Management Plan and Monitoring Report for Site 9UN367, Blue Ridge Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Union County, Georgia

Management Plan: Site 9UN367 is a prehistoric ceremonial stone landscape that is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Because of its significance the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests are designating this site a Priority Heritage Asset. Claims have recently been made that this site actually represents a Mayan occupation and the attention generated by these claims have lead to a great deal of interest in the site. In order to protect this significant Native American site, the Forest intends on conducting monitoring on a monthly basis throughout 2012 in order to determine if it is being disturbed by visitors. If significant disturbance is noted, the Forest will consult with the Cherokee, Creek, and Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer on ways to better protect the site. Monitoring Report: Due to claims about the origin of site 9UN367, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests designated this site a Priority Heritage Asset prepared a management plan for the site. In accordance with that management plan, monitoring has been carried out on a monthly basis. Because of increased impacts to the site by visitors using and creating unauthorized trails, efforts were undertaken in late March to obscure and block these trails. Subsequent monitoring has revealed that this trail closure appears to have been effective, but that the site is still being visited. Because of continued questions about the site, the Forest had added limited information to the Forest's web site about site 9UN367 (see Appendix A). Monthly monitoring will continue at this site through at least December, 2012.