Rescue Tellico! Another attack on out rights to wheel! PLEASE RESPOND!

[Blue Ridge Runner]

This article was retrieved from the back stabbers web page:

http://www.tu.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=7dJEKTNuFmG&b=901105&ct=2053457


2006 Bottle Bill announced at Tellico River

March 10, 2006
The Chattanoogan (TN)

As part of Saturday's (March 11) Tellico River cleanup, several hundred volunteers will pick up several tons of litter, much of which is sure to be bottles and cans.

To Mt. Juliet’s Marge Davis, coordinator of the Tennessee Bottle Bill Project, it’s a perfect chance to announce the 2006 Tennessee bottle bill.

Joined by members of Scenic Tennessee and other supporters, Davis will talk to the press at 8:30 a.m. at the State Line Campground, located at the end of the Tellico River Road at the Tennessee/North Carolina border.

Each year the campground serves as a staging area for volunteers taking part in the annual cleanup of the Tellico and North rivers. The event, which is sponsored by the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Forest Service and others, typically attracts more than 200 participants and packs out nearly 500 bags of litter.

“This is one of the biggest litter cleanups in the state,” said Davis, “and everyone says that beverage containers are the biggest component, by far, of the debris they collect. Plus, fishermen, sportsmen and off-roaders are some of the bill’s staunchest supporters, and the Tellico is in both Sen. McNally’s and Rep. Johnson’s districts. So I thought, what better place to talk about the 2006 bottle bill?”

State Rep. Russell Johnson (R-Loudon) and Sen. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) are cosponsors of the proposal to reduce litter and increase recycling by putting a five-cent deposit on glass, plastic and aluminum beverage containers. According to Davis, the measure should reduce Tennessee’s beverage-container litter by at least 80 percent and overall litter by 40 percent. It will also increase Tennessee’s recycling rate for these containers from 24 percent to a projected 85 percent. With Tennesseans buying 4 billion sodas, beers, bottled waters and other drinks each year, that’s 3.4 billion containers that won’t end up in the landfill or worse, on the landscape.

Last year’s legislation died in committee, but Davis said that this year’s bill should be much more palatable, not only to the state’s beverage distributors and grocery stores, but to the county mayors and sheriffs who have feared losing their annual litter-control funding known as the county litter grants.

“The 2006 bill effectively doubles the litter grants money,” said Davis, “by taking $10 million of the unclaimed deposits and giving it to the counties in place of the $5 million they’re getting now from the beer and soda taxes.” Those so-called “litter taxes,” in place since 1981, will be eliminated if the bottle bill passes.

Another key feature of the bill, Davis said, is that it takes distributors completely out of the redemption process, as well as most if not all retailers. (HB3347/SB3629 exempts most retailers from taking back empties; an alternate version, HB3350/SB3616, exempts all of them.)

And while the largest grocery stores may put “reverse vending machines” in their foyers, Davis said that the majority of returns will take place at small, independent redemption centers located throughout the state. These centers, which must be conveniently located in order to be certified by the state, will earn a handling fee of 3 cents per container paid by the distributors.

“There will be hundreds of these mom-and-pop businesses,” said Davis, “many of them earning more than $100,000 a year.” The bill allows county and local governments to run redemption centers, she said, as well as organizations such as Boy Scout troops or homeless shelters.

The 2006 bill also authorizes mobile redemption centers offering on-site service to businesses, special events, elderly customers and so on. And it is the first bottle bill in the world to specifically authorize satellite drop-off sites, where an attendant will scan the customer’s key-ring courtesy card, print out a bar-coded label and stick it on the bag of empties. The customer goes on his way, his empties are taken to an automated processing facility, and a few days later his refund is either mailed to his home, deposited automatically into his bank account or sent to the charity of his choice, such as a school or homeless shelter.

“This is the kind of thing we learned about in Maine,” said Davis, referring to the study trip she and Rep. Johnson made in December. “This is why Rep. Johnson spent four days talking to retailers and redemption centers and solid-waste officials and legislators and nonprofit groups and ordinary citizens and even a beer bottler. All of them—even the grocers and the beer guy!—agreed that a bottle bill is a good thing, so long as you design it properly. And that’s why I’m going to the Tellico tomorrow: to tell Tennesseans that this is the best-designed bottle bill in 35 years.”

