Piñon is owned and managed by Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) Bagwell. She is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (#16564) who meets the Secretary of the Interior’s qualification criteria as an archaeologist. Dr. Bagwell, brings more than 30 years of experience in archaeology and anthropology. She has directed cultural resources projects of all types and managed project budgets ranging from $1,500 to $1 million. Dr. Bagwell has more than a decade of experience preparing environmental documents as part of CEQA and NEPA for some of the largest and most controversial infrastructure projects in California. She is experienced with the studies and logistics associated with large projects as well as the unusual challenges that come with balancing the conflicting needs of stakeholders. bbagwell@pinonheritage.com
Ms. Diana T. Dyste (M.A. and RPA #39362477) meets the Secretary of the Interior’s qualification criteria as an archaeologist. With 25 years of experience, Diana specializes in tribal relations, ethnography, and California prehistoric archaeology. Her laboratory specialties include macro-wear analysis of ground stone and archaeobotany. Ms. Dyste skillfully guides federal, state, and local agencies as well as tribal and private stakeholders through the regulatory processes of NEPA, NHPA Section 106, and CEQA/AB 52. She has a strong success rate at bringing complex and controversial projects to completion, and manages projects in the transmission, water, mining, utility, community development, non/renewable energy, and emergency fire and vegetation management sectors.
Diana’s career is marked by her commitment to meaningful, trustful communication with California Native Americans and minority communities. Her passion lay in working closely with tribes and communities to design impactful ethnographic studies, historical summaries, and researching at archives or with families to record personal lived histories related to proposed project areas.
Mr. Ralls serves as an Archaeological Crew Leader for Piñon Heritage Solutions. Ralls has more than ten years of experience leading archaeological surveys, conducting research, writing reports, monitoring ground disturbing activities, working closely with Native American Tribal Monitors, and other technical archaeological experience. This experience includes serving as a manager and as a teaching assistant for the Utah State University Anthropology Program and as a Crew Leader for two archaeological field schools. He possesses formal education in anthropological theory, environmental anthropology, environmental impact assessment, and Cultural Resource Management. He also holds certification in Native American Studies. Ralls has applied this background to numerous archaeological undertakings in regions throughout western North America, including the Cascade Mountains, Columbia Plateau, and Coastal regions of Oregon and Washington, the Sierra and Central Valley regions of Northern California, the Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau regions of Utah, and elsewhere. Ralls has formally presented archaeological findings at the Society of American Archaeology and at the Great Basin Anthropological Conference. Additionally, Ralls has unique experience serving as a volunteer for organizations that are led by Native American people and dedicated to supporting Native American communities, including Wisdom of the Elders, committed to honoring, and preserving Native American heritage through story-telling and environmental restoration. While he is mainly charged with completing archaeological undertakings on time and within budget, he is greatly enriched by professional opportunities to train and pass on skills to archaeological technicians beginning new careers in archaeological fieldwork.
Ms. Barthold O'Brien has an M.A. in Art History (Architectural History Emphasis) from the American University and meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards in Architectural History. She has conducted field work, research and writing about history, architectural history, landscape architecture and city planning for more than 15 years in California, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Georgia, and the United Kingdom. She has authored multiple documents pursuant to applicable federal, state, and local regulations. She has completed numerous National Register Nominations and HABS reports. She also served for eight years as architectural historian on the Heritage Preservation Review Board of the Town of Herndon, Virginia. Some of her experience highlights include the HABS documentation, and National Historic Landmark registration of L’Enfant Plan of the District of Columbia. She was also the lead architectural historian for the HABS documentation of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and Preservation District in Plains, Georgia. Ms. Barthold O'Brien's historical research has been key in the support of historical archaeological projects as well. Excavations associated with the construction of the National Museum of the American Indian uncovered evidence of a high-class Civil War-era brothel. Her documentary research and historic context regarding the brothel and its owner, Mary Ann Hall, attracted public interest and resulted in publications, public presentations, television interviews, and formed the basis of a Smithsonian exhibit. Her recent California experience includes serving as the architectural history CEQA reviewer of the 358-mile SCE Ivanpah-Control project.
Ms. Ishigo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Minor in Anthropology from the University of Hawai'i, Hilo. She has over 15 years of administrative experience in the Energy, Geology, and Editorial sectors, and has successfully collaborated with scientists, engineers, project managers, and division leads during this time. While working in Energy, Ms. Ishigo maintained effective control of internal documents, compiled data for regulatory requests, and analyzed root causes for process delays. She also provided strategic portfolio planning by forecasting project budgets, evaluating risks, and balancing company-level needs. Ms. Ishigo has maintained a strong background in project planning and office management over the years. She has acted as a staffing manager to fill various project needs, as an office manager to multiple locations, as an assistant to multiple executives, and as a travel planner for complex field projects across the world. After years of editing scientific and governmental reports, Ms. Ishigo has also recently achieved her Copy Editing certification. During her free time, she enjoys volunteering in local schools.
SCE proposes to rebuild 358 miles of transmission line spanning south from Bishop, California, into Inyo County, through the northeastern corner of Kern County, and through San Bernardino County and terminating at the SCE Ivanpah Solar Generating Facility just west of the California–Nevada border. Dr. Bagwell and her staff are conducting an independent review of the CRHR eligibility of 750 archaeological sites and 450 built environment resources. The team is compiling a standalone Tribal Cultural Resources (TCR) Report including information provided by tribes during AB 52 consultation in support of the identification and evaluation of TCRs. The team will also author the EIR Cultural and Tribal Cultural Resources Sections.
Caltrans removed hazardous trees along State Routes 49 and 193 in El Dorado County covering approximately 60 miles near Placerville, California. The purpose of the project was to remove 900 dead, dying, and diseased trees that pose a hazard to life, property, and vital infrastructure. As a sub-consultant to Bargas Environmental Group, Piñon provided cultural resources staff for this emergency effort. In coordination with Caltrans field staff, qualified biologists, tree removal specialists and a traffic control team Piñon staff surveyed a 30 m buffer around each tree and then immediately monitored the subsequent tree removal. Piñon developed a digital daily survey/monitoring form using ArcGIS Survey 123. More than 150 previously identified resources were in the project area, and another 15 resources were identified during project work. In addition, this route passes through the town of Coloma, the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park and National Historic Landmark District.
Under contract with Bargas Environmental Consulting, Piñon Heritage Solutions is preparing a record search, research design and work plan for a 2,078 acres residential development. Upon completion, Piñon will conduct archaeological and built environment surveys. The project area is encompassed by Reclamation District 1000 a NRHP-eligible Rural Historic Landscape District. The district dates to between 1911 to 1939 and includes levees, canals and roads intersecting to form large blocks of fields.
Piñon provided cultural resources monitors during construction activities within the boundaries of a NRHP-eligible historic district, and contributed to the monitoring report.
