and particular quality such as being the oldest of its type or the best available example of its type; or Is directly associated with a scientifically recognized important prehistoric or historic event or person [PCR 21083.2(g)]. In addition to having significance, resources must have integrity for the period of significance. The “period of significance” is the date or span of time within which notable events transpired at a site, or the period that notable individuals made their important contributions to a site. Integrity is the ability of that property to convey its significance. CEQA requires the lead agency to: consider whether the project would have a significant effect on unique archaeological resources or resources eligible for listing in the California Register of Historic Resources, and to avoid these resources when feasible or to mitigate any effects to less than significant levels (PRC Sections 21083.2 and 21084.1). (2) Local The City of Los Angeles guidelines for the protection of archaeological resources are specified in Section 3 of the City of Los Angeles General Plan Conservation Element. As stated therein, it is the policy of the City of Los Angeles that the City's archaeological resources be protected for research and/or educational purposes. Section 5 of the City of Los