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| Spring/Summer 2001 Director's Page  Green Salamander Politics of Energy Green Clippings Urban Growth Myths Nuclear Power Play Watershed Update |
Rabun County Power Line Controversy The battle to stop an unneeded 115 kilovolt transmission line from plowing through Rabun County (Georgia portion of the Chattooga watershed) has reached a new level of intensity. On May 14th the Citizens for Rabun’s Heritage, the Chattooga Conservancy and the Rabun County Commissioners sponsored a presentation by Dr. Broadwater, a well respected electrical engineer from Virginia Polytechnical Institute.
Dr. Broadwater studied the county’s projected power demand, and proposed to solve the electricity needs by upgrading existing distribution lines. This alternative would provide for the increased power demand without destroying the cultural and scenic beauty of the county. Dr. Broadwater’s presentation to a full court room was preceded by a “tractor-cade,” which circled Clayton and the courthouse in an overwhelming show of support by the citizens of Rabun County for protecting the rural character and cultural heritage of the area. The county’s moratorium against the 115 kilovolt line remains in place, and Citizens for Rabun’s Heritage and the Chattooga Conservancy are dedicated to work to pass legislation for regulating the siting of high voltage power lines throughout the state of Georgia. Chattooga Watershed Restoration Project Frustrated by the continued lack of communication from the Forest Service, the Chattooga Conservancy has recently sought the legal counsel of Troutman Sanders LLP out of Atlanta, regarding the Forest Service’s expenditure of funds appropriated for the Chattooga Watershed Restoration Project. We are concerned that the lion’s share of this money is being used for projects that should be considered general maintenance and recreation infrastructure construction, not ecosystem restoration, and about the Forest Service’s use of “categorical exclusions” that have made this possible. Some headway was made in a meeting on June 6th between Forest Service officials Tom Speaks (Deputy Forest Supervisor, Chattahoochee National Forest), John Ramey (Forest Supervisor, Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest), Jerome Thomas (Forest Supervisor, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest) and Randy Fowler (Chattooga Restoration Project Coordinator), attorneys with Troutman Sanders, and Chattooga Conservancy Executive Director Buzz Williams. In the meeting Buzz expressed concern that projects in the watershed such as construction of the Pinnacle Mountain Trail, construction of the Dick’s Creek observation deck, and the Rocky Gap Horse Trail rehabilitation project were being given precedence over restoration of the watershed’s natural ecosystem, while efforts to restore native species such as the Brook Trout, American Chestnut and native river cane were not receiving due regard. Buzz urged the Forest Supervisors to take a more ecological approach in managing the watershed, and requested documentation of project expenditures for the fiscal year to date. Forest Service officials indicated that they would like to move towards more open dialogue and stewardship projects with private land owners in the area, but eschewed discussing the recent flood of categorical exclusions that have been attached to many recent, heavy-handed management proposals in the watershed. These categorical exclusions sever all public discussion of a project, and are severely limiting the dialogue that our Forest Supervisors seek with citizens in the area. The establishment of Mr. Fowler’s position as Chattooga Watershed Restoration Project Coordinator is a significant step towards open communication between the Forest Service and citizens concerning the Restoration Project. Mr. Fowler has been receptive to discussing management alternatives, and we look forward to working with him as well as other Forest Service decision-makers in the future. Funding for the Chattooga watershed We would like to express our gratitude to Senators Cleland, Edwards, Hollings and Miller for co-signing a letter written to Secretary of the Interior Gayle Norton in March that requested $4.3 million of Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) money for public land acquisition in the Chattooga River watershed. This request, and its support from senators of all three states in the watershed represents a bold and promising step forward for preserving ecologically significant land the Chattooga watershed. Unfortunately, this good work by our senators was not replicated in the House, where the Chattooga’s land acquisition budget was slashed to less than $1 million. However, the LWCF is part of the President’s Budget and the final figure is subject to approval by the Interior Appropriations conference committee, which is expected to begin negotiations in mid-June. Please join us in thanking these senators from your own states, while urging Representatives Deal (R-GA), Graham (R-SC) and Taylor (R-NC), and Senators