An archaeological site underneath a U.S. Forest Service road was not damaged last weekend when developers bladed the road, according to Mike Znerold, district ranger at the Dolores Public Lands Center.

"I’m sure that there was no grading that occurred on the archaeological site," Znerold said.

The road provides southern access to a new subdivision in Dolores County south of the San Juan National Forest. An employee of Colorado Land and Ranches, the company that owns the subdivision, bladed the road without notifying either the Forest Service, which owns an easement to the road, or the landowner whose property is bisected by the road.

According to Tim Huskey, the road supervisor for Dolores County, an employee of Colorado Land and Ranches, Floyd Cook, asked him if he could blade the road.

"Actually, I didn’t see a problem with it because we were going to do it anyway. So I just told him to go ahead but not to do anything out of line that hadn’t been done there before. I’m not sure what all went on, but I didn’t think he did anything that he shouldn’t have done," said Huskey.

Because of the archaeological site, an expensive environmental assessment would likely ensue if Colorado Land and Ranches followed through with any attempt to improve or upgrade Forest Service Road 240. Adjacent landowner Guyrene McAfee has adamantly opposed any improvements to her section of the road.

Huskey said the county had been notified about the archaeological site, and Cook knew about it as well.

"He knew all about it and we do too," said Huskey.

Znerold said that as long as the archaeological site wasn’t touched, the Forest Service has no cause to cite Colorado Land and Ranches.

The Forest Service contracts with Dolores County to maintain the road.

"I don’t think they did anything that the county wouldn’t have done, but the strange thing was that Colorado Land and Ranches was acting for the county," said Znerold.

Znerold also said that reports of culverts being installed in the road by Colorado Land and Ranches were not true.

"There were no culverts installed. They’ve been there," said Znerold.