Cultural Resources Survey of the RIVEN Telecommunication Project, Soperton, Treutlen County, GA Trileaf Project #683215

In July 2021, Trileaf Corporation (Trileaf) performed a cultural resource inventory survey for a proposed self-support lattice telecommunication tower facility located in Treutlen County, Soperton, Georgia (Latitude: 32° 19’ 55.464” Longitude: -82° 39’ 56.513”). The project location is located within a cleared field associated with recent logging activities. Verizon Wireless proposes the construction of a new self-support lattice telecommunications tower facility with a total height of 265 feet (80.8 meters). The new tower and associated equipment will be situated within a proposed approximate 100 x 100-foot (30.5 x 30.5 meter) cell tower lease area. A proposed approximate 30 x 200-foot (9.1 x 61.0 meter) access and utility easement will travel generally northeast, then southeast away from the lease area towards State Highway 46. Total acreage of the new construction area is approximately 0.37 acres (0.15 Hectares). Assistant Archaeology Project Manager/Senior Archaeologist Zach Horne, 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 represent to archaeological and architectural cultural resources. The Phase I cultural resource survey was designed to discover all prehistoric 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, found 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 the ¾-mile Visual APE. A review of archaeological sites and surveys, conducted through Georgia Archaeological Site Files (GASF 2021) by Zach Horne, M.A., RPA on July 23, 2021, identified one (1) previously recorded archeological site, and one (1) archaeological survey 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 relative to those resources.