Cultural Resources Management
Discover the Past, Protect the Future with SummitWest
Your Trusted Partner in Cultural Resources Management
At SummitWest, we don’t just uncover history—we safeguard it. Our Cultural Resources Department is your bridge between groundbreaking projects and the rich tapestry of human heritage beneath the surface. Whether you’re breaking ground on publicly or privately-owned lands, navigating tribal consultations, or ensuring compliance with a web of federal permits, our expert team has you covered. Why hire SummitWest? Because your project deserves more than bare-minimum compliance—it deserves a partner who turns regulatory hurdles into opportunities for discovery, stewardship, and success.
Unearth the Possibilities
with Our Services
Our seasoned archaeologists, historic resources specialists, and cultural resource specialists bring a rare blend of scientific rigor and real-world know-how to every job. From sprawling precontact sites to historic-age homesteads, we’ve got the tools, permits, and passion to protect what matters.
Archaeological Services
- Phase I Surveys: We scour the landscape to identify and document cultural resources before you dig, keeping surprises at bay.
- Phase II Evaluations: Digging deeper, we assess significance with precision—because not every find is a footnote.
- Phase III Mitigation & Excavation: When preservation isn’t an option, we excavate and recover data with care, turning loss into legacy.
- Section 106 Compliance (NHPA): We navigate the National Historic Preservation Act’s process so your project stays on track.
- Surveys, Monitoring, and Data Recovery: From boots-on-the-ground vigilance to meticulous artifact retrieval, we’ve got it handled.
- Artifact Analysis: Every lithic flake, groundstone, can, and bottle tells a story – whether the analysis is conducted in the field or in a laboratory, we capture everything the materials can tell us.
- GIS-Based Documentation: High-tech mapping keeps your site’s history crystal clear and accessible.
Technical Capabilities
- 3D Scanning & Photogrammetry: Picture-perfect artifact representations and site mapping, because details matter..
- Laboratory Analysis: Artifacts meet cutting-edge tech in our labs for answers you can trust.
- Database Management: Your project’s data, organized and ready for reporting, no matter the scale.
Master the Maze of Compliance
Permits and regulations don’t have to slow you down. SummitWest’s Cultural Resources team, led by our Principal Investigator, cuts through the red tape with expertise honed across countless projects. We ensure compliance while keeping your timeline intact.
Regulatory & Permitting Services
- Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) Permits: Digging on federal lands? We’ve got the permits and know-how.
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance: Environmental reviews meet cultural care, seamlessly integrated.
- State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Coordination: We speak their language, ensuring smooth collaboration.
- Tribal Consultation: Respectful, meaningful engagement with Native communities—because their voices matter.
- Government Lands Access: From deserts to forests, we unlock cultural resource management on public lands.
Our team doesn’t just check boxes—we bring scientific integrity and strategic oversight to every step, from excavation to final report. Local, state, or federal rules? We’ve mastered them all.
Why SummitWest?
Imagine this: You’re planning a pipeline across BLM land in California. A survey flags a scatter of projectile points, lithic artifacts, and a hearth feature. Regulators hit pause, tribes weigh in, and deadlines loom. Now picture SummitWest stepping in—our crew maps the site with GIS, consults with tribal elders, secures an ARPA permit, evaluates the site for NRHP eligibility, and delivers a Phase III recovery plan that satisfies SHPO and keeps your project moving. That’s not a hypothetical; it’s what we do.
- Experience That Delivers: Our team has addressed everything from precontact village sites to historic-age homesteads, while working collaboratively with agencies, consulting Tribes, and other stakeholders to avoid or minimize impacts while ensuring regulatory compliance.
- Tech That Transforms: We utilize digital data collection through Survey123 and FieldMaps with submeter accuracy and use of GIS for geospatial data analysis.
- Partnership That Pays Off: We’re not here to slow you down; we’re here to work with you to make your project shine, legally and historically.
What’s at Stake?
Unmanaged cultural resources can derail a project faster than a flash flood. Fines, delays, or lost history aren’t just risks—they’re realities without the right team. In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a developer once bulldozed a Native American site without a survey—years of lawsuits followed. SummitWest prevents that. We turn potential roadblocks into stories of discovery, ensuring your construction leaves a legacy, not a liability.
Ready to Dig In?
Whether it is a small historic-age refuse scatter or a complex precontact archaeological district, SummitWest’s Cultural Resources Department has the expertise, permits, and vision to protect the past while powering your future. Contact us today—let’s build something great, together.