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Cultural resource success at Fort Hunter Liggett

By Kathy Alward, USAEC ContractorApril 30, 2020

The Mission San Antonio de Padua was founded in 1771 and is the third of 21 Spanish Missions founded in California. While most other missions are located in urban areas today, the Mission San Antonio de Padua still has a relatively pristine setting as it did over 200 years ago. Although it is a private inholding and still in use today, it resides just outside the cantonment, and all new construction on post is carefully planned to preserve the pristine view.
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Mission San Antonio de Padua was founded in 1771 and is the third of 21 Spanish Missions founded in California. While most other missions are located in urban areas today, the Mission San Antonio de Padua still has a relatively pristine setting as it did over 200 years ago. Although it is a private inholding and still in use today, it resides just outside the cantonment, and all new construction on post is carefully planned to preserve the pristine view. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Photo) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers from the 18th Division Engineers pose in front of the Hacienda in 1941. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hacienda was originally a ranch house built in 1930 by William Randolph Hearst, and later served as the Army’s headquarters during World War II. Today, the Army operates it as a hotel and is in the process of renovating the historical bar lounge for public use.
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from the 18th Division Engineers pose in front of the Hacienda in 1941. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hacienda was originally a ranch house built in 1930 by William Randolph Hearst, and later served as the Army’s headquarters during World War II. Today, the Army operates it as a hotel and is in the process of renovating the historical bar lounge for public use. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
The Stony Valley Arch is a ceremonial location associated with an 18th century Salinan Indian village. Fort Hunter Liggett has over 700 recorded archaeological sites dating back at least 8,000 years and contains some of the best preserved archaeological sites along the central coast of California. The cultural resources program coordinates with range operations to avoid impacts to resources in support of military training.
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Stony Valley Arch is a ceremonial location associated with an 18th century Salinan Indian village. Fort Hunter Liggett has over 700 recorded archaeological sites dating back at least 8,000 years and contains some of the best preserved archaeological sites along the central coast of California. The cultural resources program coordinates with range operations to avoid impacts to resources in support of military training.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Lisa Cipolla, Cultural Resources Program manager, stands near an archaeological site being test excavated by researchers from the Center for Environmental Management on Military Lands with Colorado State University. The CRPM is testing sites located within the maneuver training areas to better understand the nature of each site and the preservation needs. Recorded site locations determined to have few to little artifacts or features can be made available for vehicle movement, opening more area for maneuver training in support of the mission.
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lisa Cipolla, Cultural Resources Program manager, stands near an archaeological site being test excavated by researchers from the Center for Environmental Management on Military Lands with Colorado State University. The CRPM is testing sites located within the maneuver training areas to better understand the nature of each site and the preservation needs. Recorded site locations determined to have few to little artifacts or features can be made available for vehicle movement, opening more area for maneuver training in support of the mission.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Members of the Xolon Salinan tribe participate in a smudging purification ceremony before they visit Stony Valley, located on Fort Hunter Liggett, in June 2018. Tribal member Bobby Sims uses an eagle feather to waft the sage smoke onto Donna Haro, tribal headwoman. Fort Hunter Liggett maintains positive relationships with the local community and works together with all stakeholders in support of our shared goals.
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Members of the Xolon Salinan tribe participate in a smudging purification ceremony before they visit Stony Valley, located on Fort Hunter Liggett, in June 2018. Tribal member Bobby Sims uses an eagle feather to waft the sage smoke onto Donna Haro, tribal headwoman. Fort Hunter Liggett maintains positive relationships with the local community and works together with all stakeholders in support of our shared goals.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A pilot project was initiated by the Sustainable Range Program in coordination with the Cultural Resources Program to develop a method to sufficiently protect an archaeological site while allowing heavy vehicles to maneuver on top. A one acre archaeological site was capped using a geotextile blanket and a cellular confinement system (pictured here) and filled with sterile soil to provide a stable ground surface strong enough to support heavy armored and tracked military vehicles for off-road maneuver training. The archaeological site is located in a critical narrow pass between two open maneuver areas that was previously blocked from vehicle movement. Capping allows for ease of vehicle movement between the two areas at the same time protecting the resource.
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A pilot project was initiated by the Sustainable Range Program in coordination with the Cultural Resources Program to develop a method to sufficiently protect an archaeological site while allowing heavy vehicles to maneuver on top. A one acre archaeological site was capped using a geotextile blanket and a cellular confinement system (pictured here) and filled with sterile soil to provide a stable ground surface strong enough to support heavy armored and tracked military vehicles for off-road maneuver training. The archaeological site is located in a critical narrow pass between two open maneuver areas that was previously blocked from vehicle movement. Capping allows for ease of vehicle movement between the two areas at the same time protecting the resource.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. -- The largest Army Reserve installation and the 7th largest of all U.S. Army installations by land, Fort Hunter Liggett is located in the Santa Lucia Mountains along the central coast of California.

