CASSP--Information for CASSP volunteers

3. Information for volunteers

California Archaeological Site Stewardship Program (CASSP) volunteers are responsible for completing site monitoring reports after each visit, and submitting a copy to the local coordinating archaeologist.

CASSP site monitoring report.

Download site monitoring report as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file (size 28 K).
Download the site monitoring report as a Microsoft Excel document (size 19 K).
Download the site monitoring report as a Microsoft Word document (size 46 K)
Download the site monitoring report in plain text format (size 2 K).

CASSP Agreement of Confidentiality:

Because site stewards receive sensitive information about the sites that they monitor, they must sign an agreement of confidentiality. This agreement states that you will comply with legal and ethical requirements to keep specific site location and other sensitive information confidential. The agreement is subject to renewal every year.

Download the confidentiality agreement as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file (size 24 K).
Download the confidentiality agreement as a Microsoft Word document (size 24 K).

Advanced training workshops:

Advanced training workshops are available for current CASSP volunteers. These focused workshops train CASSP volunteers in a topic that will help them become better site monitors. The advanced training workshops last one to two days, and they are offered at least once a year at a northern California location and at a southern California location. There is no registration cost for advanced training workshops; however only CASSP volunteers can participate in these workshops. Registration is required for advanced workshops. Usually space is limited, so please register as soon as you can. The last day to register is the Monday before the weekend in which the workshop will be held.

To date, the following advanced training workshops have been confirmed for 2009:

GPS and GIS for site stewards, October 17-18, Bishop BLM Field Office.
Site relocation and mapping techniques, November 7-8, Anderson Marsh State Historic Park

Kirk Halford, archaeologist at the Bishop BLM Field Office, will host the October workshop. The two-day workshop agenda includes: review of archaeological site mapping techniques, use of hand-held GPS unit, field practice with the GPS unit, and a demonstration on how the data collected in the field will generate a computer map using BLM GIS programs.

Leslie Steidl, archaeologist at the Northern Buttes District, California State Parks, will host the November workshop. The two-day workshop agenda includes: a review of archaeological survey techniques, field relocation of recorded archaeological sites within the Park, update prior documentation for these sites, and a demonstration on how to complete the DPR 523 site record forms.

To register for either, or both, advanced workshops, please contact Beth or Chris Padon at (562) 431-0300 or at bpadon"at"discoveryworks.com.

Suggested checklists for site steward visits

A site steward recommended the following guidelines. A lot of this is intuitive, but it is easy to forget to note something in the field, and then remember it only after you get home!

What to do at the first visit:

Take measurements,
Establish fixed points from which to take photos during each visit,
Record specific observations about the site, and general observations about the surrounding area,
Orient a scale map of the site.

A checklist of items to record on subseqent visit includes:

Record setting -- date, time and weather. (We had been puzzled by a tombstone -- by chance, I viewed it at a different time of day, and then we realized that what we thought was the front was the back, because we saw faint raised letters visible at 2:30 pm on a sunny day in Jan!)
Take photos from a consistent spot (fixed photo station). It's easier to detect alterations that way and track natural changes.
Note the presence/absence of vehicle tracks; footprints; signs of animal disturbance, or water/wind disturbance; evidence of human disturbance; litter; vandalism or missing artifacts; changes in access roads/trails/campsites; and changes in water channels, rock falls, other natural occurrences. If any of these are present, then describe and photograph them.

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