More than 63,000 acres of Chattahoochee
National Forest at Risk of Logging, Road Building
ATLANTA—Conservation, recreation and
environmental groups gathered at the steps of the State Capitol to deliver
4,000 postcards and letters to Gov. Perdue from citizens throughout Georgia, and called on him to petition the U.S.
Forest Service to restore protections to more than 63,000 acres of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
"The thousands of comments delivered today to Gov. Perdue demonstrate
the overwhelming public support for action to protect the Chattahoochee
National Forest from logging and roadbuilding," said Stephanie Powell,
Campaign Coordinator with Environment Georgia. "The Chattahoochee National
Forest is a critical resource for the state and
its services and beauty should be protected for future generations of Georgians."
Encompassing more than 750,000 acres in North Georgia, the Chattahoochee National Forest
draws more than 10 million visitors each year.
The forest also provides critical services like clean drinking water,
erosion and flood control, habitat for wildlife, clean air and endless
opportunities for recreation and solitude.
More than 2200 miles of rivers and streams run through the forest,
including the headwaters of the Chattahoochee
and three other major southern rivers.
“With over 1200 miles of road criss-crossing our national forests in
Georgia, a maintenance backlog of over $14 million and thousands of acres of
overly thick, unhealthy forest the last thing these pristine areas need is
roads and logging,” said Wayne Jenkins, Director of Georgia Forest Watch.
After years of research, hundreds of public hearings and millions of public
comments in support of greater forest protections, the Roadless Area
Conservation Rule was enacted in 2001. More
than 42,000 Georgians submitted comments in favor of strong protections for
roadless forests. The rule protects more
than 58.5 million acres of national forest from most types of logging, mining
and development.
In 2005, the U.S. Forest Service, under the direction of the Bush
administration, repealed the rule but left in a provision that allows governors
to petition the U.S. Forest Service to restore protections. But, they must submit their petitions before
November 13, 2006. To date, the
governors of Virginia, North
Carolina and South
Carolina have petitioned the Forest Service to
restore protections for roadless portions of the national forests in their
state.
“With the fast paced growth our state is facing, it is essential that we
preserve our last pristine forest areas.
It is our duty to be good stewards, to preserve Georgia’s
wonderful green legacy for those yet to be.” Joan Brown, Garden Club of Georgia.
"The Perdue administration has a historical opportunity to protect our
natural heritage for future generations," Powell concluded. "The
Governor likes to say that if you take care of the land, it will take care of
you. Right now, we need him to take care
of the Chattahoochee
National Forest."