The SFWD sponsors a joint effort and get sued for helping the community.

[nor-cal zukini]

Fricken unbelievable!!!!  It is amasing how they (enviro's) make us out to be these bad villions that have no respect for anyone. I understand that they are trying to make there point, but for cryin out loud, at least don't lie to the public.  I know that we dont see eye to eye with them on everything, but at least we as forest user's are trying to work together to find a common solution to the problem

[Blue Ridge Runner]

Fricken unbelievable!!!!  It is amasing how they (enviro's) make us out to be these bad villions that have no respect for anyone. I understand that they are trying to make there point, but for cryin out loud, at least don't lie to the public.  I know that we dont see eye to eye with them on everything, but at least we as forest user's are trying to work together to find a common solution to the problem

As you can see. The east coast is gonna be faced with a very similar issue as you guys out west are facing. The biggest problem here is that we don't have many public owned trails now. If the SELC and Trout Unlimited gets their way we won't have any. Tellico's total trails consist of about 30 miles. Uwharrie has less than 20 miles.

Getting people motivated here is a problem. 

[nor-cal zukini]

I think a good start is with the general chit chat area? I know they have seen this forum, but it seems that is the most used area here and chiming in once in awhile there should keep it fresh in there minds. There are alot of active users on this board, and I see post's in other forums relating back to this web site.

Kinda like how I'm teaching my 3 year old tonight how to spell her name, just keep repeating it over and over and over and.....................

[nor-cal zukini]

This put out today from Blue Ribbon Coalition

http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/

[Blue Ridge Runner]

Who are these guys? Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

Answer: http://www.peer.org/

Bunch of turncoats. 

[Blue Ridge Runner]

BRC is also involved:

Media Release: SFWDA PROTECTING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF THE UPPER TELLICO ORV AREA
Contact: Heather Spivey, Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
       Phone: (678) 463-7376
       E-mail: hspivey@bellsouth.net
       Webpage: http://www.sfwda.org/
Date: August 6, 2007


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MT. JULIET, TN (August 6)--Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) is acting to address statements made against the U.S. Forest Service alleging violations of the Clean Water Act and other federal and state laws at the Upper Tellico Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Area in the Tusquitee Ranger District in the Nantahala National Forest. The North Carolina Council of Trout Unlimited and Tennessee Council of Trout Unlimited accompanied by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project have threatened to sue the United States Forest Service on grounds that they have violated the Clean Water Act and other federal and state environmental regulations. The groups are demanding the Forest Service close a significant number of the designated ORV trails. This notice represents a formal threat of suit clearing the grievants' path to the courthouse should the agency refuse to capitulate to their demands.

Known as the Upper Tellico Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Area, Tellico is one of the premiere facilities for four wheel drive enthusiasts in the country and offers a variety of experiences for different types of off-highway vehicles. The Tellico ORV Area also provides significant economic benefits to the tri-state region surrounding the area, including North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia.

Commenting on the recently filed notice, Heather Spivey of the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association said, "We are reviewing the notice of intent to sue and intend to provide more accurate information for the US Forest Service to consider."

Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) provides extensive environmental stewardship in the area including restoration of trails and surrounding environment, installing silt screens and traps, building bridges to protect stream quality, and constructing trail head facilities such as parking lots, loading ramps, signs, bulletin boards, and restrooms.

Spivey, who has over a decade of water quality regulation experience, also stated, "It appears at first blush that the erosion issues recently publicized by the involved parties are inaccurate. They failed to account for the significant investment from Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) and their membership to improve erosion control measures and to remedy siltation issues within the Upper Tellico ORV Area."

In 2005 and 2006 alone, SFWDA volunteers contributed thousands of hours of labor, equipment, and materials valued at over $100,000.

