Resource Name (Heading 1) - USDA Forest Service - US ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Summary of Public Comments - Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor EA and is evaluated on a case-by-case basis by Forest Service personnel. Manage large woody debris (LWD) recruitment and retention on the upper segment of the Chattooga WSR consistently across all three national forests to assure that no LWD is removed to accommodate recreation within the river or stream banks. Large Wood in the Upper Chattooga River Watershed, November 2007 was released in January 2008 and was prepared by personnel from the Southern Research Station’s Center for Aquatic Technology Transfer (CATT), Francis Marion-Sumter National Forest, and Chattahoochee- Oconee National Forest. These Forest Service personnel conducted an inventory of dead and down large wood (LW) in the upper segment of the Chattooga River, West Fork Chattooga River, and two tributaries of the West Fork Chattooga River. Sample Public Comment(s) for PC 45: #54- The removal of LWD degrades the fisheries which is a direct violation of the “protect & enhance” mandates associated with the OR value “biology”. (Ltr# 193, Cmt# 48) ORV - Recreation Experience Public Concern 46 The Forest Service should reconsider the effects of year-round boating on the Recreation Experience ORV of backcountry solitude. Response to PC 46 Impacts to opportunities for solitude are discussed in Environmental Assessment, Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, Chapter 3, Sections 3.2.1 Recreation ORV and 3.7 Wilderness. Sample Public Comment(s) for PC 46: We feel strongly that the Forest Service’s “turn them loose, see what happens and make corrections later” alternative is taking an unacceptable and dangerous risk of inflicting irreparable harm to the Outstandingly Remarkable Value of solitude, which currently exists in the Upper Chattooga River backcountry. (Ltr# 172, Cmt# 2) #569- Year-round boating will be detrimental to the Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORV) of backcountry solitude and remoteness for present and for future generations. (Ltr# 193, Cmt# 556) #573- If unrestricted year-round boating is allowed, it will be destructive to the Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORV) of backcountry solitude and remoteness for present and for future generations. (Ltr# 193, Cmt# 560) ORV - Recreation Fishing Public Concern 47 The Forest Service should clarify the distinction between the Fisheries ORV, which refers to fish in the context of river protection for native fish and the Recreation Fishing ORV, which refers to fishing and includes non-native sport fish of which stocking of non-native sport fish is done. Stocking of non-native trout is being attributed with positive ecological values and they are used as a 124
Summary of Public Comments - Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor EA Management Indicator Species, yet they are attributed to annihilating the native species. Response to PC 47 See Chapter 1, Section 1.7 of the Environmental Assessment, Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River. There are descriptions of fisheries and fishing in the C. Biology ORV and E. Recreation ORV that clarifies how fisheries fit within both ORVs. It should be noted that stocking of trout is outside the scope of this decision. The effects of the different alternatives to the different resources are discussed in Chapter 3. Specifically, impacts to the aquatic community are discussed in Section 3.2.1A, Aquatics. Based on monitoring, trout populations have remained stable. From Section 1.1 Need for the Proposed Action of the Environmental Assessment, Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor it notes that there is a need to protect the unique angling experience above highway 28. Limited trout fishing occurs below Highway 28 because water temperature and habitat changes make it less attractive for trout fishing. There is natural reproduction of trout in the Chattooga River. It is not entirely hatchery dependent. Stocking of trout was occurring in 1971 and in the 1971 Wild and Scenic River Study Report, Chattooga River notes that stocking of catchable size trout was occurring in some of the Chattooga River in all three states. The 1971 Designation Study report includes an action plan for fisheries on pages 87-89 notes that Game and Fish State organization recommend managing Chattooga as a “Wild River fishery”; stocking sub-adults and fingerlings in the wild and scenic sections, stocking any size fish in the recreation sections; and vehicular access for stocking is provided in the recreation sections. Sample Public Comment(s) for PC 47: The EA fails to properly define, analyze or protect the fisheries ORV. The EA misinterprets the distinction between fisheries ORV and the Recreation ORV which includes fishing. Fisheries refers to fish, and in the context of river protection particularly refers to native fish. Recreation refers to fishing and includes nonnative sport fish. The EA blurs this distinction and thus attributes positive ecological values to the recreational impacts of stocking non-native fish. This must be fixed, as it introduces significant bias and confusion in the EA. The impacts that this misunderstanding has can best be seen on page 143 where the EA selects non-native rainbow and brown trout as Management Indicator Species. The USFS stocks 70,000 of these fish each year and anglers partake in significant harvest. The populations of these fish therefore have little to do with natural resource management and therefore they make terrible indicator species. For example, if water quality declines but more fish are stocked then the indicator species would indicate no reduction in water quality. Worse yet, the USFS widely acknowledges that the stocking of these fish is wiping out native species like the brook trout (see past comments). If the EA were to consider these non-native fish appropriately in the recreation ORV it would be clear that they have legitimate recreational value and significant environmental impacts. Hiding these stocked non-native fish in the Biology ORV makes a fair assessment – and appropriate decisions – impossible. On page 151 the EA states that the three important analysis components to protect and manage the Fisheries ORV are trampling, sediment, and wood. This analysis thus arbitrarily and capriciously ignores the largest impact to native biota in the Chattooga River ecosystem – trout stocking. (Ltr# 168, Cmt# 14) Public Concern 48 The Forest Service should consider that there is no data to support the postulation that boating will impact the goal of protecting and enhancing the Fishing ORV (all comments from 2009 EA comment period). Response to PC 48 Because angler-boater interactions are generally "asymmetrical,” backcountry anglers are 125
Page 1 and 2:
Managing Recreation Uses in the Upp
Page 3 and 4:
Summary of Public Comments - Managi
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76: Summary of Public Comments - Managi
Page 125: Summary of Public Comments - Managi
Page 177 and 178:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
Page 230 and 231:
Page 232 and 233:
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
Page 238 and 239:
Page 240 and 241:
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
Page 258 and 259:
Page 260 and 261:
Page 262 and 263:
Page 264 and 265:
Page 266 and 267:
Page 268 and 269:
Page 270 and 271:
Page 272 and 273:
Page 274 and 275:
Page 276 and 277:
Page 278 and 279:
Page 280 and 281:
Page 282 and 283:
Page 284:
show all

Resource Name (Heading 1) - USDA Forest Service - US ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?