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<br /> <br />Interpretations continued pace 5 <br />(Issue #3) <br />(The discretionary provisions of the Register of <br />Historic Places Act (CRS 24-80.1-101 to 108) cannot provide <br />a basis to deny a Mined Land Reclamation Permit under <br />CRS 34-32-115(c) and 109(5).) <br />These regulations merely imply a moral obligation onto <br />the (Board and Division) to contact the Historical Society to <br />see if the area of the proposed Cross Mountain Pit No. 1 is <br />on state land or if the affected area contains any cultural <br />resource properties that are listed in the State Register. <br />The Board and the Division met that obligation by <br />informing the society of the proposed action on the Cross <br />Mountain Pit #1 application. And the society met its <br />statutory duty to assist in that review. <br />On March 11, 1993, Susan M. Collins reported the <br />results of that review in a letter to Division Reclamation <br />Specialist, Carl B. Mount: <br />"...A search of the Colorado Cultural Resource <br />Inventory has indicated that there are no known sites <br />located within the boundaries of this project..." <br />(See Exhibit B-1) <br />At this point, the Division of Minerals had met its moral <br />obligation to notify the Society of the proposed reclamation <br />permit application, and the Society had met its statutory <br />duty to determine if there are any known sites of historical <br />significance located within the boundaries of this project. <br />At issue are Susan M. Collins' unsolicited comments: <br />"...we recommend that a cultural resource survey be <br />undertaken to determine if eligible cultural resources <br />will be impacted by mining activities...." <br />The historical society has no statutory authority to <br />"review" agency actions on private owned land and private <br />owned properties. These comments are outside of Susan <br />Collins' official jurisdiction to make. They do not have the <br />force and effect of any law or regulation that the applicant <br />or property owner can be forced to comply with. <br />It is an unconstitutional act for the Board and the <br />Division to attempt to enforce the historical society's <br />unofficial and arbitrary comments onto the applicant under <br />the requirement provisions of the Mined Land Reclamation Act <br />(CRS 34-32-115(c) and 109(5). <br />