"Southern Four Wheel Drive Association is committed to preserving the Upper Tellico ORV Area while protecting the water quality and trout populations of the Tellico River. Our Association is made up of member clubs consisting of sportsmen that also hunt, fish, and believe that everyone should have the right to enjoy their public lands, including motorized family recreationists," stated David Borum, nationally-known Director of Legislative Affairs for Southern Four Wheel Drive Association.

Southern Four Wheel Drive Association is working with the BlueRibbon Coalition and United Four Wheel Drive Associations and their attorneys to ensure that motorized recreation stakeholders' interests are protected when legal proceedings are initiated by the involved parties.

# # #

Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) was founded in 1987 to promote responsible land use and to keep public lands accessible for motorized recreation. Since the formation of Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, the focus and mission is to promote responsible land use and to help keep public lands open for motorized recreation. For more information on the activities and accomplishments of Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, please visit http://www.sfwda.org or contact us at 1483 N. Mt. Juliet Road, PMB # 222, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122

United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) is the global leader of all-brand four wheel drive enthusiasts. UFWDA is a group of individuals, clubs, state, regional, provincial and national associations and businesses in the United States and around the world with members spanning the globe from the U.S. and Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England, Japan, South Africa, and Iceland. If you would like more information on how you can be a part of this effort, contact United Four Wheel Drive Associations today at 14525 SW Millikan Way #22622, Beaverton, OR 97005-2343, 1-800-448-3932 or visit http://www.ufwda.org.

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of public and private lands, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742 - http://www.sharetrails.org

[Blue Ridge Runner]

Here is the official link located at Pirate:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=604044

Looks like The SFWDA, BRC, UFWDA, are diggin in. 

[Blue Ridge Runner]

Here is the latest news for the Asheville newspaper. Its a "little" more balanced than the last article but not much:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770905103

Upper Tellico runoff sparks controversy
Off-roaders face trail eviction
by Jon Ostendorff, jostendorff@citizen-times.com
published September 6, 2007 12:15 am
Read all 7 comments »
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HANGING DOG – The U.S. Forest Service may close trails in one of the nation’s most popular off-road driving spots because of fears muddy runoff from four-wheel-drive tracks is hurting fish.

The agency hasn’t made a final decision on the Upper Tellico Off Road Vehicle Area, about two hours west of Asheville and 11 miles from Murphy. But a temporary closure this winter is likely.
Web Extras: Multimedia & Related Content
gallery Upper Tellico Off-Road Trails Area
Adobe Acrobat PDF Forest Service plans for the Tellico area (23 KB)
Adobe Acrobat PDF Letter from a business owner who rents cabins to off-roaders regarding the Tellico area. (37 KB)
Advertisement

The 38 miles of trails in the Nantahala National Forest attract off-road enthusiasts from across the nation and the world. It is one of the few places in the Southeast where people driving jeeps, trucks and specially designed all-terrain vehicles can find challenging driving in a wilderness setting.

But runoff from poorly maintained trails is choking out brook trout, the Southern Environmental Law Center told the Forest Service in a July letter threatening that the organization may sue.

The off-road drivers deny the allegation, saying also that they volunteer time restoring trails and spend big money at area businesses.

That includes Tellico Cabins, run by Chuck and Helen Davis. Helen Davis said her business would take a direct hit should the trails close.

“The off-roaders are 100 percent of my business,” she said.

Officials with the government will study the condition of about seven miles of trails within 100 feet of streams. At minimum, the Forest Service could close the area from January to March to make repairs. At most, it might close some trails forever.
Cause is debatable

The Southern Environmental Law Center is representing Trout Unlimited, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project in its threat to sue.

The environmental groups believe the sediment from the vehicle trails damages the Southern Appalachian brook trout’s spawning grounds and harms aquatic life critical to the trout’s survival.

The 8,000-acre Tellico area straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee line. It has 13 trails for off-road vehicles.

Studies set to start next year would help determine what is causing the sedimentation, said Bill Champion, forestry supervisor for the area.

The Upper Tellico has a long history of off-road vehicle use, he said. Before the Forest Service bought the land in the 1980s, it was logged and had been an off-road spot since after World War II. The Forest Service closed 80 of the 100 miles of roads and trails in the area when it bought Tellico.

