Locust Road Distribution Line Extension, Butts and Henry Counties, Georgia

By this letter I am reporting to you the results of an intensive, Phase I archeological survey that Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. conducted on a 1,835 ft (560 m) length of proposed 25 kV distribution line along Locust Road in northern Butts County and southern Henry County, Georgia. The county line here has changed in the past few decades, and it is our understanding that the project extends slightly into Henry County, even though some maps we attach show otherwise. We understand that Central Georgia Electrical Membership Cooperative wishes to construct this extension of an existing line, and has engaged Georgia Transmission Corporation to assist with the environmental documentation and permitting of the line. The project may fall under the auspices of the Rural Utility Service and thus requires compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which requires federal agencies to assess potential adverse effects to historic resources by projects financed or permitted by federal agencies. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate any archaeological resources that may be adversely affected by the construction of the distribution line. The area of potential effect for the project consists of a corridor 50 ft (15 m) wide for the length of the extension plus some additional area at each tum in the line for proposed guy anchors. The proposed extension begins and ends on the west side of Locust Road, but is mostly located adjacent to the road on its east side (Figure 1).