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sabp at main_nc.us (annepien): Consauga Ecosystem Letter
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: sabp at main_nc.us (annepien)
To: RobertRice at juno_com
Subject: Consauga Ecosystem Letter
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 10:20:08 -0500
Message-ID: <v01540b00630b65150bb8@[208.133.44.130]>
12 February 1998
Note to Robert Rice: Bill McLarnery suggested I forward this letter and
information to you because of the strong scientific membership of your
organization. If it would be possible to circulate this letter among
some
or all of the scientists in your organization, we would be much
indebted.
As noted in the leter, the deadline for sign-on is 27 Febrary. Tha k you
for your help.
To: Members of the NANFA Endangered Species Program
From: Brownie Newman
Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project
Re: Sign-on letter for the Conasauga River Ecosystem.
I would like to ask you to take a moment from your busy schedule
to
help protect one of America's most important centers of biological
diversity. The Conasauga Watershed in Georgia and Tennessee is
considered
one of the most diverse river ecosystems in America. Dr. David Etnier
has
written that the Conasauga River "is arguably the highest concentration
of
federally protected species in North America." The Conasauga hosts more
than 90 species of fish and 42 species of mussels. Twelve species are
currently listed under the Endangered Species Act, and according to Dr.
Etnier, several other species warrant listing.
About 25% of the upper reaches of the watershed are in public
lands
(all national forest). The rest of the watershed is private lands
undergoing rapid development which is degrading water quality. For this
reason, the parts of the watershed in public ownership represent the best
chances for maintaining a high level of ecological integrity.
Unfortunately, three commercial timber projects are being
developed
in the headwaters of the Conasauga watershed on national forest lands.
The
projects involve building many miles of new logging roads and hundreds of
acres of intensive logging. Cutting these new roads across the steep
mountainsides in the headwaters of the Conasauga would deposit
substantial
sediment loads into the river. In fact, the Forest Service concedes that
"...roads are the main source of sediment associated with Forest Service
lands" in the Conasauga Watershed and that "Erosion from road surfaces is
the primary primary source of sediment delivery from upland sources to
streams."
Scientists who are most familiar with the Conasauga ecosystem
have
taken a lead role in efforts to protect the ecosystem. Last year Dr.
David
Etnier, author of The Fishes of Tennessee, wrote a letter (which is
enclosed) to the local congressman which has significantly influenced the
debate. A sign-on letter is now being circulated in the scientific
community which will be sent to Dan Glickman, the Secretary of
Agriculture,
discussing the national and global importance of this ecosystem. Dr.
Etnier is a lead signatory scientist. We would like to ask for you to
consider being a signatory scientist on this letter.
If you would like to sign onto this letter, you may indicate by
e-mailing us at sabp at main_nc.us or by simply mailing back the letter to
Secretary Glickman with your signature on it (and printed exactly as you
wish to have it on the letter). The signatures will then be transferred
onto a master copy of the letter and mailed in.
Thank you very much for your attention to this and for your help
in
protecing one of America's most ecologically diverse rivers.
Sincerely,
Brownie Newman, Coordinator
Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project
P.S. The deadline for response is 24 February.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Dan Glickman
Secretary of Agriculture
200 A Whitten Building
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Secretary Glickman,
It has come to our attention that the Forest Service is making
plans for the future management of its lands that occur in the Conasauga
Watershed on the Cherokee and Chattahoochee National Forests in Georgia
and
Tennessee. Due to the global ecological significance of this watershed,
we
would like to contribute the following comments regarding its future.
The upper Conasauga River is one of the nation's premier river
ecosystems in terms of biological diversity. It hosts one of the
country's
highest concentrations of federally protected species, including twelve
federally Threatened and Endangered fish and mollusk species. Many of
the
rare species have populations on or just downstream from the national
forest lands. The Conasauga is like the Smoky Mountains of our river
ecosystems and deserves the highest possible conservation status.
There is consensus in the scientific community that sedimentation
is one of the primary factors adversely impacting aquatic communities in
the United States. The Forest Service has indicated that existing roads
are
the primary source of sediment in the headwaters of the Conasauga.
Preventing new sources of sediment and remedying existing problems should
be a paramount goal for public lands management in the Conasauga and
other
high biodiversity watersheds.
Only about 25% of the Conasauga Watershed is in national forest
ownership. Unfortunately, developments on private lands are degrading
water
quality. It is therefore critically important that the streams flowing
from the national forest lands in the headwaters of the river system
remain
as high quality as possible.
As one of the nation's most important centers of biodiversity,
we
support permanent protection for the part of the Conasauga Watershed that
occurs on public lands. The Forest Service should take administrative
actions to protect and restore the watershed for its globally important
biological values through the Forest Plan revision process and assure
that
no actions are taken that could contribute sediment to the river until
that
process is completed.
Thank you very much for your attention to this letter. We hope
that it may be of some help when considering the future of this
irreplaceable river ecosystem.
Sincerely,
Scientists who have signed on thus far Total = 23
David A. Etnier
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Tennessee
Bryon J. Freeman
Institute of Ecology
University of Georgia
George W. Benz, Ph.D.
Director, Southeast Aquatic Research Institute
Chief Research Scientist, Tennessee Aquarium
Dan Simberloff
University of Tennesee
Michael L. McKinney
Professor of Ecology and Geography
University of Tennessee
Dr. H. Ronald Pulliam
Professor, Instute of Ecology
University of Georgia
David Ehrenfeld
Professor of Biology
Rutgers University
William O. McLarney, Ph.D.
Consulting Biologist
Timothy M. Casey, Professor II
Director, Rutgers University Biodiversity Center
James R. Karr
Professor of Fisheries and Zoology
University of Washington
Gordon Orians
Professor Emeritus of Zoology
University of Washington
Jay Sexton
Faculty Research Assistant
Oregon State University
Christopher A. Frissell
Research Assistant Professor
Flathead Lake Biological Station
The University of Montana
Walter Dodds
Associate Professor of Biology
Kansas State University
Dr. Mark Riegner
Professor of Environmental Studies
Prescott College
Joel C. Barnes
Environmental Studies faculty
Prescott College
David H. Benzing
Professor of Biology
Oberline College
Robin S. Treichel, Ph.D.
Dana Faculty Fellow and Associate Proessor of Biology
Oberlin College
Craig Stockwell
Assistant Professor of Zoology
North Dakota State University
Heidi H. Schmidt
Senior Assistant
Missouri Botanical Garden
Eugene A. Schubert
Research Asssistant
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Richard Clinebell II
Doctoral Candidate
Russell Lande
Professor, Department of Biology
University of Oregon
-------------------------------------------
Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project
PO Box 3141
Asheville, NC 28802
(704) 258-2667
sabp at main_nc.us
--------- End forwarded message ----------
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