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6 • Company with regard to Native American consultation, unless new situations or conditions azise, or human remains aze discovered. If other tribal representatives do contact MAC about the project, their interests and concerns will be accommodated within the scope and deadlines of the present plans for continuing archaeological investigations and mine development. National Register District The SHPO has indicated that the project azea and prehistoric sites have potential for designation as a National Register District (James Hartmann, SHPO, personal communication: letter to Kent Gorham, Division of Minerals and Geology, Mazch 21, 1997). At the time of this writing, no communication has been received from the Division of Minerals and Geology, Mined Land Reclamation Boazd, indicating whether pursuing this designation will be a condition of the mine permit. However, if it does become a condition, the following observations and recommendations apply: A district designation is appropriate given what appeazs to be a focused yet time transgressive pattern of exploitation of acorn and/or piiion nut resources, as reflected by the vast majority of sites already discovered at the mine project azea (McKibbin et al. 1997). These sites, considered individually, do not possess the qualities that would cause them to be considered eligible for the National Register. Even among all the sites which have been test excavated, there are none that aze recommended eligible in their own right. Their archaeological value, though, lies in the aggregate . assemblage of sites as it reflects this appazent consistent, resource-focused, and long-standing subsistence pattern. The district would include the procurement sites, as well as possible residential or logistical base camps that are presumed to be present and associated with this activity. The former site type occurs very commonly on the upland terrain of the project area, and the latter site type is expected to be present on the neazby valley floors, though this site type has not yet been conclusively identified. The definition of the district boundaries should be made based on drainages and vegetation patterns. It is recommended that this district include those portions of the Lorencito Canyon and Cow Canyon drainages covered by the piiion and oak brush vegetation community. This vegetation type exists both above and below these canyons on the south side of the Picketwire Valley, but the district is recommended to be limited to these two drainages, since little archaeological information is available for other areas. The district boundaries could be expanded as additional surveys are conducted. The evaluation of individual sites within the district would change. The district itself would become eligible to the National Register under criterion "c" since it "represent[s] a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction" and criterion "d" for the information potential contained in the aggregate site assemblage. Sites within the district, most of which are presently considered not eligible, would be re-evaluated as either contributing or non- contributing properties within the district, and it appeazs probable that most sites could be considered • contributing.