NEPA Support for the Moneta Divide Natural Gas and Oil Development Project
In support of environmental compliance requirements for the Moneta Divide Natural Gas and Oil Development Project, CRA completed a Class I inventory, which analyzed data on 1,443 previously documented sites and 1,219 previous inventories in order to facilitate project planning.
While the inventory located a great deal of documentation, analysis of the existing information also identified data gaps such as a lack of information across large non-inventoried areas and a lack of information concerning site age and function. In order to facilitate efficient decision-making processes, CRA employed a geological sensitivity model that combined geological information with known cultural resources to identify areas of low, medium, or high potential for cultural resources, particularly significant buried sites. The study also included an ethno-historic overview summarizing the known ethnographic information relevant to the region.
Compiled data was used to identify areas appropriate for Class III inventories and to facilitate Native American consultation. It also was used in the preparation of a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and discovery plan for the project.
