Selling Off Our Natural Heritage

Southern Forest Treasures at Risk:
Highlights of key parcels on USFS for-sale list (2006)

Roanoke County tract near Route 311 and McAfee Gap. This 121-acre tract is an important visual gateway to the North Mountain Roadless Area and popular Dragons Tooth area. Local residents of Catawba Valley and the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors are opposed to the sale. (Tract J-329)
450+- acre parcel contiguous to national forest land in the High Knob area of the Jefferson National Forest that drains into tributaries of the Clinch River, home of numerous endangered fresh water mussels. (Tracts J-1059 and J-1i, Scott County)
Over 1,600 acres northeast of the beautiful and popular Burkes Garden area in Bland County. These tracts are important to the long term conservation of the Burkes Garden area and its many natural and scenic attributes, and for meeting growing recreation demand in this area. (Tracts J-1101c, d, and e)
Governor Tim Kaine has publicly stated his opposition to the sale.

A 570-acre parcel in the Pisgah National Forest in Madison County contains old growth and may be in the viewshed of the Appalachian Trail. (Tract U-472h-i)
Tracts totaling more then 2,300 acres in the Pisgah National Forest are designated Important Bird Areas by the National Audubon Society due to their importance for protecting and conserving many migratory song birds and their habitat.
Four tracts totaling 446 acres are adjacent to the scenic Needmore tract, a conservation tract along the Little Tennessee River recently acquired by the state in North Carolina’s westernmost counties. These tracts are important for long-term conservation of at-risk aquatic species and maintenance of water quality. (Tracts N–143v, w, x, y, Swain County)
Governor Mike Easley has publicly stated his opposition to the sale.

A 250-acre tract in Rabun County contains the headwaters of Betty Creek, an important trout stream with high aquatic diversity. Development on this steep tract would no doubt lead to erosion and sedimentation in this important watershed. (Tract S-485d, Rabun County)
Five tracts in Towns and Union counties are in close proximity to the Brasstown Wilderness Area in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Sale and development of these tracts could adversely impact the natural value and visitor experience of the wilderness area. (Tracts C-998 and 1094, G-57Ay, Ar, As)

Tracts in Polk and Monroe counties in the Cherokee National Forest form a 639-acre block that provides an important corridor for wildlife movement between existing national forest lands. Disposal of these lands would adversely impact wildlife habitat and public recreation opportunities. (Tracts K-201, 650, 199, 200, 402a and 3-VI)
Governor Phil Bredesen has publicly stated his opposition to the sale.

Over 1,000 acres are proposed for sale in Berkeley County around the Francis Marion National Forest. The Berkeley County Council has formally opposed the sale as it is fighting to maintain open space in this fast-growing coastal region. (17 tracts in Berkeley County, SC)
Most all of the tracts in the mountains of upstate South Carolina in the Sumter National Forest are adjacent to existing Forest Service land. These tracts of up to 330 acres in size host important headwater streams of the Chauga River, a candidate scenic river, and the Savannah River.

The Forest Service proposes to sell a mile of frontage on both sides of the Blackwater River, a vitally important corridor for recreation and wildlife. This 277-acre tract of public land is nearly adjacent to the main area of the Conecuh National Forest. (Tract C-10, Section 036, Escambia County)
Numerous tracts in the fragmented southern Bankhead National Forest have the potential to be exchanged for larger acreages to help consolidate Forest Service land in this area. Many of the tracts proposed for sale have waterfront on Lewis Smith Lake, increasing their value for potential land exchange. (Tracts B-85, multiple sections, Winston County)