Negative Findings Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Oconee Springs Telecommunications Lease and Access in Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia

Subterraine performed an intensive Phase I archaeological survey on March 20, 2015 of the proposed lease area and access of the Oconee Springs telecommunication project located in Eatonton, Georgia (33º 20’ 41.2” N, 83º 12’ 41.5” W). The study was conducted for Terracon Consultants, Inc., on behalf of Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless, in order to locate and identify cultural resources and to assess resource significance based on National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) criteria [36CFR Part 60.4 (a-d]. This project was conducted to comply with the provisions of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) permitting under the Nationwide Programmatic Agreement (47 CFR Part 1). In accordance with the permitting process, the survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended. The Phase I survey included a literature review and intensive field survey. During the literature review, which took place on February 13, 2015, state and county maps and documents were examined to determine if previously recorded cultural resources were located in or around the project area. The field survey was conducted using surface and subsurface techniques to locate and identify archaeological resources within the study area. Literature Review: Review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File, NRHP files, historic structures files, and compliance report files at the Georgia Historic Preservation Division revealed that there are two previously recorded archaeological sites (9PM63 & 9PM1875) and one report (Willingham 1983) within 1/2-mi of the project area. Cultural Resources Field Survey: There are no cultural materials (i.e., artifacts, cultural deposits, features, or human remains) located within the project APE for direct effects. Recommendations: Because of the absence of archaeological materials within the current proposed project APE for direct effects, it is recommended that the project receive archaeological resource clearance; no further archaeological work is recommended for the project area APE for direct effects.