Thurmond (R-SC) and Helms (R-NC) to join their colleagues in supporting the original $4.3 million figure. Let’s continue to show Washington that the Chattooga River watershed is worthy of their attention. Three road-paving projects have been proposed by both the Highlands and Tallulah Ranger Districts of the USDA Forest Service for the summer and fall of 2001, including sections of Bull Pen Road, Sarah’s Creek Road, and Burrell’s Ford Road. These proposals have given the Conservancy ample opportunity to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of such heavy-handed maintenance of gravel roads in the watershed. For especially steep grades, such as the Bull Pen Road as it climbs north out of the Chattooga gorge away from the iron bridge, paving is a viable alternative to perpetually eroding gravel roads that contribute to excessive sedimentation in delicate riparian areas. The Chattooga Conservancy has expressed its support to the Forest Service for this type of paving where it is truly needed, in moderation at selected spots. However, unnecessary paving can easily lead to more problems than solutions, if its ecological impact is not fully considered at the outset. The Burrell’s Ford Road paving project proposal, for example, expresses the Forest Service’s intent to widen as well as pave the road, even though they claim the project’s aim is to reduce the negative impact of the roads on water quality and aquatic habitat. How does widening a road reduce its impact on the surrounding ecosystem? Regardless of where or why a road is paved, its traffic speed will inevitably increase, posing a threat to wildlife and possibly more traffic accidents, and promoting convenient access to wilderness areas. Convenience and maintenance that caters to increased human traffic in wilderness areas clearly degrade the isolated, pristine and wild characteristics of the watershed. We feel that Forest Service project proposals in the Chattooga watershed that include widening and excessive maintenance and paving of any kind require close scrutiny. For more information about these projects or others like them, please contact the Conservancy office. Both the South Carolina and Georgia Departments of Transportation (DOT) have put forth nebulous plans for bridge maintenance in the Chattooga watershed within the next seven years. In the year 2005 Georgia DOT intends to replace the Russell Bridge on Route 28, which crosses the Chattooga at a “recreational” section of the river near the site of Cherokee Old Town. While the project is in the very earliest stages of development, it does have a project identification number (P.I.), and the Georgia DOT is currently requesting public input on the project. As it stands, the project notification includes intent to widen the bridge by 13.6 feet. If you or your organization wish to be listed as a consulting party on this project, please write: Harvey D. Keepler Department Of Transportation Office of the Environment/Location 3993 Aviation Circle Atlanta, Georgia 30336-1593 Attn: Phillip Mark Considerably less information is available about South Carolina DOT’s proposed widening of the highway 76 bridge, which crosses the Chattooga below Bull Sluice rapid and delineates Section IV from Section III, but the project is most likely included in a very aggressive road maintenance campaign being implemented by the DOT called “27 in 7.” The $5 billion project promises that 27 years of road maintenance will be consolidated into 7 years, through new financing plans and by taking advantage of current low interest rates. Look for more information on these projects in the next Chattooga Quarterly, or contact our office for current updates. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DEHEC) has threatened to fine the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for erosion and sedimentation violations concerning the building of three helipads in the Jocassee Gorges. The monster V. I. P. helipads ranging from 3 to 4 acres apiece were built by the National Guard, in conjunction with road maintenance on the 138 miles of roads into 33,000+ acre Jocassee Gorges property. The poorly built helipads sent a virtual mudslide into the surrounding forest. The DNR, which has been criticized for its heavy handed management of the Gorges property, claims that the helipads were needed for fire management and search and rescue operations. DNR also claims it is exempt from erosion and sedimentation safeguards, and the agency is fighting DHEC’s Notice of Violation. The Jocassee Gorges area is one of the most biologically diverse and wild land left in the entire Blue Ridge Mountain ecosystem. The Chattooga Conservancy is asking for the support of South Carolina citizens and legislators to have the Jocassee Gorges tract dedicated as a Heritage Trust Preserve, to protect it from the DNR “hook and bullet” crowd and the SC Forestry Commission. On February 26, 2001 the Andrew Pickens Ranger District issued a revised proposal for a $75,000 trail rehabilitation project on the Rocky Gap Horse Trail. Excessive use on this ill-placed horse