The Andrew Pickens Ranger District (APD) Prescribed Fire plan involves burning 4,000 to 9,000 acres per year, with fire-return cycles of every 2-8 years for this annual acreage, including some burning during the growing season (prescribed burns normally are done during the dormant season). This is much more frequent and of a larger scale than what has historically occurred in the Chattooga watershed! We believe prescribed burning to this degree is not geared toward ecological restoration and maintenance, but is instead designed to cultivate a few desired “crop tree” species of pine and oak to feed commercial timber markets – a practice that would homogenize our biologically diverse native forests. The plan Environmental Assessment (EA) further admits there is “potential for significant environmental effects” on soil resources from unintentional “hot” fires, and acknowledges activities that could “adversely affect aquatic habitats through increased sedimentation in creeks and streams.”

Much of the Chattooga watershed’s temperate rainforest ecosystem has evolved and developed under extremely wet conditions. Many sensitive native plants and animals are adapted to these unique natural regimes. Species such as the threatened Green Salamander, and other Plethodon (lungless, woodland) salamander species; understory songbirds as well as ground-nesting game species, such as wild turkey; the endangered Northern Long-eared Bat; and many sensitive understory plants, such as native flame azaleas, mountain camellia, and fringe tree, would all be put at risk. These burning areas would also become more susceptible to invasive species; as the EA states, fire-line creation (362 miles as per EA), alone, would “likely introduce and spread new infestations of non-native invasive plant species.”