Draft EIS/EIR for the San Luis Reservoir SRA Resource ...

5. Environmental Analysis
Goal RES-H1 Goal RES-H1 and associated guidelines require that efforts be
made to minimize impacts on cultural resources when future facilities are sited.
With proper precautions, proposed facilities could be sited and constructed in a
way that would not result in substantial impacts on existing known and
unrecorded resources.
Mitigation CUL1 In addition to the Plan goals and guidelines, the following
measures would be considered and applied as necessary for all of the action
alternatives during project construction to avoid or minimize adverse impacts.
• Prior to any specific proposed undertaking that would have the potential to
affect cultural resources, a cultural resources inventory will be conducted
for the areas of potential effects by qualified personnel who meet the
Secretary of the Interior’s professional qualification standards (36 CFR
Part 61). This effort may be in conjunction with consultation with
members of the local Native American community and consultation with
other interested members of the public as appropriate. This inventory
would identify the known cultural resources that would be affected by a
proposed project. The cultural resources would then be evaluated for their
eligibility for the NRHP or CRHR. If the affected resource is not
significant (does not qualify as an historic property, historic resource, or
unique archaeological resource), then no mitigation would be required and
the impact would be considered minor. If the affected resource qualifies as
an historic property, historic resource, or unique archaeological resource
and the impacts can be mitigated (treated) through the Section 106 process
and CEQA, there would be no residual impact (i.e., considered less than
significant under CEQA). If the resource cannot be mitigated through the
Section 106 process, Reclamation may still be able to conclude the Section
106 Process as described in 36 CFR Part 800.7 (Failure to resolve adverse
effects) of the Section 106 implementing regulations. Reclamation may
also elect to reconsider the action to the affected resource, seek measures
to resolve adverse impacts outside the Section 106 process, or implement
the project upon conclusion of the Section 106 process.
• In the event a significant cultural resource, as defined by the NRHP and
CRHR criteria, is identified and has the potential to be adversely affected,
appropriate measures will be taken to avoid the resource. In the event the
resource cannot be avoided, measures such as data recovery, further study,
enhanced recordation, interpretation, physical protection, or some
combination of these measures will be implemented. With implementation
of these measures, residual minor impacts would likely result in a finding
of no adverse effect or no significant impact.
Mitigation CUL2 Prescribed burn areas and areas where weed eradication and
pest management would take place shall be monitored and/or surveyed as
appropriate for early detection and evaluation, if required, of previously unknown
cultural resources. The cultural resources management plan should be
implemented for known cultural resources sites that qualify as historic properties
San Luis Reservoir SRA 5-45
Draft RMP/GP and Draft EIS/EIR