“Yes, there is sediment in the river, but there has been sediment in the river for 100 years,” Champion said. “What we don’t have is a good handle on is what impact does it have and how much is too much.”

The environmentalists want the Forest Service to permanently close the most environmentally damaging trails and shut down additional trails during the wettest months.
Studies planned

The Forest Service has a long-term and short-term plan for the Tellico area. It discussed the plan at a public meeting on Aug. 24 in Murphy.

First, it will study about seven miles of trails within 100 feet of streams and creeks. Based on that study, it will make repairs designed to stop sedimentation.

Next, it will study all 38 miles of trails and complete construction of the Fain Ford Bridge.

Then, it will analyze the potential for a wet-weather or seasonal closure of the area and the permanent closure of three trails: 2, 7 and 9.

In the long term, the Forest Service plans to work with stakeholders — which can be forest users, environmentalists, businesses or anyone else interested in the Tellico area — to revise a list of priority needs.

That discussion would include evaluating the density of the trails, types of uses and how often the uses would be allowed in Tellico. Monitoring water quality is also part of the long-term plan.

“We are really just getting started,” Champion said.

Sedimentation in the past has been a killer for the brook trout and continues to be the biggest cause of water pollution in WNC.

Extensive logging nearly wiped the fish out. It has only recently made a comeback. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, after a 30-year ban on catching brook trout, is now allowing fishing in almost all of its creeks.
Economic impact

Trail closures aren’t something Davis would like to see happen.

She has seven cabins and can accommodate 40 people at full capacity. The business offers everything the off-road enthusiasts need, including a shop for repairs.

“When we started this business, we did it with the off-roaders in mind,” she said. “I haven’t even had to market to family vacationers.”

She doesn’t buy environmentalists’ assertions that the area is over-crowded with 2,400 vehicles a month. She says the biggest event of the year, the Dixie Run, an event sponsored by the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, usually has about 500 vehicles.

The off-road advocacy group says volunteers in 2005 and 2006 contributed labor, equipment, and materials for trail maintenance valued at more than $100,000.

Drivers must pay a fee of $10 a day to use the area.

Davis said the off-road community is family-oriented and has money to spend on vacations. The sport itself can be quite expensive, with some vehicles costing more than $20,000 and dedicated solely to off-road driving.

“They are the nicest people,” she said. “And they leave my cabins clean.”

Sande Kimball, executive director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, which represents businesses, including hotels and motels that would benefit from off-road enthusiasts visiting the area, said her board has directed her to remain neutral on the “politically charged” issue of trail closures.

“We just hope that they reach an amicable solution that will benefit everybody, the environment as well as keep the four-wheelers coming into the county, which is very important to tourism,” she said.

There is a comment forum there also I suggest posting a response.

[Blue Ridge Runner]

The latest dribble from The Citizen Times:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770914112

There is a public forum for comment located at the bottom of the article. Also notice that the author Michael Smith is a member of Trout Unlimited.

CITIZEN-TIMES.com
Excessive ORV use clearly hurts water quality

By Michael Smith
September 16, 2007 12:15 am

I read with great dismay the comments of a U.S. Forest Service representative in a recent article about off-road vehicle (ORV) use in the Tellico River area (Sept. 6, “Upper Tellico runoff sparks controversy”). Contrary to what USFS Ranger Bill Champion is quoted as saying, we do know how much sediment in the river is too much. State and federal standards are crystal clear on the issue. Unfortunately, the Forest Service has been ignoring those standards. Water quality samples have revealed excessively higher levels of sediment in Tellico tributaries than allowed under any state or federal standard for the past eight years.

Champion also said that a long-term plan to evaluate ORV use and impacts in the area, and a discussion of priorities with all the stakeholders, is “just getting started.” Again, the Forest Service is ignoring years of collaborative study and efforts, in which Trout Unlimited and many other participants have worked with the agency to resolve the conflict between intensive ORV use and water quality.