trail has caused severe erosion on the north side of the Big Island ford. Until recently, district rangers have been unable to come up with a solution for the continued erosion. In December of 2000 a trail maintenance specialist inspected the site and outlined some possibilities for its reconstruction; his comments and suggestions helped form the current project proposal. As it stands, the proposal includes importing 2,200 cubic feet of crushed rock, $8,200 worth of vinyl matting, and several new culverts. Heavy machinery including a demolition hammer and a vibratory self-propelled roller will be used to break apart natural rock formation in the area, and harden the soil. Large river rocks will be used in the construction of new retaining walls. The average slope of the proposed project area is 25 percent; far too steep to be able to sustain heavy horse traffic. It is our recommendation that the trail be either moved or closed. According to the Development Plan for the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor that became public law on May 10, 1974, “Alteration of the stream bed or modification of bedrock will not be permitted.” Thus, using a demolition hammer to break apart rock for trail maintenance in a section of the corridor that is classified as wild is illegal. Recently, the Forest Service has indicated that they are considering rerouting this problematic trail, instead of trying to fix the unfixable. For further information, please contact the Conservancy. The Nicholson Tract: What Now? After a long, arduous battle to help the USDA Forest Service acquire the 229 acre Nicholson tract on the Chattooga’s West Fork, we and all those involved in the fight have reached a crossroads. What will become of the land now? Proposals for use and management of the property by the Tallulah Ranger District are all in the early stages of planning, and the more encouragement they get in the immediate future to restore the native ecosystem in the area, the better. We feel strongly that the Nicholson tract’s flood plain, which has predominantly alluvial soil deposits, offers a prime opportunity for the Forest Service to begin studying the effectiveness of native cane species Arundinaria gigantea in stream bank restoration. Rehabilitation of stream banks in the area would enhance stream quality, and help create optimal conditions for the reintroduction of native Brook Trout. We also would like to see native trees used to reforest the many open fields on the property. Though the Tallulah Ranger District has “scoped” the public to explore options for restoring native cane, native trees (including American Chestnut) and Brook Trout, their language has been non-committal to date. The Nicholson tract offers potential for implementing these projects. There are also a few hastily constructed roads that should most certainly be closed down and rehabilitated. Regardless of what is done on the newly acquired tract, it is paramount that any maintenance or development pursued by the Forest Service adhere to the parameters of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor Development Plan, a document that expresses the original intent of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. For this area, which lies in a “recreational” section of the Chattooga, the Development Plan includes guidance stating that: The main attraction of the Chattooga River is its recreation opportunity—the chance to visit a whitewater river and experience solitude, adventure, and challenge. Protecting and maintaining the aesthetic values of the river must remain of paramount importance. Development within the boundary of the Chattooga River must not detract from, or destroy, the natural beauty that makes this river different from other rivers. (Federal Register, Vol. 41, No. 56). Please write or visit David Jensen and Randy Fowler of the Tallulah Ranger District, and let them know that you would appreciate future management of the Nicholson property, and the rest of our national forest, to focus on restoring and preserving native ecosystems. Contact the Conservancy for more information about protecting our new asset. After relocating our office to Clayton’s Main Street this spring, we have up and moved again! Now, we announce our new headquarters for the years to come are located at 2368 Pinnacle Drive, directly off of Warwoman Road at the eastern edge of Clayton’s city limits. This attractive brick building was built shortly after World War II and served as an American Legion Post; many local residents fondly recall attending dances and other social functions here in years past. Recently renovated, our office sits on an acre of land and offers an excellent venue for community gatherings and programs. For instance, we’re currently planning a series of educational presentations addressing topics such as energy alternatives and conservation. We invite our supporters and other community members to drop by to see our Community Conservation Center and get the latest news about environmental issues, national forest initiatives and our program activities! |
