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<br />Daub & Associates, Inc. Page 3-6 2015 NS Mine Plan Modification <br />1/5/2016 Section 3 General Site Conditions <br />3.3. Cultural and Paleontological Resources <br />Cultural and paleontological resources investigations were conducted by Grand <br />River Institute (GRI). The investigations consisted of archival reviews and intensive <br />on-the-ground surveys consistent with BLM Class III Standards. The first <br />investigation was conducted for the Multi Mineral Corporation oil shale project <br />(Grand River Institute 1980). Sixteen cultural sites, four features, and 27 isolated <br />artifacts were recorded then, as well as one paleontological find. Three sites, one <br />feature and six isolated artifacts were located during the second investigation (Grand <br />River Institute 1984). Five isolated paleontological finds were recorded during the <br />2010 investigation. <br />In March to April 2014, GRI conducted a Class II cultural resource inventory of <br />thirty-eight proposed drill sites and related access roads (~5.7 miles) within the <br />Piceance Basin, on the ridges north of Ryan Gulch and east of Yellow Creek. The <br />purposes of the inventory were to evaluate the cultural resources within the study <br />units and to evaluate the effects of the proposed project on significant cultural <br />resources. The project involved approximately 1,232 acres of which 100 were <br />previously inventoried. Thus, a total of 1,132 acres (1,114/BLM and 18/private) was <br />inspected for cultural resources. The GRI 2014 Cultural Resources Inventory Report <br />is included as Appendix 3A. <br />Field work was conducted by crews of four to six archaeologists between 24 March <br />and 17 April 2014. As a result of the inventory, nine previously recorded cultural <br />sites were revisited and reevaluated (5RB396, 5RB398, 5RB1885, 5RB5810, <br />5RB5842, 5RB5904, 5RB5919, 5RB5923 and 5RB5993). Importantly, a review of <br />site 5RB5904 – originally classified as an open architectural site that lies on the <br />border of the study area – indicated this site did not contain aboriginal wooden <br />features and was reclassified as an isolated find. Previously recorded isolated find <br />locations were revisited to affirm their characterization and to inspect for additional <br />artifacts and/or features. These inspections resulted in the reclassification of four <br />isolated finds into the site category: 5RB1922, 5RB5502, 5RB5999 and 5RB6192.