Resource Name (Heading 1) - USDA Forest Service - US ...
Resource Name (Heading 1) - USDA Forest Service - US ...
Resource Name (Heading 1) - USDA Forest Service - US ...
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Summary of Public Comments - Managing Recreation Uses in the<br />
Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor EA<br />
discussed in Chapter 1, Section 1.6 of the EA. Alternatives considered and the rationale for not<br />
developing them in detail is discussed in Chapter 2, Section 2.4.<br />
A) Potential Recreation Use Conflict is evaluated in the Environmental Assessment, Managing<br />
Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor,<br />
Chapter 3, Section 3.2.1 Recreation ORV for all alternatives.<br />
B) Alternative 2 does not propose any new access points or portage trails since boating would be<br />
prohibited.<br />
C) No new parking areas are proposed in any of the alternatives.<br />
D) None of the alternatives encourage trespass on private lands. See the response in the<br />
Environmental Assessment, Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga<br />
Wild and Scenic River Corridor, Chapter 1, Section 1.7 Other Issues, Item B.<br />
E) None of the alternatives consider expansion of the trailhead at Green Creek.<br />
F) Environmental Assessment, Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the<br />
Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor, Chapter 3, Section 3.2 discloses the effects of the<br />
alternatives on the ORVs.<br />
Sample Public Comment(s) for PC 3:<br />
Subconcern # A-E<br />
I am supportive of Alternatives 1, 2, or 3, but I am opposed to Alternatives 8,11,12,13, and 14. The<br />
following discussions summarize some of the reasoning why I recommend you choose one of the first three,<br />
and do not choose one of the other options. They also pose several questions to which I desire the <strong>US</strong><br />
<strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Service</strong>’s official answers. The Chattooga River trail head is the most upstream limit of where the<br />
Chattooga River courses through public land. But this point is not a suitable put-in point for boating. The<br />
parking area is a very long way from the river itself, via a portage of at least 2/3 mile of steep unofficial<br />
trail, or more than a mile via the main official trail. A closer access point, but on private land, is at the<br />
intersection of our driveway and Greens Creek Cemetery Road, where woods roads are shared with <strong>Forest</strong><br />
<strong>Service</strong>, the Cranston Family Partnership and me. It is presently common to have hikers park cars here to<br />
cut off the first 1/8 mile of steep trail from the official parking lot. These occasional parkers have not been<br />
much of a problem to us thus far, but they are not trying to carry boats either. I believe that there will be<br />
increased parking by the new boaters (with associated trespassing and potential conflicts), if preventive<br />
measures are not taken. But, the <strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Service</strong> states that no new parking will be developed and relies on<br />
that fact to limit access and usage to the interior trails and river. I believe that the added users will try to<br />
park in our driveway. Parking at the trail head is available for only eight to ten cars, and little suitable<br />
public land exists to expand. As mentioned in the background section above, my mother donated several<br />
acres of beautiful land near this location to the <strong>US</strong> <strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Service</strong> for the purpose of protecting the land<br />
and for providing a green buffer at the trail head. Any expansion of the trail head facilities would be<br />
inconsistent with the spirit of this gift. What measures will the <strong>US</strong> <strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Service</strong> take to mitigate or prevent<br />
the inevitable overflow parking problem, including potential trespassing and public nuisance to adjacent<br />
private properties? From the trailhead entrance (the upper end of public ownership) it is about 6.5 miles to<br />
the Steel Bridge on the Bullpen Road, and there are no put-in points for boats anywhere in this reach that<br />
would be convenient to parked vehicles. Even at the Steel Bridge, the river access is precipitous and is<br />
right at the top of a waterfall, far below the road elevation. Downstream of the Bullpen Road is the Ellicott<br />
Rock Wilderness. There is not even a trail along the river in most of this area, much less a boat launch. By<br />
definition this area is a wilderness with very little built infrastructure, and should remain so. Below the<br />
Ellicott Rock Wilderness, a trail follows the river, and there is a greater flow of water in it. The river itself<br />
is more conducive to boating, but again there is no boating launch point. At Ellicott's Rock, the upper end<br />
of the riverside trail system, it is over 3.5 miles by trail to the nearest road, hardly a good portage. The next<br />
access downstream is Burrell's Ford, where more parking exists. The river downstream of this place is<br />
more suitable for boating than any place upstream. Why will the <strong>US</strong> <strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Service</strong> not restrict boating to<br />
the reaches below Burrells Ford and prohibit it upstream? Back upstream, beyond the Chattooga River<br />
15