Forest Service delays decision on Upper Chattooga River recreation

The Forest Service has delayed its final decision on whether to allow boating on the Upper Chattooga River until next year.

[Grant]

The USFS is adding an additional 7 miles of boating on top of the 30+ miles that already allows unlimited boating.
Like spoiled children, kayakers at American Whitewater demand ALL the Chattooga be opened to kayaking regardless of how that may impact other visitors.
I hope the USFS has the good sense not to cave into the litigious threats from these brats.

[caleb]

Grant - How would allowing kayaking impact other visitors?
Why is it not allowed on those 7 miles in the first place?

[Grant]

caleb wrote:

Grant - How would allowing kayaking impact other visitors?
Why is it not allowed on those 7 miles in the first place?

Obviously, you have never tried to fish in a narrow stream while boats paddle past.
Paddling boats = no fish to catch.
If you were not listening over the past five years, you didn't hear the swimmers, birders, hunters and hikers ALSO preferred a section of the river to be boat-free.

[Kevin]

The USFS needs more time because they continue to try to pound a square peg into a round hole. Banning boating again is a backwards plan that makes no sense.

[Grant]

Kevin wrote:

The USFS needs more time because they continue to try to pound a square peg into a round hole. Banning boating again is a backwards plan that makes no sense.

Obviously, a square peg (boat) does not belong in a round hole (the upper Chattooga). It is too bad all kayakers do not see themselves as trying to force-fit themselves where they don't belong.

[Chris]

Grant, how many miles of the Chattooga are open to fishing? How many days a year is section of the Chattooga closed to boating fishable? How many days a year do you think the closed section would be boatable? How many of the fishable and boatable days do you think overlap?

[Grant]

Chris wrote:

How many miles of the Chattooga are open to fishing?[/Quote] 57, but the USFS does not stock the lower 30 miles because of conflicts with boaters. In addition most anglers avoid the lower reaches because of conflicts with anglers.

[QUOTE] How many days a year is section of the Chattooga closed to boating fishable?

According to the USFS's 2006 Expert Panel Report, 95% of the boatable days overlap with angling.

How many days a year do you think the closed section would be boatable?

honestly about 15 but the boaters said 100 days. They screwed themselves by getting greedy and stretching the truth during the study.

How many of the fishable and boatable days do you think overlap?

I thought only a few but the 2006 report indicates a 95% overlap. go figure! Numerous boaters say fishing and paddling occur at different times; if this were true, no fisherman would have ever encountered a kayaker. Are you suggesting you never meet a fisherman on a paddling trip? or discussed this at UNC? Boating Beta?

[Grant]

For some great info try this link from teh North Carolina Wildlife Federation.
http://www.ncwildlifefederation.org/alerts/al...

[Caledonia]

Grant wrote:

For some great info try this link from teh North Carolina Wildlife Federation.
http://www.ncwildlifefederation.org/alerts/al...

Who's the spoiled brat? Look in the mirror, Grant.

[yes]

Just ban everyone and be done with it.

[Bob]

Follow this link and you'll understand who the spoiled brat is:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Jou...

[Grant]

Bob, how are things in California!
According to the link.. Mr. Scull's dying wish was to open the river to boating... but after writing this long essay he expired before he could hit the [send] button to the USFS.
Wow that convinced me these poor boaters should be given everything they want!

[JEB]

As a professional fly fishing guide and author as well as a whitewater kayaker I believe that the watershed can be shared by both parties. The flows that kayakers need to use this section of river are high for fishing. These flows also occur less that 30 days per year. I would venture to say that 30 days out of 365 isn't too imposing especially since fishing at high water isn't exactly optimum and anyone fishing is doing so out of desperation or lack of knowledge of alternate areas to fish. The same holds true for kayakers running rivers at low flows that are conducive to fishing. I challenge any fisherman or kayaker to an open discussion on this issue.

[grant]

Jeb,
Obviously, things look different from Montana.
The Chattooga WSR has an established compromise. 62% allows unlimited boating and the balance is protected for anglers, hikers, swimmers and others visitors.
Your argument about flows separating boaters and anglers was found to be false by the USFS during the 2 year study on the Chattooga. Check out his link http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/E...
The lower Chattooga has already displaced many anglers and the USFS study indicates expanding kayaking will just displace more anglers with no alternative boat-free fishing sites.

[umm]

grant wrote:

Jeb,
Obviously, things look different from Montana.
The Chattooga WSR has an established compromise. 62% allows unlimited boating and the balance is protected for anglers, hikers, swimmers and others visitors.
Your argument about flows separating boaters and anglers was found to be false by the USFS during the 2 year study on the Chattooga. Check out his link http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/E...
The lower Chattooga has already displaced many anglers and the USFS study indicates expanding kayaking will just displace more anglers with no alternative boat-free fishing sites.

Mt =Montana, MO=Missouri. You're proving yourself.