Abstract

A Class III intensive cultural resource survey was conducted on a CBM planning block (2265 acres) and associated external r/w corridors (6.34 miles) in the Powder River Basin. Ninety-four cultural localities are within the POD survey area. These include 36 historic herder camps, 19 combined historic-prehistoric campsites, 16 prehistoric lithic scatter sites, 8 prehistoric campsites (lithics plus features), 2 historic ranch facilities, 1 prehistoric rockpile site, 1 prehistoric-historic rock cairn site, and 11 isolated artifacts (8 prehistoric; 3 historic). Fourteen sites are considered significant, and avoidance or alternatively additional archeological work is recommended. The POD has been planned to avoid all 14 eligible sites, and thus all are outside the APE. Twenty-one sites and one isolate evaluated as nonsignificant are within the APE and probably will be at least partially impacted by proposed POD development. Five nonsignificant sites and one isolate are within 70 feet or less of planned impact areas and probably will not be impacted by planned construction. The other 52 cultural localities lie 100 feet or more from planned construction areas, and will not be impacted as currently planned. All the other sites are considered not significant, and no further work is recommended for of them. Cultural clearance is also recommended for the remainder of the survey area.