South Bainbridge-Climax 230 kV Transmission Line, Thomas County

Per your request, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc, completed an archeological survey of the proposed access roads for the above referenced project. We encountered no artifacts or sites in any of the proposed road corridors and conclude that no archeological resources will be affected by the use or improvements to these proposed access roads. Our survey was conducted on July 10,2014 by Ron Schoettmer and Ray Talley. Schoettmer conducted the survey of the transmission line itself in February, 2014, and so was very familiar with the area and the potential for cultural resources. They had the set of aerial photo project maps that you gave to Tom Gresham during the meeting at GTC headquarters on May 28, 2014. These maps showed 14 access roads, and at the meeting you explained that some were wide and well graded and would not need survey. We agreed that at least eight of the roads would be examined by our archeologists and surveyed as they deemed necessary. On July 9, 2014 you telephoned me to add one more access road, a north-south one leading from Open Pond Road to Structure 75. Three of the access roads were to be constructed across wooded land; all the others were existing woods or farm roads that might require minor widening. Our crew actually visually examined all 15 of the proposed access roads, and conducted pedestrian visual inspection and/or shovel testing at 11 of them. The other three were wide existing roads that would not be modified. Using the 1 :5,500 scale photo-maps the crew walked the surveyed access roads taking notes on the amount of ground surface exposure. Where surface exposure was 25 % or greater, survey relied on surface inspection to locate artifacts. In areas where there was less than 25% ground surface exposure, 30-cm-diameter shovel tests were excavated on 30-m intervals. In conclusion, it is my recommendation that no archeological sites exist within the area of potential effect for the construction and use of proposed access roads for the South Bainbridge Climax 230 kV Transmission Line and that the proposed unde1iak.ing will not affect any significant archeological resources.