2009-06-02_REVISION - M1980146 - Laserfiche WebLink

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may contain buried cultural resources not visible on the surface. These would likely be small features related to domestic activities at Grandview Hamlet. In the past few years, visual and ecological landscapes related to sites on Grandview Ridge have been identified as important components to the significance of these sites' "setting", a National Register of Historic Places criteria. This evaluation and the significance have been verified through consultations with the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office and Native American Tribes who have ancestral ties with this area. Native American Religious Concerns The Class III inventory did not document any Traditional Cultural Properties specific to Native American tribes. However, several of the Ancestral Puebloan habitation sites including Grandview Hamlet possess features and structures known to have had ritual functions in Ancestral Puebloan society. Existing consultations-of-record and interpretive discussions conducted with the modern Pueblo Tribes have revealed that these sites are of a high general cultural concern and should be treated with the utmost respect, avoiding all potential detrimental impacts by project activities Due to data recovery described above, the cultural resources identified within the project area have been removed. Native American consultations were conducted with the 13 Pueblo Tribes who have ancestral ties to this area and specifically to Grandview Hamlet prior to the data recovery process. Several Tribes responded and agreed with the agency findings of affiliation. The Hopi Tribe in particular re-emphasized that they support an agency policy of avoidance for their ancestral areas and sites. The BLM continues to consult with these Tribes on the results of the data recovery and on the cultural resource significance of Grandview Ridge and its cultural landscape values. Environmental Consequences Since data recovery has removed the only two cultural resources identified in the analysis area for the Proposed Action, there will be no impacts to cultural resources or Native American religious concerns. As no sites exist in the proposed project area, there are no conflicts with cultural resource landscape values. However, there are deep aeolian soil deposits in the project area and as such there is some potential for buried cultural resources primarily due to the proximity of Grandview Hamlet a small prehistoric village site. These would likely be small discreet features associated with domestic activities and posses minimal, scientific value. Mitigation 2. A BLM or BLM-permitted archaeologist will be present during all initial soil stripping operations to monitor for subsurface cultural resources. The operator will contact the BLM 10 working days prior to the start-up of operations so that an agency-approved Contingency Plan can be prepared and be in place when soil-stripping operations begin. The Contingency Plan will clearly describe in detail how the operator is to proceed should subsurface cultural resources be found. Grandview Gravel Pit Expansion Environmental Assessment 18