Chattahoochee-Oconee to Host Public Meetings on Trails

Earlier this week the USDA Forest Service announced a series of meetings to provide opportunities for public discussion on the long-term management of recreation trails in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The meetings are the beginning of a new collaborative effort to understand the desires and expectations of trail recreationists and to develop a common understanding of the natural resource management issues and needs.

“We hope this will bring about strong partnerships to ensure the forest has a sustainable trail system,” said George Bain, Forest Supervisor of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

Information on the trail system is currently available in all Forest Service offices and on the website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/conf under the section entitled “Recreation”. The agency will share further detailed information about the trail system during the public meetings.

These meetings are open to all and will be held at five convenient locations to give the public several opportunities to participate. Each meeting is designed to be the same. To further encourage participation, the Forest Service is using new media tools in conjunction with the public meetings. Please sign up to follow the Forest Service on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChattOconeeNF.

Encompassing around 867,000 acres across 26 counties, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest provides the finest outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resources in Georgia. Featuring nearly 118,000 acres of designated Wilderness, more than 800 miles of recreation trails, and dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas, and other recreation activity opportunities, these lands are rich in natural scenery, history and culture.

The dates for the five meeting will be: 2/15, 2/17, 2/26, 3/8 and 3/10. For more information, and locations for each of these meetings, please click here.





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com