Unfortunately, our collaborative studies seem to be overlooked, and coincidentally, the measurable deterioration in water quality has occurred during the same eight years of collaboration. The Forest Service has been more talk than walk, while the resource has suffered. Hence, the need to take legal action to remind the agency that in the eyes of the law, water quality and the protection of our resources comes first.

Lastly, I was disappointed that the reporter did not contact anyone from the conservation groups who are taking this legal action. If he had, he would have learned that: 1) The roughly 38 miles of designated ORV trails he cites are more than twice the density legally allowed under the Forest Service’s management plan; 2) The estimation that “2,400 vehicles per month use the Tellico area” comes from the USFS, and is not an “environmentalists’ assertion;” and 3) While ORV users clearly contribute to the local economy, other factors to consider are the potential loss of tourism revenue from anglers, the potential cost to downstream communities who face higher cleanup costs before using the river as a source of drinking water, and finally the potential loss of significant Southern Appalachian brook trout populations.

Michael “Squeak” Smith is member of the board of trustees for Trout Unlimited.


Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Copyright 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times. All rights reserved.

[durnzuki]

I wish that some of these people could go with me on my job.  I do work for the GA and SC dept of rec.   I pump out the SST's like we have at group camp.   The area's that I pump are for hikers and fishermen only and the are pitiful in what are dumped in them and around them.  It looks like a dump site for garbage after every holiday.

[Blue Ridge Runner]

More updates at Pirate:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=614803

I need to make time to read all this. I believe there is a letter writing campaign in the making.

[dadstoybox]

well aint Mr. Fisherman special 

[Blue Ridge Runner]

This is a form letter that you can use to for voicing your opinion to the NFS:

It can also be e-mailed to this address:

comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahalatusquitee@fs.fed.us

FROM SFWDA, UFWDA, and BlueRibbon Coalition:

As you know, in response to the recent request of the Forest Service to comment on the two proposals to establish new Forest Supervisor’s Orders on the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) area, Southern, United, and BRC have enlisted the services of Carla Boucher and Paul Turcke to submit a formal response letter. In addition to that, we think it is important that you comment on the proposals as well. The request for comment is located here http://www.sfwda.org/trails/tellico/...o20070917.html for you to read. We are providing you with a template letter with the following suggested outline in preparing your letters and remind you to put it in your own words. We urge you to mail your letters in before the identified date of October 17, 2007.

Your letter should be mailed to:

US Forest Service
Nantahala National Forest
Tina Tilley, Tusquitee District Ranger
123 Woodland Drive
Murphy, NC 28906

    * Include the date
    * Include the file reference information (File Code: 2350-5/1950)
    * Include reference (Supervisor’s Orders on the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area
    * Tell them who you are and why you are writing
    * Give your general and specific comments including:

   1. The importance of the Tellico area to recreation and surrounding communities and the effects the closures will have
   2. Tell them why you think the specific trail closures (Action #1) on Lower Trail 2, Trail 7, and Trail 9 is not justified
   3. Tell them why you think the proposed winter closure (Action #2) is not justified
   4. If you know the science, then talk the science
   5. Talk about how no data has been provided and ask for the scientific data on which the closures are being based
   6. Talk about all the mitigation/maintenance work you/your group/Southern has done and continues to do
   7. Talk about what Tellico means to you, why you and your family value it, how you practice Treadlightly!, how you participate in trail clean up, etc.


In conclusion, express your opposition courteously but strongly one last time
Include a statement of your support of the joint letter sent by Southern, United, and BRC.

Request you be added to further communications

Give your contact information

Signature


Please also remember to be courteous and substantive. In other words, “get it off my chest…” type comments are of little or no value. Finally, you need to keep a copy of your letter for future reference.

If you would like to use a TEMPLATE LETTER, here is one that you may cut and paste to use. PLEASE BE SURE TO ADD YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH.

U.S. Forest Service
Nantahala National Forest
Tusquitee District Ranger
123 Woodland Drive
Murphy, NC 28906

INSERT DATE

RE: File Code : 2350-5/1950
Supervisor’s Orders on the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area

Dear District Ranger,

My name is YOUR NAME HERE and I am writing at to express my concerns about the above-referenced Supervisor’s Orders addressing vehicle use of the Upper Tellico OHV Area.

