Chattooga Decision Withdrawn

Management of Recreation Uses on the Upper Chattooga River

Background Documents Related to the Withdrawn August 2009 Decisions for Managing Recreation Uses on the Upper Chattooga River

Forest Service Voluntarily withdraws Decisions on Recreation Uses on Upper Chattooga River (USFS Regional News Release December 21, 2009)

• AMERICAN WHITEWATER, AMERICAN CANOE, ASSOCIATION, GEORGIA CANOEING, ASSOCIATION, ATLANTA WHITEWATER CLUB, FOOTHILLS PADDLING CLUB, WESTERN CAROLINA PADDLERS, Joseph C. STUBBS, Kenneth L. STRICKLAND, and Bruce A. HARE, Plaintiffs, v. THOMAS TIDWELL, in his official capacity as Chief of the United States Forest Service; the UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture; ELIZABETH AGPAOA, Regional Forester, Southern Region, United States Forest Service; MONICA J. SCHWALBACH, Acting Forest Supervisor, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests; MARISUE HILLIARD, Forest Supervisor, National Forests in North Carolina; GEORGE M. BAIN, Forest Supervisor, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests; THOMAS VILSACK, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture; the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Defendants.

All documents filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Anderson Division, can be found on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) web site.

Additional inquires can be made to the District Court Clerk's Office in Greenville: 864-241-2700.

• Request for stay of implementation of floating prohibitions on the Upper Chattooga River by John D. Austin, Jr., of Patton Boggs LLP on behalf of American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association and Western Carolina Paddlers (dated October 29, 2009).
  • Letter denying stay for implementation of floating prohibitions on the Upper Chattooga River by John D. Austin, Jr., of Patton Boggs LLP on behalf of American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association and Western Carolina Paddlers (dated November 5, 2009).
  • Michael Bamford letter responding to request for stay of implementation of floating prohibitions on the Upper Chattooga by John D. Austin, Jr., of Patton Boggs LLP on behalf of American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association and Western Carolina Paddlers (dated November 6, 2009)
• Stay Request for boating provisions by Rachel Doughty of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker on behalf of Georgia Forest Watch (dated October 20, 2009)
  • Letter granting stay for boating provisions in response to request by Rachel Doughty of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker LLP on behalf of Georgia Forest Watch (dated October 26, 2009).
  • Letter from American Whitewater requesting that Georgia Forest Watch's stay request be denied (dated October 26, 2009 and received by the US Forest Service after the stay had been granted).
  • Letter from American Whitewater requesting that the U.S. Forest Service reconsider and vacate the stay of the boating provisions on the Upper Chattooga River issued on October 26, 2009 (dated October 29, 2009).
    • Letter from Rachel Doughty of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker LLP on behalf of Georgia Forest Watch responding to American Whitewater's request that the U.S. Forest Service reconsider and vacate the stay of the boating provisions on the Upper Chattooga River issue on October 26, 2009 (dated November 6, 2009).

• 10-08-12-0002 Friends of the Upper Chattooga River (W.C. Clay) dated October 1, 2009.
  • American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association, and Western Carolina Paddlers request to intervene into the "Friends of the Upper Chattooga" appeal (dated October 19, 2009).
    • Letter granting American Whitewater et. al. request to intervene into the "Friends of the Upper Chattooga" appeal (dated October 28, 2009).
  • Transmittal Table and Appeal Record Index (posted December 9, 2009)
  • Letter from Paul Bradley, Marisue Hilliard and George Bain to Friends of the Upper Chattooga to follow up on October 30, 2009 meeting between Paul Bradley, Tony White and representatives of Friends of the Upper Chattooga (dated November 9, 2009).
  • E-mail from Friends of the Upper Chattooga River (W.C. Clay) withdrawing their appeal (dated December 2, 2009).

• 10-08-12-0014 Michael Bamford dated October 15, 2009 (A--1 CRC Flow Guide, A-2 Biased References, A-3 Wagner, A-4 Nearby Creeks, A-5 Fish)
  • American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association, and Western Carolina Paddlers request to intervene into the Michael Bamford appeal (dated October 30, 2009).
    • Letter granting American Whitewater et. al. request to intervene into the Michael Bamford appeal (dated November 3, 2009).
  • Transmittal Table and Appeal Record Index (posted December 9, 2009)
  • American Whitewater et. al. intervenor comments and request to deny the Michael Bamford appeal 10-08-12-0014 (dated December 2, 2009).

