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i • <br />The Sunnyside Mine is an active mine and as such, many of the <br />historic features at the mine portal and throughout Eureka Gulch <br />have been damaged, destroyed, or "reconstructed" to allow mining <br />to continue. The Sunnyside Mine portal area is littered with <br />considerable historic trash, but no structures remain standing, <br />and the historical integrity has been severely compromised by <br />ongoing mine operations. The associated mine, Terry's T~innel, <br />has likewise been severely damaged by recent mining. They <br />Sunnyside Mill site lies on a steep slope. The superstructure <br />is no longer intact, and the foundation rubble is all that <br />remains. The Midway Mill and portion of the tram tower system <br />for about X mile either side of the Midway Mill are the cnly <br />historical features with any structural integrity. With the <br />exception of several of the tram towers, all the features just <br />discussed lie on patented surface and are not under the <br />jurisdiction of BLM. <br />A further description of the area can be found in the San <br />JuanJSan Miguel Resource Management Plan (BLM 1985). <br />IV. Environmental Conse4uences <br />A. Proposed Action <br />Upgrading of the existing road would be expected to displace <br />soil, disturb vegetation, and result in wildlife harassment (a11 <br />species present); loss of habitat due to the proposed action <br />should be negligible. Also, tourist traffic would probably <br />increase due to the wider, "more inviting" road surface, with a <br />corresponding rise in littering and the incidence of vehicle <br />accidents on the county road. These impacts would be greater <br />during the periods of initial construction (spring of 1988! or <br />major maintenance, and during the summer tourist season ea~:h <br />year. When Sunnyside no longer needs the increased road w~.dth <br />and is no longer hauling ore, the road Will be returned to its <br />prior width and the impacts should drop. <br />Cultural resources on sites have been inventoried by a <br />BLM-permitted archaeologist; refer to the cultural resource <br />memoranda included in the subject casefile and on file at the <br />San Juan Resource Area Office for particulars. The applicant's <br />proposed action has been modified in response to concerns raised <br />by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) regarding <br />possible impacts to cultural resources present on patented Lands <br />adjacent to the existing road. Because of these modificati~~ns <br />and special stipulations xhich are recommended to be included in <br />the subject R!N grant, cultural resources should be adequately <br />protected from adverse impacts. <br />