Watershed Update, Summer 2005

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT—ENDANGERED

Draft legislation to rewrite the federal Endangered Species Act has been developed by House Resources Committee Chair Richard Pombo (R-CA), and introduction of a formal bill is imminent. Analysis of the draft bill shows that it would seriously undermine our nation’s efforts to restore populations of endangered species, and to prevent new listings of threatened/endangered species. Rep. Pombo’s legislation would re-design the law and essentially gut the provisions that have worked to save species such as the bald eagle, peregrine falcon and American alligator. For instance, the draft legislation no longer requires restoring healthy populations of species. It also dramatically limits protection for endangered species’ habitat, and completely eliminates the requirement to designate habitat for threatened species, even though habitat destruction is the main reason plants and animals wind up on the endangered species list. In addition, the draft Pombo bill changes the key definition of an endangered species from one that is "in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range" to "in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future throughout all of its current range." This subtle change would result in protections for just a few remnant individuals in an isolated island of habitat; for instance, the bald eagle could disappear from the lower 48, as long as the species was present in Alaska. Please write and call your Member of Congress and ask that they oppose Rep. Pombo’s bill to weaken Endangered Species Act protections.

MAJOR TIMBER SALE PROPOSED FOR CHATTOOGA HEADWATERS

Click the map for a full size view.

The Highlands Ranger District of North Carolina’s Nantahala National Forest has issued a "scoping notice" for a major timber sale in the Chattooga River headwaters. This is the first significant timber sale of the past few years in the Chattooga River watershed, so brief mention of the process follows. "Scoping" is the first phase of the public notice process and invites public comment on the "proposed action." Respondents will gain the all-important "standing" for participating further in the timber sale process and will also receive the project’s "environmental assessment," which is released for public comment subsequent to gathering scoping comments. This proposed timber sale is called the "White Bull Project" and it targets 462 acres located just north of the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area along the Bull Pen Road and near the biologically significant Chattooga Cliffs, as well as another 106 acres situated farther east next to Highway 107. The timber sale would reconstruct 1 mile of road near the base of Chattooga Cliffs, and use "even-age" timber cutting methods, namely group selection and two-age harvesting, to produce approximately 7,500 CCF (CCF = hundred cubic feet) of saw timber. Click the map for a full size view.The scoping notice indicates that group selection spots would be up to one acre in size — essentially one-acre clearcuts — and that the 2-age cuts would leave a basal area of 15-20 square feet—just 14-18 trees per acre. Herbicides would also be used to kill invasive exotic plant species and possibly vegetation that competes with the "crop trees." The Chattooga Conservancy has serious concerns about the White Bull project because it is located in the heart of the Chattooga River headwaters in an area that encompasses Chattooga Cliffs and numerous headwater streams including Ammons Branch, Norton Branch, Holly Branch and Scotsman Creek. We believe this area should be managed with as light as touch as possible with no road construction/reconstruction, un-even age timber management practices that mimic natural disturbances, and top priority placed on water quality protection.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR STEKOA WATER SAMPLING

The Chattooga Conservancy’s monthly water sampling of Rabun County’s very polluted Stekoa Creek continues to register high fecal coliform counts every time. The most recent water sample tests for the month of June at seven spots in Stekoa Creek revealed fecal coliform counts ranging from significantly over to way over permitted levels at four of the seven sampling sites, with a fifth site just barely under the allowed level. Excessive fecal readings in a stream that flows through downtown Clayton that’s also a major tributary to the Chattooga River is a public health concern! The Chattooga Conservancy is sharing Stekoa water test results with the Rabun County Health Department and Clayton’s mayor, but unfortunately the county lacks resources to really prioritize clean-up measures. However, to date the Conservancy’s water tests have found two sewer pipe leaks, which were patched. We are looking for volunteers to learn about water sampling techniques and to assist Stekoa Creek monitoring project manager Jenny Pugh Sanders in taking monthly water samples. Water sampling dates are scheduled for August 16, September 20, and October 18. Contact (or call 706-782-6097) to learn and help out.