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Home My WebLink About20240440 Ver 1_NCDOT Madison Tribal Consultation Request_20240319d„ss.5SA7F x STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Roy COOPER GOVERNOR February 11, 2022 Russell Townsend Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) 2077 Governors Island Road Bryson City, NC 28713 Acee Watt Section 106 Coordinator United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians PO Box 746 Tahlequah, OK 74465 Elizabeth Toombs Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Cherokee Nation PO Box 948 Tahlequah, OK 74465 Dr. Wenonah Haire (via mail) Catawba Indian Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Office 1536 Tom Steven Road Rock Hill, SC 29730 LeeAnne Wendt Muscogee (Creek) Nation P.O. Box 580 Okmulgee, OK 74447 Dear Sir/Madam, J. ERIC BOYETTE SECRETARY The NC Department of Transportation is conducting project development, environmental, and engineering studies for six (6) proposed bridge replacement projects in Madison County, NC. Bridges 23, 36, 61, 63, 87, and 152 are proposed for replacement due to structural deficiencies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the lead federal agency for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). A Permit is Mailing Address: Telephone: (828) 250-3000 Location: NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Fax: (828) 251-6394 55 ORANGE STREET DIVISION THIRTEEN Customer Service: 1-877-368-4968 ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340 ORANGE STREET ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340 Website: www.nedot.gov anticipated under the Section 404 Process with the USACE. Project vicinity maps for the project are attached within the NCDOT Archaeological Reports. The Coordinates of the projects are approximately 35.845858,-82.456324 for Bridge 23, 35.871995,-82.482617 for Bridge 36, 35.833956,-82.668038 for Bridge 61, 35.842905,-82.672344 for Bridge 63, 35.869422,-82.516787 for Bridge 87, and 35.927710, -82.680091 for Bridge 152. We would appreciate any information you might have that would be helpful in evaluating potential environmental impacts of the projects including recommendation of alternates to be studied. Your comments may be used in the preparation of a National Environmental Documentation. In accordance with Section 106 of the NHPA, we also request that you inform us of any historic properties of traditional religious or cultural importance that you are aware of that may be affected by the proposed project. Be assured that, in accordance with confidentiality and disclosure stipulations in Section 304 of NHPA, we will maintain strict confidentiality about certain types of information regarding historic properties. If you have any comments or questions concerning this project or would like any additional information, please contact me at rdblyan2ncdot.gov or 828-250-3005. Please provide your comments by March I Ith for inclusion in the environmental documentation. Sincerely, DOCUSigned by: leo�c v V . t rr& 33212C738EB8411... Roger D. Bryan NCDOT Division 13 Environmental Supervisor cc: Matt Wilkerson, NCDOT Archaeology Team Leader Lori Beckwith, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mailing Address: Telephone: (828) 250-3000 Location: NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Fax: (828) 251-6394 55 ORANGE STREET DIVISION THIRTEEN Customer Service: 1-877-368-4968 ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340 ORANGE STREET ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340 Wehsite: www.ncdot.gov Project Tracking No.: 21-12-0008 oo� ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORM Q ' This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It', +Q � is not valid for Historic Architecture and Landscapes. You must consult separately with the Historic Architecture and Landscapes Team. PROJECT INFORMATION Project No: BP13-RO20 County: Madison WBSNo: BP13.R020.1 Document: MCC F.A. No: na Funding: ® State ❑ Federal Federal Permit Required? ® Yes ❑ No Permit Type: USACE Project Description: The project calls for the replacement ofBridge No. 36 on SR 1515 (Buckner Branch Road) over Middle Fork Creek in Madison County. The archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the project is defined as a 600 foot (182.88 m) long corridor running 300 feet (91.44 m) northwest and southeast along Buckner Branch Road from the center of Bridge No. 36. The corridor is approximately 150 feet (45.72 m) wide extending 75 feet (22.86 m) on either side of the road from its present center. A federal permit is anticipated. As a result, this archaeological review was conducted in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's Regulations for Compliance (36 CFR Part 800). SUMMARY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES REVIEW: SURVEYREQUIRED Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions: Bridge No. 36 is located northeast of Mars Hill and southwest of Burnsville in Madison County, North Carolina, and situated near the northern edge of the Barnardsville USGS 7.5' topographic quadrangle (Figure 1). A site file search was conducted using data from the Office of State Archaeology (OSA) on December 29, 2021. No previously recorded archaeological sites are within the APE, but five sites (31MD337, 31MD355, 31MD358, 31MD359, and 31MD361) are within a mile of the bridge. According to the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) online data base (HPOWEB 2022), there are no known historic architectural resources within the APE that may yield intact archaeological deposits. Topographic maps, USDA soil survey maps, aerial photographs (NC One Map), historic maps (North Carolina maps website), and Google Street View application were further examined for information on environmental and cultural variables that may have contributed to precontact or historic settlement within the project limits and to assess the level of ground disturbance. The APE for the project runs from the northwest to the southeast along Buckner Branch Road crossing over Middle Fork Creek at Bridge 36 (Figure 2). A confluence with an unnamed tributary is just west of the bridge. This unnamed tributary has been modified to act as a drainage ditch following along the southern edge of Buckner Branch Road. Another drainage ditch has been dug east of Middle Fork Creek as well. The creek drains to the south and joins with California Creek to form Little Ivy Creek. These waterways are part of the French Broad drainage basin. Landforms within the APE consist of a floodplain that rises onto a gentle sloping stream terrace to the northwest. While to the southeast, the floodplain extends to US 19, which intersections with Buckner Branch Road. Alongside US 19, fill has been deposited over the floodplain. Just east of US 19, the land rises sharply onto hillside slopes outside the project area. Properties consists of 2020 PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY TEAM `ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYREQUIRED" FORM 1 of 7 Project Tracking No.: 21-12-0008 mostly hay field/meadow, but residential lawns are along the stream terrace to the northwest. Ground disturbance appears limited to the drainage ditches and the fill. The USDA soil survey shows the APE composed of two soil types (USDA NRCS 2022) (see Figure 2). The floodplain is made up of French loam (FrA). This series has a slope of less than 3 percent, subject to occasionally flooding, and considered somewhat poorly drained. Significant resources are not expected on this soil due to persistent wetness. The stream terrace consists of Unison loam (UsB). Slope is 2 to 8 percent, and the soil is well drained. Subsurface testing is recommended for the terrace as it is dry, fairly level, and near fresh water making it suitable for evidence of early settlement activities. Archaeological investigations have previous been carried out along US 19 (R-2518) at the southeastern end of the current APE (Mohler et al. 2001; Tippet et al. 1999) (see Figure 2). Shovel tests were excavated at 20-m intervals within the US 19 corridor with no positive results in the current project limits. However, these investigations did identify and assess four nearby sites (31MD355, 31MD358, 31MD359, and 31MD361). Sites 31MD355, 31MD359, and 31MD361 are located nearly a mile away to the north along Middle Fork Creek. These precontact sites are situated on stream terraces made up of well drained Tate loam. Artifacts collected were mostly lithic material from the surface and subsurface. No buried deposits were identified with the sites suffering from light erosion and cultivation. After extensive testing, all three were determined not eligible for the National Register. Site 31MD358 is located south of the current project also along Middle Fork Creek. It consists of two precontact lithic artifacts from one shovel test excavated in the floodplain. According to the landowner, a larger site is situated on the adjacent terrace, which was outside of the US 19 corridor. It is suggested that these two artifacts were washed or moved during cultivation into the floodplain. The site was recommended not eligible for the National Register due to no stratigraphic integrity. Lastly, site 31MD337 is a precontact isolated find recorded by an amateur archaeologist in 1997. This was a Guilford projectile point fragment found at the base of a hillside along Polly Branch to the northeast. No additional work has been conducted at this site. The results of the US 19 investigations suggest that the stream terraces along Middle Fork Creek have the potential for precontact occupations. Testing is necessary to identify and evaluated these resources. A historic map review was also carried out. Most early maps provide only general details concerning the region illustrating just major roads and settlements. An approximate location for the project was first identified on the 1902 USGS Mount Mitchell topographic map (Figure 