Bone hide scraping tool, known as a "beamer" or "flesher", identified at an abandoned Traditional Use site adjacent to the proposed development.

In August of 2003, Golder Associates Ltd. conducted a Heritage Resources Impact Assessment of Anadarko's proposed East Liard Gas Gathering System located near Fort Liard.   The proposed 75 kilometre gathering system extends southwestward from the Netla/Arrowhead gas fields, crossing the Liard River north of Fort Liard where it joins an existing system just west of the river.   The purpose of the study was to identify, record, and evaluate heritage sites in potential conflict with proposed development activities, so that appropriate avoidance or mitigation measures could be incorporated into the plans for this project.

Procedures employed in the Anadarko East Liard Gas Gathering System Project entailed pre-field studies, on-ground reconnaissance, site documentation and assessment, reporting and recommendation formulation.   A community request was made that, should archaeological materials be identified during the HRIA, no artifacts were to be collected.   Therefore, a system for documenting sufficient information about artifacts was devised in consultation with the PWNHC prior to the commencement of the field program.   Project planning also included provisions for a community representative to work with the archaeologists during the field inspection, to provide advice about the cultural significance of any sites and to identify areas of cultural concern or relevant land use patterns that might assist in interpretation of the physical evidence encountered.   Roy Klondike of Fort Liard provided a wealth of information about the area and its people while he accompanied two Golder archaeologists during the field program.

Handmade snowshoe identified at abandoned Traditional Use site adjacent to the proposed development.

The field component of the HRIA included the visual inspection of all areas that had been proposed for development prior to the beginning of August 2003.    This included an aerial survey of the entire gathering system to confirm that our predetermined areas of moderate and high potential were valid and to modify our program to include areas that were not identified during the pre-field screening.   Subsequent fieldwork consisted of helicopter assisted field surveys and sub-surface testing of areas deemed to have moderate to high potential for containing heritage resources. While no new archaeological sites were identified during the field investigations conducted for this project, a total of 19 Traditional Use locations were identified and recorded.   These included cabin and tent frame locations, bark-stripped trees, trails, and various types of snares and traps.

Further archaeological work will be undertaken next year on newly proposed components of the project that include an all-weather access road, gathering system re-alignments and facilities locations.   It is anticipated that additional work will be also be conducted other high potential areas along the alignment.