C-Forum

letters & e-mails are needed!

It has been illegal to paddle the Chattooga Headwaters since 1976, not long after Deliverance was made on that river. A group of paddlers, canoe clubs, and American Whitewater have been battling the U.S. Forest Service since the late 1990s to open those waters to boating. It has been a protracted battle, but we have arrived at a critical moment in the process. There will be two more comment periods before the USFS renders a decision. We need your help now for the first of those comment sessions.

There is more on the table here that just the boating ban. A number of other non-boating management actions are also in the plans.

If you value the Chattooga or if you want to be able to paddle the headwaters one day, please make your comments known.

The USFS document and request for comments is here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/documents/C ... 142007.pdf

American Whitewater's position is here: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... splay_full_

The USFS values thoughtful letters more than form letters. Please review the material and consider the best option. Tell the USFS if you think their mix of actions is inappropriate. Suggest other actions if you think you should. You do not need to agree with the AW position! Write your conscience.

Edit - Embedded links in copy below lost in posting, please go to: http://www.npmb.com/cms2/forum_viewtopic.php?4.77909 for working links.

This river is a gem please take a moment to write and repost on other sites. Deadline for comments September 13. ~ Heidi

On Janurary 5-6, 2007, 10 whitewater boaters legally ran the upper 21 miles of the Chattooga River for the first time in 30 years. Their account, "Rediscovering the Chattooga Headwaters" is in the March/April 2007 issue of American Whitewater magazine.

Message board repost from BT via NPMB:
Comment clock has been re-set and this is IT. All previous comments that you have made over the years DO NOT count. USFS has laid out six specific alternatives and they are accepting letters & e-mails on the public's choice for these until September 13th. That is the final finish line for written comments and right now it's the only comment period that counts.

Recent opinions published in some area newspapers have clouded the water by misinforming the public about what we're trying to do and what the headwaters would be like if boating were legalized there. The inaccuracies published have greatly strengthened the cause of the opposition and we are presently behind. As Don put it, "we are inside the two minute warning and the score is as tight as it could be. It's anyone's ball game at this point."

Please read the six alternatives here:

Scoping document

Notice that 1, 2 & 3 uphold the boating ban. Alternatives 4 & 5 allow boating but with flow regulations, date regulations and number of boaters limited to four groups of six boaters per day. In none of the first five alternatives do any other user groups have limited numbers. The best option for boaters is #6, however it is still has some weaknesses in that it might be perceived as watering down resource protection.

American Whitewater's Kevin Colburn has written a superior alternative that addresses that situation. Please read that document here:

Participate in the Chattooga Decision

PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY! You can e-mail comments here: comments-southern-francismarion-sumter@fs.fed.us

Please alert your non-internet friends to the urgency of the situation ASAP.

Additionally, the details of the final plan will be hammered out at a public meeting, an "ALTERNATIVES WORKSHOP" on SATURDAY, SEPT. 29th in Walhalla, SC. More on this later.

Thanks for helping. ~ Jeff Tallman