• 10-08-12-0018 Rachel Doughty of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker on behalf of Georgia Forest Watch dated October 16, 2009.
  • American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association, and Western Carolina Paddlers request to intervene into the Georgia Forest Watch appeal (dated October 30, 2009).
    • Letter granting American Whitewater et. al. request to intervene into the Georgia Forest Watch appeal (dated November 2, 2009).
  • Letter from Rachel Doughty of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker on behalf of Georgia Forest Watch requesting that certain documents be added to the appeal record for Georgia Forest Watch (dated November 19, 2009).
    • Letter from Paul Bradley to Rachel Doughty responding to request that certain documents be added to the appeal record for Georgia Forest Watch (dated November 19, 2009).
  • Transmittal Table and Appeal Record Index (posted December 9, 2009).
  • American Whitewater et. al. intervenor comments and request to deny the Georgia Forest Watch appeal 10-08-12-0018 (dated December 2, 2009).

• 10-08-12-0020 Chattooga Conservancy (Buzz Williams) dated October 17, 2009.
  • Michael Bamford request to intervene into the Chattooga Conservancy appeal (dated October 19, 2009)
    • Letter granting Michael Bamford request to intervene into the Chattooga Conservancy appeal (dated November 3, 2009).
  • American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association, and Western Carolina Paddlers request to intervene into the Chattooga Conservancy appeal (dated October 30, 2009).
    • Letter granting American Whitewater et. al. request to intervene into the Chattooga Conservancy appeal (dated November 3, 2009).
  • Transmittal Table and Appeal Record Index (posted December 9, 2009)
  • American Whitewater et. al. intervenor comments and request to deny the Chattooga Conservancy appeal 10-08-12-0020 (dated December 2, 2009).

• 10-08-12-0024 American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Atlanta Whitewater Club, Georgia Canoeing Association, and Western Carolina Paddlers dated October 19, 2009.
  • Michael Bamford request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated October 29, 2009)
    • Letter granting Michael Bamford request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated November 3, 2009).
  • Rachel Doughty of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker on behalf of Georgia Forest Watch request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated November 5, 2009)
    • Letter granting Rachel Doughty of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker on behalf of Georgia Forest Watch request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated November 9, 2009).
  • Joseph F. Harrison as agent for the Rust family request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al appeal (dated October 18, 2009).
    • Letter granting Joseph F. Harrison as agent for the Rust family request to intervene into the American Whitewater et al. appeal (dated November 2, 2009).
  • Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated October 29, 2009).
    • Letter granting Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated November 2, 2009).
  • Whiteside Cove Association request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated November 10, 2009).
    • Letter granting Whiteside Cove Association request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated November 12, 2009).
    • Letter denying Whiteside Cove Association request to intervene into the American Whitewater et. al. appeal (dated December 3, 2009).
  • Transmittal Table and Appeal Record Index (posted December 9, 2009)

August 2009 Withdrawn Decision Documents

• Upper Chattooga River EA Briefing Paper
• Upper Chattooga River Environmental Assessment
• Appendix F, Map of Upper Chattooga River Corridor
• Upper Chattooga River Biological Evaluation
• Upper Chattooga River Biological Assessment
• North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office Letter
• South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office Letter
• US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Assessment Letter
• US Fish and Wildlife Service Correction Letter
• Georgia Historic Preservation Concurrence Letter

Sumter National Forest

• Cover Letter, Decision Notice and Plan Amendment

Nantahala National Forest

• Cover Letter
• Decision Notice
• Plan Amendment

Chattahoochee National Forest

• Cover Letter
• Decision Notice and Plan Ammendment

Upper Chattooga River Predecisional Environmental Assessment

• 2008 Upper Chattooga Predecisional Environmental Assessment and Cover Letter
• 2008 Monitoring and Evaluation Annual Report/Sumter National Forest