It appears that our legislators, in cahoots with preservation oriented groups, are hell-bent to place much, if not most, of our National Forest acreage in some type of special designation that severely restricts public use of these lands. Nathan Deal, our Congressman, submitted Bill HR 707 to Congress earlier this year, proposing to add over 8,000 more acres of Wilderness and the 13,000 plus acre Mountaintown tract as a Scenic Area (sometimes referred to as “Wilderness Lite”) on the Chattahoochee N.F.

The problem is that in initiating this legislation, Mr. Deal worked only with ForestWatch in formulating it, leaving out individuals and groups representing other segments of the public. ForestWatch is a coalition of preservation groups in Georgia guided primarily by the Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society, two radical organizations that are opposed to active management of the National Forests. Congressman Jenkins, Mr. Deal’s predecessor took the same approach several years ago, working with the Wilderness Society and Forest Service, while excluding opponents, in setting up the last Wilderness Areas established on the Chattahoochee. That legislation also included the Ed Jenkins NRA and the Coosa Bald Scenic Area, which are practically as restrictive as Wilderness designation. It was all planned and put in place before the public even knew about it.

It appears that people may be a little more aware of what is happening to the National Forests than during Jenkins' reign. Congressman Deal received enough negative feedback from his original proposal (HR 707) that he withdrew it. However, he wasted little time in re-formulating and coming up with a new proposal aimed at the most important part of the old Bill. His new Bill, HR 4092, includes only the 13,000 acre Mountaintown Scenic Area proposal. By dropping the Wilderness portion of the old bill he probably figured he would get little opposition to the Scenic Area proposal.

What everyone needs to understand is that Scenic Area designation is practically as restrictive as Wilderness designation (therefore the “Wilderness Lite” descriptive term). Roads will be closed and active management terminated, other than possibly allowing maintenance of a few wildlife openings. The most critical need for wildlife, especially in the Mountaintown area of the Chattahoochee National Forest, is early successional habitat created by timber harvesting. The Mountaintown Scenic proposal is located immediately adjacent to the Cohutta Wilderness Area, which, at nearly 40,000 acres, is already the largest established Wilderness Area on National Forests in the East. We certainly don’t need another 13,000 acres that we can’t manage added to the total in that area!

Less than half the Chattahoochee National Forest is available for effective wildlife management at present. It’s time the public let Congressman Deal and other legislators know that the National Forests are out there for everyone to use, and should not be locked up to serve the whims of a few radical preservation groups.

MONTE E. SEEHORN
Gainesville, GA
mseehorn@comcast.net

Mr. Seehorn is professionally certified as both a Wildlife Biologist and Fishery Scientist and has been involved in both fields throughout his career. He has worked extensively in both cold and warm water fisheries throughout the Southeastern Region, and has also worked with all game species in the south, with special emphasis on ruffed grouse management.  Mr. Seehorn provided technical input to many wildlife and most all major fishery issues in the Forest Service’s Southeastern Region from 1966 until retirement in September 1994.