Chattahoochee - Oconee National Forests

The Chattahoochee National Forest of north Georgia, and the Oconee National Forest of central Georgia, contain the last of the state’s remaining wildlands. The Chattahoochee is home to the headwaters of the Chattahoochee river, Atlanta’s drinking water source, and home to some of the most biologically diverse watersheds in north America. It is the site of our last remaining old growth forest and a haven for millions of tourists each year seeking solitude and spiritual renewal. It is also one of two Urban National Forests, so designated because of its proximity to four million people. However, over 70 percent of the Chattahoochee and almost 80 percent of the Oconee is open to logging, resource extraction, and roadbuilding.

Upcoming projects

Visit Georgia Forest Watch to learn more about what is happening on the Chattahoochee.

Struggle over Transmission Line in Rabun County

The Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) claims that it has identified an increased electrical demand in Rabun County, which is located in Northeast Georgia and contains nearly 149,000 acres of  the Chattahoochee National Forest.   GTC applied for a special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service in order to build the line on National Forest land.

The proposed line, called alternative line "D," would be located on a five-mile stretch of land that lies beside Glassy Mountain and is adjacent to the Worley Ridge Mountain Treasures area.   The line would span a breathtaking waterfall and severely impact Timpson Creek, a primary trout stream.

We feel that this is a precedent-setting case.   More and more often, industry and private companies are looking to our National Forest as a cheap, easy way to make money.  

 

OHV use

The growing problem of illegal off-road vehicle (ORV) use on the public lands of the National Forests in Georgia is out of the control of the government agency pledged to care for these same forests. The U.S. Forest Service is responsible for the management and protection of all the natural resources on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and should move rapidly in a direction that will stem the problem and begin the restorative processes. 

 

For more information about these forests visit Georgia Forest Watch or the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. 

This map illustrates SAFC vision for protection vs. the current level of protection, as well as the size of state and federal land vs. the size of urban areas. Enlarged Legend