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freed the valley of the North Fork of the Gunnison for agricultural development, railroad • <br />construction and permanent settlement. By the mid-1880's this alluvial valley had been found <br />suitable for fiuit growing. Valley hay production combined with summer range in the <br />surrounding mountains aided the establishment of a prosperous livestock industry until a <br />severe winter kill in 1893 reduced many of the herds. The construction of an extension of the <br />D&RG Railroad into the North Fork Valley by 1902 (as far as Paonia) aided fiuit growers <br />and cattlemen. Additional track laid into Somerset in subsequent yeazs (by 1906) initiated the <br />coal mining boom. Overviews ofthe history ofthe region are provided in the Colorado <br />Historical Society's publication entitled Colorado Plateau Country Historic Context (Husband <br />1984) and in the Bureau of Land Management's publication Frontier in Transition (O'Rourke <br />1980). <br />Study Objectives /Research Desigu <br />The purpose of the cultural resources investigation was to identify resotuces within <br />the lease tract, to evaluate these sites' eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic <br />Places (NRHP), and to make management recommendations for those sites found to be <br />eligible or potentially eligible. The presence of prehistoric resources was considered likely <br />due to the previously recorded sites. Historic resources were known to occur from previous <br />observations in azea. <br />Field Methods <br />This Class III inventory of the 1640 acre tract was limited by heavy vegetation cover <br />and steep slopes. Accordingly, the survey was restricted to open terrain provided by existing <br />roads, trails, and erosional areas. Open areas on the main ridge and benches above the <br />flowing streams were located and inspected as well. <br />Cultural resources were sought as surface exposures and were characterized as sites <br />or isolated finds. Sites were defined by the presence of six or more artifacts and/or <br />significant feature(s) indicative of patterned human activity. Isolated finds were defined by <br />the presence of a single artifact or several artifacts, which appazently represent a single event <br />(e.g., a single core reduction), and are surficial in nature. Cultural resources encountered <br />were to be recorded to standards set by the BLM and the Office of Archaeology and Historic <br />Preservation of the Colorado Historical Society (OAHP). <br />Sites were recorded using the following methods of mapping and note taking. <br />Artifacts were pin-flagged to establish site boundaries. Mapping was conducted using a <br />Brunton compass, based on a centrally located temporary datum, and site boundaries were <br />determined by the extent of surface artifacts. Measurements were made by pacing or use of a <br />thirty meter tape. Notes regazding the site's soil, vegetation, geology and cultural artifacts • <br />3 <br />