Forest Service finalizes Regulatory Updates for Portions of Chattooga Wild and Scenic River

The USDA Forest Service recently finalized an update to regulatory measures at 36 CFR 261.77 for the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, which flows through the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia, and the Sumter National Forest in South Carolina. The update makes the regulation consistent with current management activities of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River. The revised regulation reflects the decisions that were made by the Forest Service in 2012 to allow floating activities on National Forest System lands above GA/SC Highway 28, with certain restrictions. “This updated regulation will not change on-the-ground management of activities on the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River in North Carolina, South Carolina or Georgia.” said John Campbell, Forest Service Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River program manager for the Southern Region. “It aligns our regulations with current management practices.” The original Chattooga Wild and Scenic River regulation was issued in 1978. Like the update, the original only allowed floating activities through a permit or a special use authorization. However, the previous rule only applied to portions of the river within Chattahoochee National Forest on the Georgia side of the river. It did not apply to the portion of the river in Sumter National Forest on the South Carolina side and did not address use on any portion of the river in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. The previous rule also identified specific locations where permits could be obtained. The updated regulation eliminates references to specific locations where permits can be obtained for the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River since those locations may vary over time. More information on the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ChattoogaWildandScenicRiver.