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i~ Abstract At the request of Bowie Resources, Ltd. (as represented by J.E. Stover and Associates), the Uncompahgre Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, and the Office of Surface Mining, a Class III cultural resource inventory of approximately 1520 acres of private (1330 acres) and BLM administered lands (190 acres) was conducted by Curtis Martin (Principal Investigator), Jim Conner, and Nicole Darnell of Grand River Institute. The study area lies north of the town of Paonia, in Delta County, Colorado. The survey was undertaken to ensure the project's compliance with federal legislation governing the identification and protection of cultural resources that will be affected by a government approved action. The purpose of the cultural resources investigation was to locate and identify resources within the tract, to evaluate these resources' eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP}, and to make management recommendations for those sites found to be eligible or potentially eligible. Files searches were conducted through the BLM and the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Three historic sites {SDT96, SDT124, and SDT632) and one prehistoric isolated find (SDT633) were found to be previously recorded. Field work was performed between the 23rd and 30d' of July 2004. As directed by the new 36 CFR800 • regulations, this inventory included the seazch for relevant tradifional cultural properties. Based on the files search, field survey, and these researchers' personal knowledge, no such communities exist within the project area. This inventory was limited to the survey of open terrain provided by existing roads, trails, and erosional areas because of the heavy vegetation cover and steep scopes. Open areas on the main ridge tops and benches were located and inspected as well. Ali three previously recorded historic sites (two cabins and a coal mine) were revisited, as well as the location of isolated find SDT633. These were found to be little changed from as previously recorded and their previous NRHP evaluations have been left unchanged. The field inspection of the remaining project area identified and newly recorded two additional sites: an animal containment pen (SDT153'n and alean-to/wickiup shelter (SDTI538). Based on the inability to definitively assign a construction date or cultural affiliation to the iean-to, and the natural fill within and around the structure, it has been field evaluated as need data or potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP. The animal pen was field evaluated as not eligible and no further work is recommended for this site. Final site evaluations and determinations of adverse effect to the sites must be made by the controlling federal agency in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer {SHPO). ii