Mike Bies is a third-generation South Dakotan with a bachelor's degree in history and sociology/anthropology from the University of South Dakota. He also performed graduate work at the University of Idaho in the field of anthropology with an emphasis on historical archaeology, and then worked as an archaeological consultant with private companies in Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Oregon. After three field seasons as a temporary archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service, Mike started his career with BLM in the Rawlins (Wyoming) District Office. Mike is now located in Wyoming's Worland District Office, but still spends lots of time in the field. He has been with the Express Pipeline Project since it began in 1993.

A view of a Washakie County excavation, showing (clockwise from lower left): a housepit containing metates (stones at edge of depression), a second housepit (middle left of photo), circular hearths and storage basins (lower center of photo), and a third housepit (upper center of photo).