Cultural Resources Survey of the “Salem ABM” Self-Support Lattice Tower, Chester, Bleckley County, Georgia Trileaf # 31012

In December 2020, Trileaf Corporation (Trileaf) performed a cultural resource inventory survey for a proposed self-support lattice communications tower located in Bleckley County, Chester, Georgia Latitude: 32° 27’ 49.01” N, Longitude: 83° 14’ 26.15” W. The project location is located within an agricultural field.

Tillman Infrastructure, LLC proposes the construction of a new self-support lattice telecommunications tower with an overall height of 275 feet (83.82 meters). The new tower and associated equipment will be situated within a proposed approximate 100 x 100-foot (30.5 x 30.5 meter) cell tower lease area. A proposed approximate 30 x 58-foot (9.14 x 17.68 meter) access easement will extend generally northeast away from the lease area towards Emergency Road 4501R. In addition, a 30 x 66-foot (9.14 x 20.12 meter) utility easement will extend generally east away from the lease area. Total acreage of the new construction area is approximately 0.31 acres (0.13 Hectares).

Project Archaeologist Colin Bean, M.A., under the direction of Trileaf, performed this survey in response to the planned use of the above-described parcel and the potential impacts that such use might represent to archaeological and architectural cultural resources. The Phase I cultural resource survey was designed to discover all prehistoric and historical period cultural resources that might be present within the project area.

The field survey of the project area, which included a pedestrian survey, shovel testing, and visual inspection, found no evidence for the presence of archaeological or architectural properties in relation to the current project area’s Direct APE. Additionally, based on a map and survey form search using the resources of the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office GNAHRGIS GIS platform, inspections of the Georgia Archaeological Site Files (GASF 2020), as well as the resources of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) conducted by Colin Bean, M.A., Project Archaeologist of the Trileaf Corporation, on December 17, 2020 identified no NRHP-listed or NRHP-eligible historical resources located within the ¾-mile APE for visual effects. However, seven (7) GNAHRGIS historical properties (243838, 243951, 243837, 243862, 243859, 243861, and 243868) were identified, with no prior determination of NRHP-eligibility, but included for inclusivity. A review of archaeological sites and surveys, conducted through GNAHRGIS by Colin Bean, M.A., on January 5, 2020, identified no previously recorded archeological sites and one (1) archaeological survey (11109) that were identified within 1-mile of the proposed project area.

Based on these findings, Trileaf recommends No Historic Properties within the Direct APE and No Historic Properties within the ¾-mile Visual APE. It is therefore recommended that project clearance be granted with no further investigation or evaluation of the project area relative to those resources.