Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Chattooga River Corridor

In an effort to keep you better informed, we are creating a public website that is a resource for information associated with the management of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River.

Forest Service finalizes regulatory updates for portions of Chattooga Wild and Scenic River

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.

The proposal will be published in the Federal Register on November 7, and can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-24569.

For more information, see the full news release.

What’s Happening?

Monitoring in the Chattooga Wild & Scenic River.

On January 31, 2012 the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (Forest Service) Amended the Land and Resource Management Plans for the Sumter (South Carolina), Chattahoochee (Georgia), and Nantahala (North Carolina) National Forests. The amendment included monitoring questions for visitor use impacts in the segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River (WSR) upstream of the Highway 28 bridge (Upper River)

If you are interested in reading about the results of monitoring efforts, that information is contained in the Monitoring Reports for the each of the three national forests.  The Sumter Monitoring reports are posted on-line at Francis Marion and Sumter Monitoring Reports. The 2012 forest amendments included four monitoring questions on visitor use.  The first monitoring report on visitor use is available, click here.

Revisions to § 261.77 Prohibitions in Region 8, Southern Region

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to amend the regulatory prohibitions that are applicable to the Chattooga WSR (36 CFR 261.77), which flows through the Nantahala NF in NC, the Chattahoochee NF in GA, and the Sumter NF in SC.  36 CFR 261.77 was originally issued on January 27, 1978, prohibiting floating activities on the Chattooga WSR unless authorized by a permit or a special use permit. The proposed change to § 261.77 is to accurately align the regulations with the decisions on floating the Chattooga WSR that were made with the forest plan amendment in 2012, which permits floating on the upper reaches of the Chattooga WSR that are also located on the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina.

Previous Management Decisions

Click on the following links to learn about recent management decisions affecting the corridor for the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River.

2015 – Chattooga River Boating Access

2012- Managing Recreation in the Upper Section of the Chattooga WSR

Background Documents and Information

Comments on Proposed 36 CFR 261.77

Federal Register Notice of Proposed Rule Change

Signed Decision Notices

Objection Meeting Notification

30-day Extension of Objection Period

Chattooga River Boating Access: Objections Filed

American Whitewater

Bill Floyd

Chattooga Conservancy

 Georgia Forest Watch

 Rust Family

Whiteside Cove

Select highlighted titile to see more information.

Chattooga River Boating Access EA and related documents

Chattooga River Boating Access Proposal

Washington Office Decides not to Complete Discretionary Review

Regional Office Submits Records for Discretionary Review

Comments to the Chief of the Forest Service

Reviewing Officer's Decision on Six Forest Plan Amendment Appeals

USFS Grants Greenfire Law Stay Request (March 27, 2012)

Appeals and Stay Requests (updated April 17, 2012)

Final USFS Decisions (updated Feb. 12, 2012)

South Carolina Documents
Georgia Documents
North Carolina Documents

Public Comments on the July, 2011 EA (updated Sept. 6, 2011) 

Update August 5, 2011

Update August 1, 2011