 Environmental Planning and
Permits Division
ARCHEOLOGY SECTION
Mission
The Environmental Planning and Permits Division, Archaeology Section operates within the Tennessee Department of Transportation and coordinates with the Tennessee Division of Archaeology and the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Office to complete public transportation improvements with as little damage to archaeological resources as is possible. The primary goals of the agency are to identify archaeological remains located within areas of potential effect (APE) of proposed TDOT projects, to coordinate and consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), interested parties and the public concerning the appropriate treatment of archaeological resources that cannot be prudently or feasibly avoided, and to insure that mitigation measures stipulated in Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) are successfully completed.
Statutory Authority
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) requires all Federal agencies to take into account the effects of their actions on any district, site, building, structure or object that is included in/or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The regulations implementing compliance with Sec. 106 can be found at Title 36 CFR 800. Tennessee Public Laws also require agencies to take into account the effects of proposed undertakings on historic properties on State owned lands.
Key Activities
Site identification
Using accepted scientific methods, the staff of the agency and cultural resource firms working under the auspices of the TDOT are responsible for the majority of archaeological site discoveries made annually in the State of Tennessee. Such compliance related discoveries now provide for the bulk of archaeological investigations being conducted across the state.
Compliance and coordination
When archaeological resources are discovered within a project's area of potential effect the TDOT staff archaeologists are responsible for applying the criteria of eligibility pursuant to 36 CFR 60.4 to determine if such resources are eligible or potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, for coordinating and consulting with other TDOT Divisions to assess possible methods of site avoidance and minimization of construction impacts, coordinating with federal agencies, state agencies, interested parties and the public to disseminate information and receive input for consideration in the decision making process, and reviewing all archaeological documentation to see that it meets professional standards.
Archaeological Publication
The TDOT maintains a publication series, Publications in Archaeology, to disseminate the results of selected archaeological investigations. Volumes in this occasional series are distributed free of charge. The current distribution includes professional archaeologists, avocational archaeologists, interested members of the public, and other Departments of Transportation across the southeastern and midwestern states. Please see the publication list.
For further information or specific questions and concerns, contact:
Gerald W. Kline (Transportation Specialist I)
Archaeology Program
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Environmental Planning and Permits Division
James K. Polk Building, Suite 900
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0334
gerald.kline@tn.gov
Phillip R. Hodge [Archaeologist Supervisor]
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Environmental Planning and Permits Division
James K. Polk Building, Suite 900
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0334
phillip.hodge@tn.gov
phone: (615)741-0977
Region I-East Tennessee
Alan C. Longmire (Archaeologist II)
Tennessee Department of Transportation
3518 CRS
Johnson City,TN 37602-3518
alan.longmire@tn.gov
phone: (423)282-0651 ext. 114
Region II-Cumberland Plateau
Vacant
Region III-Middle Tennessee
Gary L. Barker (Archaeologist II)
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Environmental Planning and Permits Division
James K. Polk Building, Suite 900
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0334
gary.barker@tn.gov
phone: (615)350-4579
Region IV-West Tennessee
Vacant
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