Damage Assessment of Eight Archaeological Sites in the Chattooga River and Conasauga Ranger Districts Oconee-Chattahoochee National Forests, Georgia

During the summer of 2016, Forest Service archaeologists on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests discovered that timber sales on the Chattooga River Ranger District and Conasauga Ranger District had been conducted without all of the sale areas having been investigated for the presence of cultural resources. A post-timber harvest survey of those areas identified eight archaeological sites that had been impacted by the timber harvest activities, especially the use of heavy machinery to create access roads and work decks. As a result, a Task Order was issued for damage assessments of the eight archaeological sites to be conducted and for the sites' National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility (i.e., eligible or not eligible) status to be assessed.

Archaeological Consultants of the Carolinas, Inc. (ACC), conducted archaeological evaluations at these eight Native American sites during October and November 2016. Two sites are located in the Chattooga River Ranger District in northeast Georgia, and six sites are located in the Conasauga Ranger District of northwest Georgia. The six sites evaluated in the Conasauga Ranger District include one site in Chattooga County and five sites in Walker County. The two sites evaluated in the Chattooga Ranger District are both in Stephens County.

Each of the sites included in this investigation were shovel tested at I 0-meter intervals and I by 2 and I by I meter test units were excavated. Once the overall integrity of the site deposits had been determined, each site was evaluated for NRHP eligibility. Three of the sites, 31 WA 171, 9WA334, and 9ST358, were determined to meet NRHP eligibility criteria under Criterion D and are recommended eligible. For those three sites, the impact of the timbering activities was then assessed and the cost to mitigate the damage to significant deposits was calculated. Table i.l presents a summary of the results of this investigation.

In summary, our damage assessment activities found that three of the eight archaeological sites evaluated have

significant archaeological depos its. Sites 9WA171 , 9WA334, 9WA426 and 9ST358 are recommended eligible for the NRHP. Impacts were limited to re-grading an existing logging road at 9W A 171 and mitigation of the disturbance is not advocated. At 9WA426, the recent timber harvest had not adversely affected the site; the disturbance noted at the site predates the recent timber harvest so there is no recent disturbance to be mitigated. Significant deposits at sites 9WA334 and 9ST358 were disturbed and a monetary appraisal for mitigating that disturbance was calculated.