Scope of Work and Professional Practice Limitations for GeoArchaeo Research Earth Science Services
Purpose and Nature of Services
GeoArchaeo Research provides scientific, observational, and descriptive geoscience services. Our work supports a range of knowledge users, including archaeological and environmental researchers, Indigenous governments, community organizations, and other groups engaged in stewardship, governance, and evidence‑based decision‑making.
Our activities include, but are not limited to:
- Scientific reporting for research, governance, and cultural or environmental knowledge contexts
- Analytical laboratory testing and chemical characterization for third-party consultants, alongside independent technical inventories solicited by Sovereign First Nations for treaty and governance purposes
- Geomorphological trend analysis, historical shoreline reconstruction, and sea-level rise projections to support treaty land-base negotiations and Indigenous governance planning
- Descriptive geological, geomorphological, and environmental mapping
- Field sampling of sediments, soils, rocks, and related materials
- Geochemical, sedimentological, and mineralogical analysis
- GIS‑based mapping, spatial analysis, and data visualization
- Compilation, integration, and descriptive synthesis of publicly available and directly observed data
Non‑Reserved Practice
The services provided by GeoArchaeo Research fall within non‑reserved geoscience practice as defined under the Professional Governance Act (PGA) and the Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC) regulatory framework. Our work does not involve professional judgment or advice that could affect public safety, the environment, or property, and is not intended to constitute professional geoscience practice.
Exclusions and Limitations
GeoArchaeo Research does not provide:
- Statutory or municipal geological hazard or risk assessments (Note: Our geomorphological and coastal projections are descriptive and trend-based, intended strictly for sovereign treaty and stewardship contexts rather than provincial infrastructure permitting)
- Engineering geology or geotechnical evaluations
- Groundwater or mineral resource assessments
- Evaluations of economic viability or development potential
- Professional geoscience opinions, recommendations, or certifications
- Interpretive products intended to inform regulatory decisions, permitting, or land‑use planning
- Any work that constitutes the reserved practice of professional geoscience under the PGA
All deliverables produced by GeoArchaeo Research are scientific and descriptive in nature and are not ‘professional geoscience’ documents.
Reserved Practice
Any activity involving risk‑bearing interpretation, professional judgment, or advice relied upon for decisions affecting health, safety, the environment, or property must be completed by a licensed Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo) or an appropriately regulated professional.
Use of Information
GeoArchaeo Research is responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the scientific information we produce. However, we do not control or assume responsibility for how clients or third parties may subsequently use, interpret, or apply this information in governance, planning, or decision‑making contexts. Where the principals of GeoArchaeo Research are retained to provide formal expert testimony or scientific inputs for treaty mechanisms (such as TRMs), such contributions are rendered strictly as independent academic expert evidence based on forensic data and peer-reviewed methodologies.