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
shoreline, and damaging the bottom of the riverbed with their boots. Hikers camp along the river and leave
their trace behind with trash and destroyed vegetation from their campsites. The only trails paddlers use
are the trails to the put in, take out and the occasional need to scout and portage an unsafe rapid. I don't
see any trails along Section 3 and Section 4 created by paddlers that damage the river and its
surroundings. The paddlers that will come to paddle the river will do so in small numbers as it requires
exceptional skills and lower number of days of reliable flow to run the sections included in the waterways
north of Highway 28. (Ltr# 180, Cmt# 1)
Subconcern # B
I wish to express my support to reopening the Chattooga River upstream of GA Hwy. 28 at Russell Bridge
to private boating without limitation, as is lawfully permitted in the eastern United States on all other
rivers flowing through U. S. Forest Service lands. I see no reasonable justification for limiting boater's
access, though future studies might convincingly provide such. There is no human use of the Chattooga
Headwaters which promises less physical impact on the river and its riparian environment than private
boating, and there is no public group which is more interested in preserving the wilderness character of the
headwaters area and able to do so more than experienced river boaters. (Ltr# 186, Cmt# 1)
Subconcern # B
#138- In many ways, paddling is the best and lowest impact way to access this area. This was true in 1971
when the Chattooga Study Report declared when speaking of the Chattooga above Highway 28: “Rafting
or some method of floating is the best way to see this rugged portion of the river. Many of the pools and
canyon-enclosed sections are 10-20 feet deep and impossible to wade by hikers and fishermen.” (Ltr# 193,
Cmt# 131)
Subconcern # B
#480- The EA lacks even the most basic description of the Upper Chattooga River as a boating resource.
The reaches that the USFS allowed to be paddled during the one-time, two day assessment were rated very
highly by paddlers, and all the same scenery and solitude opportunities appreciated by anglers are also
appreciated by boaters. Perhaps the main difference is that the experience of boaters is of a natural river,
where as artificially stocked fish are critical to angler’s experiences. The USFS has no basis to claim that
the Upper Chattooga provides an angling experience that is any more unique, powerful, or important than
a paddling experience. To make such a claim - especially on page 1 - is inequitable and arbitrary and
capricious. (Ltr# 193, Cmt# 467)
Subconcern # B C
Also, if this section where opened to boating it would allow some of the longest multi-day trips in the
southeast. It would be a wonderful resource that provides an experience that just can't be found anywhere
else in the region. (Ltr# 160, Cmt# 2)
Subconcern # B C
#132- The length of the Chattooga River which is suitable to paddling and largely undeveloped is unique in
this part of the Southeast. Opening the entire Chattooga to paddling would provide a river that could be
completed over several days while camping. This is an appealing idea to those boaters, who, like myself,
enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities which include hiking, fishing, and camping in addition to boating.
(Ltr# 193, Cmt# 125)
Subconcern # C
Paddlers should be able to paddle the entire river as a multi-day trip if desired. (Ltr# 36, Cmt# 4)
Subconcern # C
Multiday trips should be allowed, even if only by permit. (Ltr# 56, Cmt# 2)
Subconcern # D
Allowing boating as desired outcome. The season for boating should be extended by 2 months. All sections
should be open for floating at the same time. (Ltr# 52, Cmt# 1)
Subconcern # E
My “vote” is to ban all boat traffic, commercial or otherwise, from the river. From my standpoint, it is
disgusting to see a plastic object like a kayak violating the natural beauty of this rare stream. So, I am
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