In December 2021, Trileaf Corporation (Trileaf) performed a cultural resource inventory survey for a proposed self-support telecommunications tower located in Funston, Colquitt County, GA (Latitude: 31° 12’ 0.39” Longitude: 83° 52’ 49.79”). The proposed project is located within an orchard.
Tillman Infrastructure LLC proposes to construct a 310-foot (94.5-meter) self-support telecommunications tower, with an overall height of 335 feet (102.1 meters) including all appurtenances, and associated equipment within a 100 x 100-foot (30.5 x 30.5-meter) cell tower lease area. The project includes a 12- foot-wide (3.7-meter-wide) gravel drive within a 30-foot-wide (9.1-meter-wide) access and utility easement, which will extend approximately 595 feet (181.4 meters) generally south-southeast from the lease area to GA Highway 37 West. In addition, a 10-foot-wide (3.1-meter-wide) underground utility easement will extend approximately 300 feet (91.4 meters) southeast from the access easement. A 30- foot-wide (9.1-meter-wide) overhead utility easement will then extend approximately 50 feet (15.2 meters) east to an existing utility pole The proposed project area is located within an orchard. Total acreage of the new construction area is approximately 0.71 acres (0.29 hectare).
Project Archaeologist II, Danielle Young, M.A., RPA, 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 present to archaeological and architectural cultural resources. The Phase I cultural resource survey was designed to discover all precontact 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, yielded no evidence for the presence of archaeological or architectural properties in relation to the current project area’s Direct APE. Additionally, no National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)-listed or NRHP-eligible properties were identified within the project area’s Direct APE or ¾-mile Visual APE.
The Georgia State Historic Preservation Office GNAHRGIS GIS platform was also reviewed; no historic resources were identified from this search within the project’s ¾-mile APE for Visual Effects. A review of archaeological sites and surveys, conducted through Georgia Archaeological Site Files (GASF 2021) by Danielle Young, M.A., RPA, on November 18, 2021, identified one (1) previously identified archaeological sites (9CQ93) and five (5) previously recorded archaeological surveys (8266, 8270, 8676, 13107, 13476) within 1-mile of the proposed project area.
Additionally, the National Park Service National Historic Trails Interactive GIS map was also reviewed. The Trail of Tears is recognized by the National Park Service as a National Historic Trail, which carries the same significance as being listed in the NRHP and is therefore considered a Historic Property. No known portion of the Trail of Tears intersects with the project or is located within a ½-mile of the project location.
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.
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