Rough Ridge Timber Sale (TN)
The Forest Service plans to log 267 acres and build or rebuild almost five miles of logging roads in the Laurel Fork area of the Cherokee National Forest, just east of Johnson City. The Rough Ridge timber sale would threaten water quality in the watershed of Laurel Fork, a popular fishing stream, harm old-growth forest ecosystems, mar scenic views along the Appalachian Trail and numerous other trails, and jeopardize the tourism-related economies of local communities.
In addition, the Rough Ridge project would set a bad precedent for how the Forest Service manages the natural resources on these public lands for the next 10 to 15 years. Rough Ridge is one of the first major logging projects proposed under the Cherokee's new land-use management plan, which contains numerous flaws in terms of protecting the natural resources on these public lands for the long-term. The timber sale adheres to flawed aspects of the plan, or even disregards the plan altogether, itself a violation of federal law.
SELC filed an administrative appeal of the timber sale with the Forest Service on August 20, 2007. We filed the appeal on behalf of Cherokee Forest Voices, the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and The Wilderness Society.
The Rough Ridge project grew out of a larger proposed timber sale that SELC and our partners had opposed in 2004. Though smaller in size, the Rough Ridge sale still violates the National Environmental Policy Act, in addition to several of the Forest Service's own standards and guidelines. For example, in developing the Cherokee plan, the Forest Service told the public it would build just one mile of new permanent road every decade, but already the agency has plans to build four times that.
Also, the USFS Southern Region directs each forest to preserve existing old growth - and to set aside future old-growth reserves - in executing each timber sale and other projects. The Cherokee managers failed to do so, even though the conservation groups conducted field surveys to identify and recommend such areas.
The logging project also jeopardizes the economic vitality of local communities. According to the agency's own statistics, well over 2 million people visited the Cherokee National Forest in 2002, and annual spending per visitor on outdoor recreation averages $1,197. State numbers show that travel and tourism provide Carter County upwards of $25 million a year and more than 150 jobs.
The Rough Ridge area has plentiful features to attract these outdoor enthusiasts. It is part of the Watauga Lake Recreation Zone and the Laurel Fork Black Bear Reserve, and is bordered by the Dennis Cove Recreation Area, the Pond Mountain Wilderness Area and the Slide Hollow Roadless Area. The AT runs along one edge of the project area and overlooks all stands slated for logging, and the project area itself is criss-crossed by hiking and mountain biking trails.