My understanding of the September 17, 2007 letter is that the Forest Service intends on enacting two new Supervisor’s Orders that will close the Upper Tellico OHV Area during the winter months, and will close specific trails (Lower#2, 7 and 9).

Trails Lower#2, #7, and #9 should not be closed. From your letter and from the research that has been conducted, there is no scientific evidence that the Tellico trail system or any one trail in particular, have any impact on streams in the area. The streams that were sampled originate above the OHV area, and samples were only taken down stream of the OHV area. In order to demonstrate that sediment load is coming from a specific area, it is necessary to sample the stream/river both upstream and downstream of the area.

With respect to seasonal closures of the entire area, your agency did not provide and I have not seen any proof that demonstrates the time of year is directly tied to increase potential for impacts. There is no data provided by your agency to suggest that sedimentation from January 1 to March 31 occurs at a higher rate than sedimentation during other months of the year, which makes a winter-time closure unfounded.

[Write a paragraph here about what Tellico means to you. Talk about what you do to preserve the area, talk about how your practice Tread Lightly and how you participate in trail clean up, etc.]

The OHV community is willing to support reasonable management prescriptions, but the Proposed Orders are not rationally connected to the proposed riding restrictions. A well-conceived and thoughtful planning process should be conducted rather than hastily-prepared Orders in response to closure demands of anti-access special interests. My intent with this letter is to show my strong opposition to these and any trail closures and to request my contact information be added to any further communications regarding the Tellico ORV area.

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR E-MAIL
YOUR PHONE NUMBER

Very truly yours,

SIGN YOUR NAME
TYPE YOUR NAME
_________________

[Blue Ridge Runner]

The latest from The Citizen-Times. I responded. Please do the same. Its our rights we are talking about!

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pb...D=200770918047

Link to the letter mentioned in the article (PDF file) - http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pb...arams=Id=85914



HANGING DOG – The U.S. Forest Service is seeking the public’s input on a plan to close trails in one of the nation’s most popular off-road driving areas because of environmental problems there.

The agency wants to ban motorized vehicles from trails two, seven and nine in the Upper Tellico Off Road Vehicle Area for a year and close all of the trails except trail one and the upper section of trail two from January to the end of March.

The Forest Service’s call for comments and plan to close trails comes three months after environmentalists threatened to sue the agency over muddy runoff from trails. The Southern Environmental Law Center says runoff is choking out brook trout.

The Upper Tellico, about two hours west of Asheville and 11 miles from Murphy, is one of the nation’s top spots for off-road enthusiasts. It is one of the few places in the Southeast where people driving jeeps, trucks and specially designed all-terrain vehicles can find challenging driving in a wilderness setting.

Off-roaders disagree with allegations from environmentalists. They say they volunteer time and spend their own money restoring trails. And the off-roaders also say their sport is good for the local economy.

Helen Davis, owner of Tellico Cabins, a business that relies on the off-road sport, said Tuesday that the Forest Service hasn’t done enough research to pin water quality problems on runoff from the trails.

“They are just giving in to them too easy,” she said. “They haven’t given any proof that it is causing problems.”

The public has until Oct. 17 to file comments on the plan. A letter from the Forest Service seeking comments is on CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

Terry Seyden, a spokesman for the Forest Service, said the agency has studied the problem. He said workers have collected data on sediment levels in the streams and on fish populations that show runoff is causing a problem.

“We acknowledged that there are some water quality problems and that there is sediment reaching the Tellico River,” he said. “And that is why we are proposing these to actions to address what we feel are the biggest contributors to sediment.”

Seyden said the Forest Service has not studied the economic impact of closing trails.

As part of the plan, the Forest Service will study the condition of about seven miles of trails within 100 feet of streams to determine what should be done in the future to prevent water quality problems.

The 8,000-acre Tellico area straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee line. It has 13 trails for off-road vehicles.

Author's email - jostendo@ashevill.gannett.com