Disappearing Wildlands of Georgia Mountains and Rivers

Disappearing Wildlands of Georgia Mountains and Rivers Congressional Districts: 9 and 10 Dawson, Lumpkin, Gilmer, Murray, GEORGIA Members: Tom Graves and Paul Broun and Putnam Counties Location Northern mountains and central Piedmont Acquired to Date within an hour’s drive of Atlanta and Macon; 7 tracts on or adjoining Method Acres Cost ($) Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest: Purchase 3,485 $18,245,000 Chattahoochee (1), Oconee (1), Etowah Exchange 0 0 (1), Conasauga (3), and Coosawattee (1). Donation 599 $6,500,000 Partners 1,715 $10,945,000 Purpose Protect southern watersheds and other President’s List FY2011 non-renewable natural resources, while Method Acres Cost ($) reconnecting Americans to the great Purchase 390 $1,700,000 outdoors. President’s Budget FY12 Method Acres Cost ($) Purchase All owners are willing sellers, and a few Purchase 283 $2,000,000 Opportunities are open to a phased sale. Several tracts are under contract, subject to Federal Pending Future Request(s) funding. Discussions are underway with Method Acres Cost ($) Oconee and Conassauga owners. Purchase 1,214 $5,300,000 Partners The Nature Conservancy (Etowah), The Conservation Fund (Coosawattee), the Trust for Public Land (Chattahoochee). Cooperators include the Georgia Land Conservation Center, Trout Unlimited, The Wilderness Society, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Upper Etowah River Alliance, Georgia River Network, Southern Off Road Bicycle Association, Mountain Conservation Trust, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Project Georgia’s national forests are located near population centers that number in the millions, creating Description pressures for clean water and recreation that have far exceeded the forests’ ability to deliver. Especially worrisome are recent State water wars, pitting the needs of Atlanta homes and businesses against those of Alabama and Florida and putting fish-dependent economies of the Gulf Coast in jeopardy. Previously unheard of, drought has become regular occurrence, leaving experts to speculate on global change as the culprit. Both the Chattahoochee and Oconee are disturbingly close to encroaching cities, whose populations look to them for back-yard recreation. Because they contain the last of the State's remaining wildlands, it is essential that they maintain the headwaters so critical to the State’s citizens, maintain landscapes capable of sheltering existing wildlife and fish species, and offer a refuge for species that may require shelter from global change, forest fragmentation, and other human disturbances. Forest inholdings are vulnerable to development and uses that are incompatible with natural resource protection, with resulting reductions in carbon sequestration and potential impacts to rivers, soils, and certain plants and animals. Several of the nominated tracts have been purchased for residential development, but recent economic conditions have provided opportunities for acquisition. Acquisition will improve critical riparian systems where some of the South’s most vital watersheds originate. It will connect ecosystems so that healthy populations of rare wildlife and fish may thrive, such as in the upper Etowah which covers 3 percent of the State yet holds nearly half the fish species and in the Conasauga which is home to many mussel types and more than 90 fish species, 12 of them Federally listed, and is reported to have lost 99 percent of some aquatic populations. And finally, it offers a refuge for animal and plant species that require shelter from rising temperatures, forest fragmentation, and human disturbances. USDA Goal Conserve, restore, and increase resilience to future climate changes, while protecting the supply of clean and abundant water for the southern states that are downstream. Future generations of southern Americans will benefit greatly from these efforts. I24 ! I59 1¬« ! ¬« ! ¬« 4 2 I75 I575 I985 I85 I285 Athens Atlanta I675 I20 I85 ! 3¬« I185 I475 MaconI16 1 - Conasauga & Coosawattee Basin GEORGIA MOUNTAINS & RIVERS 2 - Etowah River Basin 2012 LWCF Project Nominations This map depicts USDA Forest Service Land Status Record data 3 - Oconee River Basin and the approximate location of the proposed purchase parcels. 