The Fort's land resembles 20 percent of the world’s terrain on almost 165,000 acres of diverse and remote land that serves as a valuable training environment for constantly changing mission requirements. FHL is committed to protecting the installation’s heritage in both current and future missions without interruption to training.

The FHL Cultural Resources Management Program successfully manages historic properties that are up to 8,000 years old, with more than 700 recorded archeological sites, three historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places and an additional four historic private in-holdings properties that are considered while planning Army actions.

“Resources include Native American village sites, burial grounds, and pictographs; Spanish Mission-era structures; 19th century mining camps; historic ranch sites and cemeteries; and historic Army training sites,” according to Lisa Cipolla, FHL Cultural Resources Program manager, who went on to say, “The CRMP is dedicated to supporting the military mission by addressing compliance with federal preservation laws, managing cultural resources in support of training, and seeking to protect our nation's heritage through good stewardship practices.”

FHL serves as a Strategic Readiness Platform for every branch of the military, including Active, Reserve, and National Guard units, state and federal agencies, and foreign allies. The CRMP prioritizes cultural resource projects within the FHL mission and successfully coordinates with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security and the Directorate of Public Works. CRMP is involved in all levels of planning for immediate and future missions for cultural resource compliance with historic preservation laws.

Army Total Force Readiness was supported at FHL in FY19 when a closed maneuver area was opened after the implementation of a pilot mitigation strategy for capping an archaeological site to support heavy vehicle maneuver. As part of a programmatic agreement with the California State Historic Preservation Office, FHL is able to continually open more maneuver area as additional survey, testing, and mitigation is conducted. “Thanks to the successful implementation of the PA and mitigation with Integrated Training Area Management the amount of previously closed maneuverable land has been opened up to increase training capabilities for further support of the Army Total Force Readiness,” said Liz Clark, FHL Environmental Division Chief.

The CRMP Team monitored the capping of two archeological sites in the Mission Road Re-alignment construction project that successfully preserved the integrity of the sites and allowed for improvement of the main road leading into the installation.

CRMP has evaluated 15 historical structures that are more than 50-years old and assisted with renovation plans for an historic hotel listed on the NRHP that supports Soldiers and families on post.

Sights within the Maneuver Areas are a focus as 26 archeological sites were evaluated for eligibility for listing on the NRHP and over 200 sites were monitored and successfully implemented the PA for off-road heavy vehicle maneuvers. Through collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Construction and Engineering Research Laboratory, FHL was test site for a Defense Legacy Grant, a project that is developing a new method that will reduce time and costs in conducting archeological field studies.

CRMP communicates with local Salinan tribal members regularly, because FHL is their ancestral homeland. For many years FHL has coordinated with members of the local Salinan community to visit Stony Valley, an ethnographically documented sacred place, for ceremonial and educational purposes.

Also in 2019 a database of detailed inventory was developed to upgrade the condition of the existing archaeological collections and more than 9,000 artifacts were repackaged to meet federal curation standards and catalogued into the inventory.

FHL cultural awareness and education is achieved through several methods including assistance with helicopter tours for visiting military VIPs citing the landscape, history and capabilities of FHL. Awareness and appreciation for FHL cultural history is also included in the Newcomer’s Welcome Packet to new Soldiers and families.

Community relations at FHL was exhibited at an educational event. The CRMP Team provided a talk on the Gil Adobe structure listed on the NRHP and met with the descendants of the Gil family. The CRMP Team also provided an interview for the local public radio station covering the history of the Hacienda, a historic building that was constructed by William R. Hearst that is of cultural significance and is used for community events on the installation. More information about the hacienda can be found in an interview with Cipolla atwww.kcbx.org/post/issues-ideas-tour-historic-hearst-ranch-headquarters.

CRMP shares their success stories through several avenues to include participation with the Installation’s Integrated Strategic and Sustainability Planning and sharing with other Army Reserve installations and readiness divisions.

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