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2023 Cultural Resource Site Assessments for Collom Expansion Project Colowyo <br />Tetra Tech June 2023 21 <br />For Official Use Only: Disclosure of Site Locations Prohibited (43 CFR 7.18) <br />of three additional cairns (5MF.5418, 5MF.5419, and 5MF.5420) roughly aligned north to south <br />along the west edge of the ridge overlooking Straight Gulch. They argued Native American <br />consultation should occur as the cairns may be associated with activities significant to Native <br />Americans. Tetra Tech agrees with this recommendation. Aside from vegetation growth, the 2023 <br />revisit noted that the cairn is unchanged from the 2005 recordation. The site should continue to <br />be avoided by any proposed mining related activities pending Native American consultation. <br />5MF.5418 – Rock Cairn, Needs Data <br />Site 5MF.5418 is a rock cairn originally recorded in 2004 by Metcalf Archaeological Consultants <br />for the Colowyo Mine’s 2004-2005 Collom Drilling Program. The site consists of a small stack of <br />sandstone rocks. No additional prehistoric or historic artifacts are reported. The site has been <br />revisited twice since the original recording. It was revisited in 2005 by TRC as part of the Collom <br />Mine Expansion Class III Inventory project and in 2015 by Tetra Tech as part of the Collom Mine <br />Expansion Site Assessment project. The revisits did not note any changes or impacts to the site, <br />aside from vegetation growth. <br />In 2019, Tetra Tech revisited the site as part of the second round of assessments. The site was <br />determined to be in the same condition as during the 2015 revisit. Mining activities had not <br />impacted the site in any manner and were not visible from the cairn. Tetra Tech recommended <br />mining activities avoid the area until further assessment. <br />In 2023, Tetra Tech revisited the site as part of the second round of assessments (Figure 14). <br />The site was determined to be in the same condition as during the 2019 revisit. Mining activities <br />have not impacted the site in any manner and are not visible from the cairn. Tetra Tech <br />recommends that mining activities continue to avoid the site until further assessment is completed <br />to fully evaluated the site’s NRHP eligibility or potential importance to Native Americans. <br />NRHP Status and Condition Assessment <br />In 2004 Metcalf Archaeological Consultants recommended Site 5MF.5418 as not eligible due to <br />the lack of deposition and artifacts, which was concurred by the Colorado OAHP. In 2005 TRC <br />recommended that further evaluation was needed of the site to determine potential inclusion on <br />the NRHP or listing as a possible Native American Traditional Cultural Property. The site is part <br />of three additional cairns (Sites 5MF.5417, 5MF.5419, and 5MF.5420) roughly aligned north to <br />south along the west edge of the ridge overlooking Straight Gulch. They argued Native American <br />consultation should occur as the cairns may be associated with activities significant to Native <br />Americans. Tetra Tech agrees with this recommendation. Aside from vegetation growth, the 2023 <br />revisit noted that the cairn is unchanged from the 2005 recordation. The site should continue to <br />be avoided by any proposed mining related activities pending Native American consultation.