Reprinted from an email to Buck Denton, MBTU Past-president:
I received the following e-mail on July 2, 2008 regarding the boating issue on the upper Chattooga River. It is imperative that we make our voices heard now because we can rest assured that the boaters and floaters will be loud and numerous in their response. The “white water” group is sure to continue their fight until boating is permitted all the time on the full length of the Chattooga River.
Some will say, perhaps rightly so, that Alternative 4 is the best compromise; however, it is unclear how the limited changes will be enforced or what penalties may be imposed.
I urge everyone to review the current issues and to send their comments whether they may be concerns or support to the Forest Service. Should you have questions, contact me at wbdenton@bellsouth.net or call 864-304-6529.
Buck Denton
E-mail from Forest Service:
On behalf of the Sumter, Chattahoochee and Nantahala National Forests, I am asking for your comments on the attached pre-decisional Environmental Assessment (draft EA) for the Management of Recreation Uses on the Upper Chattooga River.
After careful consideration of the analysis in the draft EA, we have selected Alternative 4 as the agency’s preferred alternative. This alternative maintains the existing high quality trout fishing experience and other recreational opportunities on the upper Chattooga while providing some additional opportunities for challenging whitewater boating in a remote setting. Boating will be allowed from County Line Road Trail in North Carolina to Burrells Ford Bridge between December 1 and March 1 when mean daily flow levels average 450 cfs or more, which is above those levels considered optimal for fishing.
This alternative also calls for limiting overnight camping in the upper Chattooga to designated sites and closing and/or rehabilitating a number of user-created campsites and trails. To relieve congestion and reduce impacts, roadside parking will also be prohibited within ¼ mile of Burrells Ford Bridge.
Alternative 4 is not the agency’s final decision. Based on your comments, we will finalize our decision in December 2008. I would appreciate your comments on potential environmental effects of the alternatives, the range of alternatives and suggested changes to the alternatives. Please send those comments via e-mail to comments-southern-francismarion-sumter@fs.fed.us or via surface mail to: Chattooga Planning Team at the address above. All submitted comments will become part of the project record and available for public review. Please send your comments by August 1, 2008. Hard copies of the draft EA are available upon request by calling (803) 561-4000.
For more information on this process, please visit our website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms.
Christina A. Zissette
czssette@fs.fed.us
Chattooga North Fork
Comments on the 6 Management Alternatives
August 21, 2007
From: "Doug and Eedee Adams"
Date: 2007/08/20 Mon PM 10:20:12 EDT
To: "All Lovers of Clean Cold Streams"
Subject: Chattooga North Fork - Comments on the 6 Management Alternatives
I've had a telephone conversation with the Forest Service lead planner about the details of some of the alternatives.
He said so far most of the public comments received say simply which alternative a person supports without giving the reasons. This is not what the Forest Service needs at this time. We then discussed what kind of public comments would be helpful at this point in the process.
They want people to comment on what is good and bad on each one of the 6 alternatives. Keep in mind the protection of the resource values, both the tangible, physical components as well as intangible, psychological and spiritual components.
Also keep in mind what is best for the Chattooga now and for the long term. Recreation use trend information suggests that Chattooga use is likely to increase at the rate of population increases for the region, which may exceed 20% over the next decade.
The Forest Service needs your opinion on how each "Standards/Actions" of each alternative will effect the Chattooga North Fork environment now and for future generations.
a. biological (effects on flora and fauna, large woody debris, natural ecological and biological processes, etc)
b. physical (parking, trail, campsite, erosion, litter, sanitary, etc)
c. esthetic values (solitude, remoteness, wildness, protecting endangered experiences, intangibles, psychological and spiritual components, preserving these values intact for future generations. etc)
d. social (law enforcement, interference with activities such as angling, bird watching, wildlife viewing, wilderness awareness education, encounters, user conflicts, noise, the proper regard for the rights of others to solitude, etc)
Keep in mind that once an activity is established it is very hard to change it.
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