20221488 Ver 1_ER-20-2416_20221025

North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
State Historic Preservation Office
Ramona M. Bartos, Administrator
Governor Roy Cooper
Secretary D. Reid Wilson
October 8, 2021
Paul Webb
Cultural Resources Program Manager
TRC Companies, Inc.
705 Dogwood Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Office of Archives and History
Deputy Secretary, Darin J. Waters, Ph.D.
PWebb e,trccompanies.com
Re: Proposed Mainspring Conservation Trust/North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Environmental Restoration Project, Otto Vicinity, Macon County, ARPA Permit 9 165,
ER 20-2416
Dear Mr. Webb,
Thank you for your letter of September 15, 2021, transmitting the draft report and site form detailing the
results of the geomorphic and archaeological survey conducted for Mainspring Conservation Trust and the
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission on the Bartram Tract in Macon County under the North
Carolina Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) Permit 9165. We have reviewed the report and
offer the following comments:
We concur with TRC's and Dr. Leigh's (University of Georgia) findings, supported by radiometric dating,
that a substantial mantle of 19th to 20th century alluvium is contained above pre-Euro-American settlement
soils to a depth of approximately 1-meter. This offers the opportunity to rework the existing land surface in
the bottomland for conservation purposes without significantly disturbing pre -settlement archaeological
deposits in the surveyed areas.
While no archaeological sites were identified along the streambank exposure, one archaeological site
(31MA820) was identified just west of the Mainspring tract at a significant distance from the river. Site
31MA820 was documented in the modern plow zone and consists of two unidentified residual ceramic
sherds. Given the limited extent of the finds and field investigations around the site, TRC recommends it be
considered unassessed for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility, pending future
archaeological assessment. We concur with this recommendation.
We also concur with TRC's assessment that environmental restoration activities conducted within the
surveyed area will not adversely affect archaeological resources if ground disturbance is limited to the
upper 100 centimeters of post -settlement alluvium. Should future reconstruction activities extend beyond
the surveyed area or below post -settlement strata, additional consultation and investigation is
recommended.
Location: 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh NC 27601 Mailing Address: 4617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-4617 Telephone/Fax: [phone]-6898

ER20-2416, October 08, Page 2 of
The report meets the Office of State Archaeology's Archaeological Investigation Standards and Guidelines
for Background Research, Field Methodologies, Technical Reports, and Curation and those of the
Secretary of the Interior. It also fulfills the reporting requirements of ARPA Permit 9165.
The above comments are made pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's Regulations for Compliance with Section 106 codified at 36
CFR Part 800.
Thank you for your cooperation and consideration. If you have questions concerning the above comments,
please contact Renee Gledhill -Earley, environmental review coordinator, at 919-814-6579 or
environmental.reviewkncdcr.gov. In all future communication concerning this project, please cite the
above -referenced tracking number.
Sincerely,
Ramona Bartos, Deputy
State Historic Preservation Officer
cc: Ben Laseter, Mainspring Conservation Trust blaseter e,mainspringconserves.org
David Leigh, University of Georgia dleighguga.edu
Scott Loftis, NCWRC scott.loftis(2ncwildlife.org
Jason Meador, Mainspring Conservation Trust jmeador2mainspringconserves.org
Stephen Yerka, EBCI THPO syerka e,nc-cherokee.com
Location: 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh NC 27601 Mailing Address: 4617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-4617 Telephone/Fax: [phone]-6898