On April 7, 2018, Southeastern Horizons, Inc. (SEH) conducted an intensive Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed RaceTrac Project #1294-Kings Bay near Kingsland, Georgia for RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc., 200 Galleria Parkway SE, Suite 900, Atlanta, Georgia through the finn of Red Oak Environmental, LLC, 423 Adams Road, Chula, Georgia. Its purpose was to evaluate an approximately 0.93 hectare (ha) [2.3 acre (ac)] tract for the presence of cultural resources where a proposed commercial petroleum station is planned for construction. The survey was required as part of an application for a U.S. Anny Corps of Engineers (USCOE) wetlands permit and it was executed under the mandates of Section 106 of the National Historic Presen1ation Act (NHP A) and its implementing regulation 36 CFR Part 800 (Protection of Historic Properties), as amended.
Upon arrival at the site it was found to be covered in wetland and upland vegetation with at least one third of the terrain water saturated. By definition, saturated wetlands cannot be surveyed using normal Phase I procedures and that portion of the tract was eliminated from testing. The remainder was subjected to testing in accordance with the Georgia Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Surveys (GCPA 2014).
A total of 13 shovel tests were dug at the nodes of a 30-meter grid in the upland areas of the tract. One test was originally thought to be positive for cultural materials and three additional tests were dug to explore the possibility that the artifacts were from an archaeological site. However, upon laboratory examination the artifacts were found to be pieces of limestone gravel. Furthermore, this gravel was also exposed in several deep ruts that were created by a tractor or other mechanical device that traversed the tract. A large portion of the upland was found to be fill soil brought in from elsewhere. No archaeological cultural materials were recovered from the site.
A historic buildings survey was also conducted for visual impact by the proposed project. No buildings older than 50 years are within the line of sight or within one-half kilometer of the proposed RaceTrac project. Therefore, no evaluation is necessary for standing historic structures.
Based on the results of the Phase I archaeological survey and the historic buildings survey, it is therefore recommended that the provision related to cultural resources in the USCOE application by RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., has been sufficiently satisfied.
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