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~' ' EVALUATIONS AND REC011MENDATIOIJS Intensive cultural resource coverage of about 13~ of the Red ' Canyon Mine Plan Area, including both the intensive and sample- oriented surveys, yielded two prehistoric sites and five more limited indications of aboriginal activity in the project area. t Additionally, the literature search and observations made during the field implementation reveal the potential for historic cultural resources as well. ' None of the recorded cultural resources is considered siynifican[ in terms of the National Register of Historic Places. By their designation, the isolated finds are not considered to have information ' important to the area's prehistoric record. Similarly, neither archae- ological site recorded by the survey is considered eligible. Both sites lack diagnostic artifacts and features i~hich may be used to ' ascribe cultural affiliation and temporal placement. Although testing ~•~as not undertaken, neither site appears to have a potential for subsurface cultural deposits. This observation is based on field notation of the sites' surfaces. As a consequence, archaeological sites 5DT541 and 5DT542 do not possess the potential to significantly contribute to a greater understanding of the cultural past in the area. No historic resources were encountered in the randomly selected sample units; however, the potential exists that some of the known historic resources may be significant to analyzing historical home- ' steading ventures and perhaps other historical patterns in the project area. Taken as a whole, the results of the survey indicate the potential ' for a fairly high density of cultural resources in the project area. Based on the 10~ survey, it could be expected that some 20 archaeological ' sites and another 50 isolated find occurrences may exist. We doubt, however, if the actual number of cultural resources would approach these figures due to terrain variation and past disturbances of some acreage. On the other hand, the potential For prehistoric cultural resources to occur, and the extant historic resource base, indicate a situation in which loss of cultural resource data n.ny occur if surface ground ' disturbances are anticipated in other locations than the mine itself. All cultural resources, prehistoric and historic alike, are fragile and even minor impacts, such as subsidence, can result in detrimental ' effects. It is therefore recommended thatkno~:m cultural resources be avoided until the number and location of additional cultural resource sites <rre determined. It is possible, for example, that archaeological ' sites SDT541 and 5DT542 may accrue some importance when the broader site patterning is known since they are likely components of a larger prehistoric settlement-subsistence situation. Thus, based on the 10°6 15 1 ,