Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
and mesas surrounding it, for hunting, collecting of food, fuel, and other materials, and for
religious activities. Acoma herdsmen are also known to have used the area for sheep herding.
Many of these uses have continued to the present day (Anschuetz, 2012).
Pueblo of Laguna
Pueblo of Laguna tradition holds that ancestors of the Lagunas emerged into this world at the
origin place, and began a migration that would eventually lead them to Mt. Taylor, where they are
located today. The migration route extended over a wide geographic area and lasted eons of time,
and included settlements in other places such as Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and the Magdalena
Mountains. They settled at Laguna Pueblo, which is on Mt. Taylor, before the arrival of the
Spaniards in the 16th century. Laguna use of Mt. Taylor is well documented, and includes the area
of the proposed mine project northwest of the mountain proper. This use included hunting,
gathering of materials, and ceremonial use. Lagunas conducted extensive sheep herding on the
flanks and mesas north and west of Mt. Taylor, with herds they owned and herds owned by other
tribes or Hispanic families. The grazing areas included the areas within and around the proposed
mine project by the mid-1800s. Although sheep herding is no longer practiced to any great extent
on Mt. Taylor today, Laguna use of Mt. Taylor and its vicinity for other activities continues to
present times (Colwell-Chanthaphonh and Ferguson, 2012a).
Pueblo of Zuni
Zunis believe that after emerging into this world, the Zuni ancestors embarked on an epic
migration across the American Southwest. The Zunis received special wisdom and medicines in
various places they settled during the migration, including Mt. Taylor. After arriving at and
settling at the Middle Place, where Zuni Pueblo is found today, Mt. Taylor continued to serve as
an important place for Zunis. It served as a boundary, farming and grazing areas extended to its
western base, and Zunis traversed the entire mountain and beyond for hunting, plant, animal, and
mineral collecting, and for religious observances. In the mid- and late-1800s, Zunis began to be
separated from Mt. Taylor due to political influences and Anglo-American land ownership. While
this separation challenged the traditional use of Mt. Taylor, use of the mountain for hunting,
collecting, and religious activities continued, and continues through to the present day (Colwell-
Chanthaphonh and Ferguson, 2012b).
Cultural Resource Investigations
A number of resource investigations have been undertaken to develop the information needed to
assess the potential impacts of the proposed action on cultural resources. These investigations
were conducted in accordance with Federal legislation, as described above, and included
archaeological survey, archaeological testing, geomorphological study, and tribal ethnographic
assessment. These investigations are described in this section.
Archaeological Survey
The Forest Service oversaw eight intensive archaeological surveys of the physical APE to identify
archaeological resources that would meet the criteria for listing on the NRHP. The physical APE
is much larger than the area needed for construction and operation activities, or the actual
footprint of the surface facilities, for three reasons. First, the APE includes the entire permit area
requested by Roca Honda Resources. Second, the APE encompasses the surface expression of the
subsurface ore bodies, due to expressed concerns by some regarding the possibility for subsidence
306 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest