Site Survey Project

Starting in October 2006, on the third Saturday of each month, we will on a planned grid basis, return to each of the 240 cultural resource sites identified by Pearl and her team during the 80's.  Our purpose will be to provide accurate GPS data for each site, and to report on the site condition.  In addition, we will visit the approximately 160 sites that were found since the 80's effort and will complete the necessary site documentation that is required by the Forest Service to classify and, where required, add these sites to the official database.  We will also spread out and look for any new sites.  This will be a process that will continue for several seasons.  It will guarantee that the Forest Service can use up-to-date GPS data to locate and protect the sites which previously were only located by the best efforts of all involved using topographical maps. 

Comments

[Jim Winsness]

As a starting point for discussion:

How we accomplish this task most likely will change as we get experience. At this point, I expect the following process will serve for the first efforts.

1. We will pick a 1000-meter square grid to review.
2. Each known site will be studied at the FS office in Clarkesville by reviewing the site forms that were completed by Pearl and the archeological team. We want to be sure we find the correct site!
3. Depending on the size of the group, we will split up into teams to walk the entire 1000-meter square area. Each team will have some way to communicate with the other teams.
4. At each site, we will document what we have found, obtain a GPS reading, and take photographs.
5. Upon completion of the day’s efforts, we will update the GPS excel file.

We will report our progress on the blog site where we can provide the information that currently exists on any signage at the site, and we can use that blog to also determine if any existing signage should be modified, or if no signage exists, should one be placed on the site to provide protection.

If we do not complete that grid, we will return there until it is completed and then we will move to an adjacent grid on the topo map.

To begin, Pearl wants this to be the ‘tour’ so we only have one event a month, however, if there is a specific need to go to a particular set of sites at the request of families, we can schedule a “Pearls Tour” that month and have 2 events!

[Amy & Sarah Riggins]

cant wait till oct!!!!!!!

[Amy & Sarah Riggins]

Hey Jim,
What about Bev? where is her picture and bio at?behind every good man is a dang great woman!!!!!!!

[lynn]

and Bev IS a dang great woman standing right next to her dang great man!

[val bucher]

In reference to the news on TV last week, regarding Tennessee farmers legally selling 190 proof moonshine to help off-set the extremely high cost of gas these days-perhaps some of our ancestors would get a chuckle about this. It may reinforce their ideas about the "need" for this product. Had our ancestors been allowed to continue their "research" it's possible,theoretically,we could be paying less at the pump. This statement is not intended to minimize the impact of "white lightning" on our families and the decendents of the Lake Russell area.