4 - Chattahoochee River Basin State of Georgia - City Limits 9th and 10th Congressional Districts Forest Service Region 8 - National Forest Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest ¯ The USDA Forest Service makes no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding the data displayed on this map, and reserves the right to 0 45 90 correct, update, modify, or replace, this information without notice. Miles AJaume 2010 Disappearing Wildlands of Georgia Mountains and Rivers Healthy Watersheds: North Georgia is where some of the South’s most vital watersheds originate. The 2007 water shortage in the Atlanta area created serious conflicts among three States which can be expected to escalate with warming temperatures, droughts, and increased demand for water. This project provides an opportunity to acquire several miles of streams and rivers and enhance watersheds in need of rehabilitation on the Chattahoochee, Coosawattee, Conasauga, Etowah, and Oconee Rivers. Wetland & Riparian Habitat: Some stunning and unique riparian habitat exists on the Coosawattee tract, which is virtually untouched by human disturbances but was bought for second home development in 2006. Building roads and clearing for residential lots would severely damage this watershed. Recently, two of the Etowah tracts were partially cleared by developers; this offers a limited-time opportunity to rehabilitate degraded wetland habitats. Diverse Habitats for Threatened or Endangered Species: The upper Etowah watershed only covers 3 percent of the State, yet holds 42 percent of the State’s fish species. More than 30 of its fish- and aquatic-invertebrate species are on the verge of Federal listing. Notably at risk are four that exist nowhere else. The Conasauga River is home to many mussel types and more than 90 fish species (12 Federally listed) and is reported to have lost 99 percent of some aquatic populations. More than 60 miles of this river and its tributaries are on Georgia’s List of Impaired Waters. The Oconee tract is completely within (and bordered by), a national forest area designated for management of the red cockaded woodpecker, which is Federally listed because its habitat requirements for nesting and foraging are so specialized. Plans are already underway to relocate part of the population closer to the Oconee tract once the habitat is satisfactorily connected and all necessary lands are under Federal management. Adaptation to Reduce Climate Change Impacts: This project can assist in manipulating central and north Georgia ecosystems for higher resiliency to changes in temperature and other weather patterns. Much of the Oconee tract can be converted to longleaf pine, adding to previous acquisitions that were aimed at restoring this fire dependent species. Additionally, streamside vegetation and in-stream habitats can become healthier when springs and headwaters are protected and these aquatic habitats are re-established and uninterrupted by developed lands. Fish and other related species can withstand the impacts of changes when streams and floodplains are in a more natural, resilient condition. Conserve Open Space: Without intervention, close proximity to Atlanta and Macon and a steady loss of “green spaces” in north Georgia assures eventual conversion of these tracts to other uses, with development attempts already underway on some acres. This project will support recent upstream efforts such a 70-acre tract recently placed a conservation easement by the Georgia Land Trust, Inc and State acquisitions of a 500-acre tract on the Etowah River for wetlands mitigation and a 1,200-acre conservation easement on the Conasauga River. Climate Change Mitigation: The potential for Georgia’s national forests to absorb carbon dioxide is considerable. The project tracts are capable of storing 90,000 tons of carbon over the next half century. If developed with buildings, roads, and other improvements, their capacity for carbon sequestration would cease to exist. Recreational Use & Public Access: Having public lands so close to Atlanta enables thousands of families to get outside and connect with the outdoors for hiking, bicycling, photographing, and camping. Five of the project tracts are located within wildlife management areas where fishing and hunting are popular. Four provide cold water habitat for trout. The Coosawattee tract offers a spectacular landscape that includes a unique waterfall. The Chattahoochee tract provides a stretch of river for flyfishing. Currently off-limits to the visitors, some of these tracts also block access to large sections of public land. The acquisition will open them to more people and to more diverse outdoor uses. Access roads and infrastructure are already in place so the cost to the Agency would be low. Cultural & Heritage Resources: One or more multi-component prehistoric sites are known to exist on the Oconee tract, potentially very significant because of the multiple occupations represented, the landforms present, and the results of surveys on nearby national forests. One historic period site has been found on the Coosawattee tract. Because they have similar landforms, the other tracts are also likely to have similar cultural resources. Increased Efficiency: All the project tracts lie within national forest boundaries. All but two are complete inholdings, and two are on the outer edge

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