Information Bulletin Number 13 - Revised May 5, 2008

Development Application Review Process and Guidelines for Consulting Archaeologists

Many provincial and local government authorities review development related applications to determine the conditions under which a proposal may proceed. As part of the application review process, an agency may identify overlaps with the archaeological resource that must be addressed by the project proponent. Where these overlaps are identified, the proponent is directed to engage a professional archaeological consultant to review the project and determine the need for further archaeological study

This bulletin provides the professional archaeological consultant with background on the recommended agency review process and guidelines for review of development referrals by the archaeological consulting community.  

Application Review Process

The following process has been recommended to provincial and local government agencies with resource management responsibilities (e.g. subdivision applications, land rezoning, demolition and development) to identify overlaps with protected archaeological sites.

The agency is responsible for an initial review of a development application. Agency technicians use the Remote Access to Archaeological Data (RAAD) application to access archaeological site records and mapping information.  They are also encouraged to use a provincial notification letter to inform the applicant of the results of this review.  There are three possible review outcomes:  

	Direct Overlap with a known archaeological site
	Direct Overlap with an area of significant archaeological potential
	No identified overlap with known archaeological sites.

A direct overlap with a known archaeological site is identified when a known protected archaeological sites is on or within 50 metres of a subject property.  Agency technicians do not attempt to determine if the site will be impacted by the proposed activity.

When direct overlaps are identified, the applicant is directed to hire a professional consulting archaeologist to determine the steps in managing impacts to the archaeological site.   

A direct overlap with an area of significant archaeological potential is defined for agencies as the subject property falling in a high or significant potential zone. The applicant is notified that they should hire a qualified consulting archaeologist to determine if an archaeological impact assessment is warranted and informed that any disturbance of an archaeological site without a permit is a breach of the legislation.  The Province also recommends that any development over 10 Ha. be reviewed by a professional consulting archaeologist.  

No Identified overlap results in notification that is a limited possibility that unrecorded archaeological sites will be impacted by development but if a site is encountered, activities must be halted and the Archaeology Branch contacted for direction.

Expected Level of Effort by Professional Consulting Archaeologists (PCA)  

The above recommended application review process is a coarse screening mechanism that allows agency technicians to identify applications requiring expert examination.  The archaeologist’s role is to determine if there is a need for further archaeological study. This should be done on the basis of the provincial records available through the RAAD application and, where practical, confirmed by field observations.  The archaeologist will need to establish:  

	the study parcel and impact area
	archaeological sites in the vicinity of the study area
	sites that are protected by legislation
	accuracy and currency of the relevant site records
	previous permitted archaeological studies in the vicinity of the study area
	archaeological potential of the study area.

Based on this background research, the archaeologist  should be able to furnish an opinion to the client concerning:

	the presence of a protected, recorded archaeological sites on the property
	the potential for protected, unrecorded archaeological sites to be present on the property
	the likelihood of the proposed activities impacting an archaeological site protected by legislation
	the need for further archaeological study.

Where specifically required by an Archaeological Overview Assessment study, the archaeologist will also have to complete an Archaeological Overview Assessment Field Data Collection Form [63kb] and forward to the Archaeological Site Inventory Section of the Archaeology Branch.

Should further archaeological study not be recommended, the PCA must notify the client, issuing agency, and Manager, Archaeological Site Inventory Section, Archaeology Branch, with a brief summary in writing of the reasons further work is not required.  In addition, if an unusual recommendation is contemplated, such as application for an alteration permit without an assessment study, these recommendations should be discussed with the Permitting Section, Archaeology Branch before the recommendations are made to the client.  

Real Estate Referrals

RAAD access is not offered to realtors or any private individual or firm (with the exception of the professional archaeological consulting community) therefore realtors may refer specific parcels offered for sale to a professional consulting archaeologist  to determine if there are “heritage interests” on the property. Realtors will need to know if there are protected archaeological sites recorded in the Provincial Archaeological Site Inventory on, or in the immediate vicinity, of the property. Realtors will likely not be concerned with the archaeological potential of the property.  

For real estate referrals, the professional consulting archaeologist should determine the presence of protected, recorded archaeological sites on the property through an examination of the provincial records available through RAAD. The archaeologist will need to establish:

	the study parcel and development area
	archaeological sites in the vicinity of the study area
	sites that are protected by legislation
	accuracy and currency of the relevant site records

 On the basis of this examination, the client may be told if:

	there is a protected, recorded site on the property
	the record is unclear but there is likely a protected, recorded site on the property or
	there is no record of a protected, recorded site on the property

This review is completed outside of Provincial purview, and does not require notification to the Archaeology Branch of study results.