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Friends of Rocky Prairie
Tribal Concerns
In the rare remaining areas of
Oregon oak woodlands in the state, there are often traces of former tribal
activities. When Citifor, the former owner, was attempting to develop the site,
the Nisqually Indian Tribe received notice of the proposed development of the
quarry. In reference to the agreement reached between Citifor and the County,
the tribe wrote that condition # 28 of the Mitigated Determination of
Non-Significance (MDNS)…“does not adequately protect the interest of the
Nisqually tribe in its Treaty-protected hunting and gathering grounds.” The
following was included in the Re-Issue of the Mitigated Determination of
Non-Significance, issued October 24, 2005 with Citifor Inc., under “Other” item
#29:
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Applicant shall hire, employ or otherwise contract for archeological services
within the Mine boundary. The archaeological services shall be for an
archeological survey of the property that comports with the standards and
practices of the industry and shall be conducted prior to any gravel removal
activities, and up to and including moving equipment on site.
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If the
archeological survey determines that there are artifacts present, or there is
a high probability of them, then a Tribal Monitor shall be present for the
removal of all dirt layers in the high probability area.
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The
Tribal Monitor shall be paid at the expense of the Applicant or its successor
with interest. The Tribal Monitor will undergo any safety training at the
expense of the Applicant or successor with interest.
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All work
in the vicinity of found artifacts or remains must be immediately stopped
until the State Historic Preservation Officer, and if human remains, the
Thurston County Medical Examiner, consult with the Nisqually Tribe and each
other to form a plan of action based on the findings. Continued work in the
area of artifacts will be contingent on the plan of action.
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