3). This map depicts roads following alignments similar to Buckner Branch and US 19. Structures are also shown west of US 19 and southwest of the confluence. Remnants of these structures were likely destroyed during a realignment of US 19 at a later date. The subsequent 1936 Soil Survey Map for Madison County and later highway maps display the current road alignment with the crossing at or near the current bridge (Hearn et al. 1936) (Figure 4). In addition, these maps show no structures in the project area. It seems very unlikely from the maps that significant historic resources will be encountered. An archaeological field investigation is recommended for the proposed replacement of Bridge No. 36 in Madison County. Dry and level soils along stream terrace to the northwest have a good probability for precontact archaeological resources. A visual inspection followed by subsurface testing in the form of shovel tests is needed to identify and evaluate any significant archaeological resources that may be impacted. No shovel testing is required in areas with wet soils or severe disturbance. This project falls within a North Carolina County in which the Catawba Indian Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Cherokee Nation, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and Muscogee (Creek) Nation have expressed an interest. We recommend that you ensure that this documentation is forwarded to the tribe using the process described in the current NCDOT Tribal Protocol and PA Procedures Manual. 2020 PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY TEAM `ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED" FORM 2of7 Project Tracking No.: 21-12-0008 SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION See attached: ® Map(s) ❑ Previous Survey Info ❑ Photos Other: FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST — SURVEYREQUIRED G. C. Damon Jones NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST July 15, 2022 Proposed fieldwork completion date ❑Correspondence 1/18/22 Date 2020 PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY TEAM `ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED" FORM 3 of 7 Project Tracking No.: 21-12-0008 REFERENCES CITED Hearn, Edward, Eugene Goldston, William Davis, C.W. Croom, and Samuel Davidson 1936 Soil Map for Madison County, North Carolina. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. On file at North Carolina Collections, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. HPOWEB 2022 North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office GIS Web Service. ha://aisNCDCR.gov/hpoweb/. Accessed January 14, 2022. Mohler, Paul J., Gerold F. Glover, Brian Overton, and Megan O'Connell 2001 Archaeological Survey Report Testing of Sites 31MD351, 31NDD355, 31NDD359, and 31NDD360 along the US 19 Study Corridor, Madison County, North Carolina, TIP No. R-2518. North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh. Tippett, Lee, Nora Sheehan, Megan O'Connell, and Brian Overton 1999 Archaeological Survey of the US 19 Study Corridor, Madison and Yancy Counties, North Carolina, TIP No. R-2518. North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services (USDA NRCS) 2022 Madison County Soil Survey. Available online at http://webosilsurvey.nres.usda.gov/app/. Accessed January 14, 2022. United States Geological Survey (USGS) 1902 Mount Mitchell, North Carolina -Tennessee 30 minute quadrangle map. Reprinted in 1932. 2000 Bamardsville, North Carolina 7.5 minute quadrangle map. 2020 PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY TEAM `ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED" FORM 4of7 Project Tracking No.: 21-12-0008 - - � I - '_' \ �, ` _ �� • -' - �'. +! irk{ �_ One Mile Radius +,Shaded) c: - Around Project Area ve — L •. � fit... 5-�- Y � . •Ire t a � . Bridge 36 7, .PE (Red)LJ ' - . B UI* � ` �� • see � " - - - �- - -'� r� 0 1 N 0 Miles 1,500 )A, F Madison County Meters Figure 1. Topographic Setting of the Project Area, Barnardsville (2000), NC, USGS 7.5' Topographic Quadrangle. 2020 PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY TEAM `ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED" FORM 5 of 7 Project Tracking No.: 21-12-0008 Figure 2. Aerial photograph of the APE showing development, contours, soils, and the previously surveyed R-2518 Corridor. 2020 PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY TEAM `ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED" FORM 6of7 Project Tracking No.: 21-12-0008 N •„� Project Area Figure 3. The 1902 USGS Mount Mitchell Topographic map showing the location of the project area. cg .• r IV, Her Hrn tiC 1 n � GI A. I NCI . t mh rnk h tSG '1 C — t cr c! Project Area •J r H c l P3 Hmh G Cr I Hcr . '/Hmh hCM ••Hnl HM SG Hcl I � • j �.. HMI" ,• � Figure 4. The 1936 Soil Map for Madison County showing the location of the project area. 2020 PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY TEAM "ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYREQUIRED" FORM 7of7