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• United States Department of the Interior OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING ~ RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT BROOKS TOWERS ~ 1020 15TH STREET DENVER, COLORADO 80202 October 9, 1991 • MEMORANDUM T0: Chief ~Q^~l%o~yo Federal Lands Branch ~r~~~G ~i THROUGH: Chief it ~¢X.W Biological Sciences Branc /~~~,'~„( FROM: Foster Kirby, Archaeologist ;/' ~""'"vt Biological Sciences Branch I SUBJECT: Reduction of the Extent of the Orchard Valley Mine Underground Workings (WAYS FPD02067) Based on the review of the proposed reduction of the underground workings at the Orchard Valley Mine and documentation associated with the cultural resources of the Orchard Valley Mine permit, the following comments are offered: 1. The Orchard Valley Mine has been the subject of several archaeological inventories of various intensities that covered the ground surface area above the underground workings. A total of 42 cultural resources (sites and isolated finds) were recorded within or near the Orchard Valley Mine. Fifteen of the resources are located in the permitted area, while a further 24 were recorded in the maximum proposed lease area. Of those resources in the permit area, four were recommended for additional study because they had less than 1000 feet of overburden and might be impacted by subsidence. 2. Of the four sites of concern, three were determined to be not eligible for nomination to the National Register. Site 5DT700 was determined to require protection from subsidence. A specific subsidence protection plan was developed for the site and was integrated with an overall subsidence monitoring plan for the mine. 3. The reduction of the size of the underground workings reduces the potential mining impacts to site 5DT70. Continued specific protection for the site is not warranted under the reduced mining plan. If the mine expands to its previously proposed limits, specifically in the area of Section 5: Township 13 S: and Range 91 W, the site specific subsidence plan should be reinstituted.