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-. <br />the Gunnison to the south. The north end of the project azea falls along the northern flanks of <br />Fire Mountain. Elevations in the study area range from 6200 feet at the extreme southern end <br />of the project to 9265 feet at the rim of the ridge top that forms the eastern edge of the project <br />area The area is nearly entirely covered in Transitional Zone brush (oakbmsh, serviceberry, <br />and chokecherry). Other plant communities occur in the study area, although in much <br />smaller acreages and usually mixed with the brush, including fir and aspen forest, riparian <br />woodland, and grassland meadows. The region supports numerous wildlife species including <br />elk, deer, coyote, black beaz, bobcat, ground squirrels, rabbits, and various birds, raptors, <br />reptiles, and amphibians. Plates 1, 2 and 3 are photographs of the environmental conditions <br />of the study area <br />Climatically, the yeazly average temperature is 38 degrees F., and there is a maximum <br />oft 00 frost-free days in a yeaz. Annual precipitation is about 16 to 20 inches (USDA SCS <br />1976). Palecenvironmental data for the area are scant, but it is agreed that gross climatic <br />conditions have remained fairly constant over the last 12,000 years. However, changes in <br />effective moisture and cooling/warming trends undoubtedly affected the prehistoric <br />occupation of the area Prehistoric land use was primarily hunting and gathering, which had <br />little or no adverse affect on the local environment. Present day land use includes cattle <br />grazing, hunting, and coal training development <br />Study Objectives <br />The purposes of the inventory were to conduct an intensive archaeological survey of <br />azeas potentially subject to direct impact fiom the proposed coal mining operations; to <br />identify and accurately locate azchaeological sites and/or districts and isolated fmds; to <br />evaluate these surface fmds for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places <br />(NRI~); to determine the potential effect of the nvnitrg acfivities on all NRHP-eligible <br />resources; and to make recommendations for the mitigation of any adverse effects on those <br />cultural resources. <br />Summary of Files Search <br />Files searches were made through the Uncompahgre Field Office of the BLM and the <br />Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation of the Colorado Historical Society. These <br />indicated that numerous surveys had been conducted in the area, which were mostly <br />concerned with roads and drill holes related to mining development (see Table B-1). <br />Eighteen sites and isolated fmds were previously recorded by these inventories (Table B-Z}. <br />Of those, three prehistoric sites, three historic sites, one site with both prehistoric and historic <br />components, and four isolated finds were recorded within the present project azea Table 1 <br />lists these cultural resources and provides their original evaluations. <br />