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

Summary of Public Comments - Managing Recreation Uses in the
Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor EA
employees have reviewed the area and determined that access down to the Chattooga WSR is
feasible. See the Francis Marion and Sumter website
(http://fs.usda.gov/goto/scnfs/upperchattooga) for an approximate location of the proposed access
and Green Creek put-in.
Sample Public Comment(s) for PC 54:
Could one of you inform as to how the public would access the Green Creek put-in spot proposed in the
latest EA for the Upper Chattooga boating issue? Is there a public road all the way to the river in that
location, or would the boats have to be portaged in? (Ltr# 26, Cmt# 1)
Public Concern 55
The Forest Service should consider the following regarding the Chattooga Cliffs
backcountry reach:
A) Rational used to dismiss boating impact to anglers within this reach
contradicts facts and violates the CEQ 1506.5 standards for objectivity;
B) No comprehensive study of the biologically rich spray cliffs and other
suitable habitats for rare species has been conducted;
C) The existing spray cliff study conducted by Pittillo and Zartman was not
properly analyzed; and
D) There is no basis for prohibiting boating in this area (all comments from
2009 EA comment period).
Response to PC 55
A) See the Environmental Assessment, Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the
Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor Chapter 3 for a discussion of the Affected
Environment and Environmental Consequences of the various alternatives considered in the
analysis. In particular, refer to the following sections in Chapter 3: the Recreation ORV,
Biology ORV, Water Quality, Soils, and Water and Riparian Corridor.
B) Within the Chattooga Cliffs reach a botanical survey was completed concentrating on
nonvascular species in 2007. Previous botanical surveys have been conducted in different
portions of the Chattooga Cliffs reach during the preceding 10-15 years concentrating on various
bryophytes, Lysimachia fraseri, Carex manhartii, and Peltigera (=Hydrothyria) venosa. There
are no spray cliffs within the Wild and Scenic portion of the Chattooga Cliffs Reach. However
there are rock outcrop, grotto and seep communities. These later two communities were surveyed
in 2007 since they were visible and/or accessible from the main stem of the Chattooga River.
Within this reach of the river corridor nineteen rare plant species were located during the 2007
survey or within the previous 2 years prior to the survey. Fourteen of these species were
identified near the river. These include one aquatic lichen, 4 mosses, 8 liverworts, and 1 fern
species.
C) The Spray Cliff study conducted in 1995 by Zartman and Pittillo included 21 sites in the upper
portions of the watershed and 16 sites in the lower portions of the watershed. Most of the sites,
in particular the named spray cliffs, are neither adjacent to the main stem of the Chattooga River
nor visible. Thus the likelihood of increasing visitation to these sites from boating recreationists
is very low. Two sites identified within the Chattooga Cliffs reach area with the Zartman study
includes Ammons Branch grotto and Cane Creek grotto. Both sites were surveyed in 2007. One
tracked rare plant species, Huperzia porophila, was relocated as was one tracked watch list
species, Heuchera parviflora. Both Huperzia porophila and Heuchera parviflora occur in the
Cane Creek grotto, but should be unimpacted by the proposed project since it is 0.3 mile from the
main stem of the Chattooga River. Two watch list species were previously documented by
Zartman at the Ammons Branch grotto, adjacent to the main stem of the river downstream of
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