A PHASE I CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY FOR THE PROPOSED BULLDOG SOLAR TRACT SUBSTATION AND ACCESS ROAD, WARREN COUNTY, GEORGIA

Between March 9 and March 11, and April 8 and April 9, 2021,TerraXplorations, Inc. (TerraX), of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, conducted a Phase I cultural resources survey for the proposed substation and access road associated with the Bulldog Solar Tract in Warren County, Georgia. The proposed project would involve the construction of a 300-x-300-foot (ft) substation with associated lighting and an approximately 2,268 ft access road varying between 20 and 80 ft in width. The proposed substation is anticipated to be approximately 30 ft tall; the associated lighting poles may reach up to 60 ft in height. The project will maintain a 20-ft vegetative buffer around the entirety of the project area. The cultural resources survey was conducted on behalf of Kimley- Horn, Inc., and the lead federal agency is the United States Department of Agriculture. The Phase I survey was performed by Jeff Thompson, Joshua Shiers, and Will Cothron under the direction of Shaun West, Principal Investigator. Briane Shane served as Architectural Historian for the survey.

The Area of Potential Effects (APE), also referred to as the survey areas for this project, included an archaeological direct effects APE and an architectural visual effects APE. The archaeological survey area encompasses the proposed footprint of the access road as well as the substation and surrounding fence line, together totaling 11.6 acres. The architectural survey area was defined by a 0.15-mile radius around the direct-effects APE and covers 146.7 acres.

The archaeological direct effects investigation led to the identification of two archaeological sites (9WR93 and 9WR94) and one isolated find. Site 9WR93 represents a sparse lithic scatter of unknown precontact origin while Site 9WR94 appears to represent a late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century farmstead. Based on this study, neither of these sites area considered to retain significant data potential. That said, as neither site was able to be fully delineated due to the constraints of the project area, TerraX recommends their overall NRHP status be considered indeterminate until they can be fully investigated. Isolated finds are by definition not eligible for NRHP listing.

The architectural study identified four historic buildings (Resources 1-4) on two separate properties. All four of these resources are recommended ineligible for NRHP inclusion.

Based on the results of this cultural resources investigation, the proposed Bulldog Solar Tract Substation and Access Road Project is expected to have no effect on any historic or prehistoric resources that are listed in or eligible for listing in the NRHP. Accordingly, TerraX recommends clearance for this project in regards to cultural resource concerns.