Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
The archaeological resources within the physical APE have been evaluated for eligibility. The
four sites that contribute to the eligibility of the Mt. Taylor TCP are eligible under Criterion A. An
additional site associated with traditional religious practices that is outside of the TCP boundary is
individualluy eligible under Criterion A. Sites with rock art, including American Indian
petroglyphs and Euroamerican inscriptions, may be significant under Criterion B for their
connection to people or beings important in history, or Criterion C for possessing high artistic
values or exhibiting aesthetic principles through quality of execution or through the presence of
symbols representative of a specific style or technique. In general, more research is needed to
determine the eligibility of these rock art sites under these two criteria. Many of the
archaeological sites are eligible under Criterion D for their potential to provide important
information related to a number of research topics and areas of interest. Through appropriate
study, information could be gleaned regarding the early presence of Archaic peoples; the
settlement, community development, and land use and organization of Ancestral Puebloan
communities; social history and ethnic heritage of Puebloan, Navajo, Hispanic, and Euroamerican
communities; traditional cultural practices and history; and other topics. This information could
be uncovered through archaeological study, ethnohistorical research of existing documentation,
and ethnographic research such as interviews with local American Indian and Hispanic
communities associated with the region. Some of the archaeological sites require more
investigation in order to determine if they are eligible under Criterion D.
Section 9 contains 34 archaeological sites. Five of these have been determined eligible under
Criterion D and 25 have undetermined eligibility under Criterion D. Five of the sites have rock art
or inscriptions. Of these, three sites could be eligible under Criterion B, one site under Criterion
C, and one site under Criteria B and C; however, not enough information is currently available to
make these eligibility determinations and more research is needed.
Section 10 contains 57 archaeological sites. Fifteen have been determined eligible under Criterion
D and 35 have undetermined eligibility under Criterion D. One of the sites has rock art and could
be eligible under Criterion C; more research is needed to determine this. Four of the sites also
contribute to the eligibility of the Mt. Taylor TCP under Criterion A.
Section 16 has 55 archaeological sites, of which 29 have been determined eligible under Criterion
D and 26 have undetermined eligibility under Criterion D. One site is eligible under Criterion A.
Thirteen of the sites have rock art or inscriptions. Of these, four sites could be eligible under
Criterion B, two sites under Criterion C, and seven sites under Criteria B and C; however, not
enough information is currently available to make these eligibility determinations and more
research is needed.
The surveys of the haul road routes in Sections 11, 17, and 20 identified five archaeological sites.
Three of the sites are eligible for the NRHP under Criterion D and two are undetermined under
Criterion D. The surveys of the utility corridor in Section 15 found two archaeological sites, one
eligible for the NRHP under Criterion D and the other undetermined under Criterion D. The
dewatering discharge pipeline corridor and discharge points in Sections 11, 2, and the unplatted
private land to the north contain three archaeological sites, all of which are eligible under
Criterion D. One of the sites has rock art and could also be eligible under Criterion C; however,
more information is needed to make this eligibility determination.
A total of 260 isolated occurrences were identified within the physical APE. Isolated occurrences
are those archaeological resources that do not meet the Forest Service’s criteria for definition as a
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 323