BPA LIBBY TO TROY TRANSMISSION LINE

HRA conducted background research for cultural resources, an intensive cultural resources survey, and cultural resources monitoring for the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA’s) 17-mile-long Libby to Troy Transmission Line Rebuild Project in Lincoln County, Montana. The results of the background research were used to define additional work needed at previously recorded sites and to evaluate site potential in areas of reroutes and access roads. An intensive cultural resources survey followed the transmission line corridor, as well as proposed access roads, footpaths, staging areas, and tensioning locations. During the initial fieldwork, it also became necessary to evaluate the impact of vehicle ruts across sites on the main access road along the Kootenai River. Fifteen new and twenty-two previously recorded cultural resources sites were determined to be within the project area of potential effects (APE). The majority of the sites were avoided by construction; however, HRA conducted limited data recovery at two precontact sites prior to construction and provided monitoring services for construction of the line through sensitive cultural areas.