SUMMARY OF PHASE I CULTURAL RESOURCE INVESTIGATIONS NA0591 SITE DONALSONVILLE, GA

Viasat, Inc. (Viasat) proposes to construct, operate, and maintain a new satellite earth station not to exceed 3.0 meters (m) (10 feet [ft]) in height, located in Seminole County, Georgia (Project). The Project is in north central Seminole County approximately 18.0 m west of North Tennille Avenue and 158.0 m south of the intersection of North Tennille Avenue and North Wiley Avenue, within the City of Donalsonville (Latitude/Longitude [NAD83]: 31.054403°, -84.878513°). Proposed plans include the construction of an approximately 97.5-m long by 6.1-m-wide access road and utility easement beginning at North Tennille Avenue and following an existing drive east before extending north to the pad location (referred to as the access road from here on). The proposed pad, including workspace, measures 7.6-m by 8.5-m. Two proposed secondary utility easement options are included in the Project. These consist of an approximately 31.3-m-long by 3.0-m-wide easement extending northwest across North Tennille Avenue to an existing utility pole (Option 1) and an approximately 126.7-m-long by 3.0-m-wide easement extending west across North Tennille Avenue and then south to an existing utility pole with transformer (Option 2). The total Project area measures approximately 0.10 hectare (ha) (0.25 acre [ac]). A United States Geological Survey (USGS) map and aerial photograph of the Project location are provided in Figures 1 and 2 in the Figures and Photographs section at the end of the report. 

Area of Potential Effect: Tetra Tech, Inc. (Tetra Tech) has determined the archaeological Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the proposed Project includes all areas of ground-disturbing activities. The archaeological APE includes all Project workspace, access roads, and equipment pad locations, and therefore includes the entire Project area (0.10 ha [0.25 ac]). 

Tetra Tech determined the historic architecture or visual APE to include the following direct and indirect effects: 

• Where a historic property may be damaged or permanently disturbed; 

• Where the character of the property’s use, or of physical features within the property’s setting that contribute to its historic significance, may be changed; 

• Where the property is removed from its historical location; and 

• Where the introduction of visual, atmospheric, or audible elements diminish the integrity of the property’s significant historic features. 

Subsequently, direct and indirect effects to historic structures, buildings, or districts as a result of the Project were considered as part of the study. In general, the visual APE, as referred to in this study, is the “geographic area or areas within which an undertaking may directly or indirectly cause changes in the character of or use of historic properties, if any such properties exist” (36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] §800.16[d]). Given the low-profile of the proposed Project (maximum height is 3.0 m [10 ft]) and extent of screening provided by potential topography, built environment, and existing vegetation, visual impacts within the visual APE were determined to include a 152 m (500 ft) radius. A map of the archaeological APE and visual APE is provided in Figure 1 in the Figures and Photographs section of the report.