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:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.