2011-06-15_PERMIT FILE - C1981038 ‎(2)‎

• Permit No: C1981038
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 6/15/2011
• Section_Exhibit Name: Volume 9B Archaeology Appendix Table of Contents Part 1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

SECTION I
AN INI'RI)DUCPION ~ THE ORCI-IAIiD VN~LEY 6LII~IE' S
WFST FOh7'AL DEVELl~PMENT PRQIYX`i'
Formal nrinagenent consideration for the Ridge Site (SDT771) was
initiated in conjwnction with the planned construction of anew portal
for the Orchard Valley Mine in Delta County, Colorado (Figures 1 and 2).
Colorado [~estmorelarrd, Inc. has operated this underground coal mine just
north of Paoniu since 1976. On June 1, 1986, a fire broke out in the
portal area of the none. Since the none only operated from the one
portal, it was subsequently necessary to close it and initiate plans for
construction of a new portal. An 880 acre project area was initially
delimited by CWI as the maximm~ area of undertakirg. Centuries
Research, Inc. was retained in June of 1986 to conduct a Class III or
one-hurxlred percent wltural resource inventory of this area (Figure 3).
Engineering studies pried through the sunnier of 1986 while the 880
acre initial area of undertaking was being inventoried by Centuries: By
the end of August, engineering studies were earglete and a site in East
Id~atcap Creek had been selected for construction of the mine's new west
portal. The area of wrderta}cing was subsequently revised to a maximun
limit of twenty acres (Figure 3). All proposed inyaacts from the
development will apparently be confined to this area. By the time the
decision was made, a baseline cultural resource inventory of the 880
acre tract had already beers o~leted in keeping with the National
historic Preservation Act of 1966 (36CFR800). The inventory had been
initiated in order to meet the procedural requirements of the Office of
Surface Mining and Bureau of Iand Marragen>ent for granting of the permits
for construction of the new portal, no matter where it might finally be
sited within the 680 acre tract.
The final report (Bakes 1986) for the survey indicated that three
archaeological sites and five isolated finds of prehistoric stone tools
had been recorded in the initial area of undertaking. It further
reported that none of these was located within the revised area of
urxler-takirxl (Figure 3) . Prior to the final selection of the area of
undertaking in late August, several potential sites for the new portal
were considered. One of these was the top of the high ridge which
separates Stevens Gulch from East Roatcap Creek (Figures 3 and 4). This
ridge is the locations of the Ridge Site (SGT771) which is a prehistoric
lithic scatter discovered during the 1986 inventory (Baker 1986).
Colorado Westmoreland's management made a decision to retain Centuries
to conduct test excavations at this side ahead of the final portal site
selection. This was done in order to evaluate the site's eligibility
fur the National Register and thereby minimize any potential for delays
ins the event the ridge was finally selected as the location for the new
portal or to be otherwise ir~acted by it. This report documents the
National Itcgister evaluation effort conducte.Yl by Centuries Research at
SUI'771. Centuries Research conducted the fieldwork in keeping with
Colorado BIb1 Antiquities Permit C-40159C which expires on December 31,
1986.
LJ