USFS announced the proposal in August 2026 and held a small public meeting on August 25th to discuss the possible additions with interested stakeholders.
The proposal would add 12 forest stands (a total of 518 acres) to the existing White Pine Project, one of several ongoing timber harvest projects in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District (portion of Sumter National Forest in Oconee County, SC). Authorized in 2021, the White Pine Project initially included 1,952 acres of logging, along with prescriptions for herbicide application, prescribed burning, planting, and temporary roadbuilding.
The additional stands proposed for harvest include a tract just upstream of Long Creek Falls, an area at the terminus of Sandy Ford Road in SC, and the area around Grapevine Campground, among others.
A quick refresher on timber projects: USFS “projects” are sets of actions proposed for multiple forest stands across an area. These actions are reviewed and approved in bulk, then enacted bit by bit over time, through separate timber sales. USFS has approved and is now implementing several simultaneous, long-term logging projects in Oconee County, SC. These are, primarily: the White Pine Project (2021); the Loblolly Project (2013)/Loblolly Supplement (2018), and the Forest Health Thinning Project (2025). Although the stated purpose and need for each project may differ, USFS often accomplishes multiple projects together. A single sale to a logging company will often involve stands from more than one project. Take the timber harvest off of the Woodall Shoals Road, for example: harvest in this area included stands from both the White Pine and Loblolly Projects, grouped together into a single timber sale.
The White Pine Project was authorized with a stated purpose of converting “evenly spaced white pine dominated plantations to more diverse mixed species stands that are ecologically suited to the site.” While this goal sounds positive, Chattooga Conservancy commented and submitted an objection on the original project, with concerns including fragmentation of the forested landscape (especially next to and between old-growth stands); the loss through clearcutting of diverse mixed species that were well underway towards natural regeneration; likelihood of largely replacing one pine plantation with another; potential for soil and water quality degradation; cumulative effects between the White Pine and Loblolly projects occurring in the district at the same time; and failure to adequately consider climate impacts. Many of these objections were not addressed, and they continue to apply both to the already-approved White Pine Project actions and the recent proposed additions.
Of the 1,952 acres approved for timber harvest under the original White Pine Project (2021):
- about 200 acres of timber harvest have been completed,
- about 100 acres of timber harvest are in progress, and
- over 1,650 acres of timber harvest are still upcoming.
The August 2026 proposal seeks to add another 518 acres of logging to the queue.
Submit comments on the proposed White Pine Project additions by Friday, September 25th! The Forest Service indicates they will likely authorize the proposed additions under a Categorical Exclusion, meaning they will not be required to complete an Environmental Assessment or Impact Statement. However, the agency is required to either develop or refine the project through a “collaborative process that includes multiple interested persons representing diverse interests.” So the Andrew Pickens Ranger District has published a Public Engagement Letter seeking input. Chattooga Conservancy will submit organization comments, but you can participate individually, too!
You may respond directly to USFS by emailing SM.FS.r8fmsapcom@usda.gov by September 25. According to USFS instructions, “comments should be specific, within the scope of the proposed action, and include supporting reasons. Please identify the project as ‘AP White Pine Plantation Restoration Project.’”
Remember that comments can actually make a difference! Following feedback from Chattooga Conservancy staff at the August 25 public meeting, it looks like USFS has already redrawn project maps and slightly reduced the total project acreage for the proposed addition to avoid logging in the Cedar Creek Botanical/Zoological Area and in one stand of identified old growth (see the “Old Growth (Carlson Study)” layer under “Forest Age Data” in our Interactive Map). Even small boundary modifications can have outsize impacts in the most sensitive areas of our watersheds. Further, this might be the last chance to submit written comments about the proposed addition.
After the comment window closes, you can still help document before and after impacts of USFS projects in and around the Chattooga River watershed. We welcome your observations and encourage photos! Contact us to report an issue.
Email SM.FS.r8fmsapcom@usda.gov to submit comments on the “AP White Pine Plantation Restoration Project” proposed additions.
Image: Area along Owl Branch Road, off of Woodall Shoals Road, harvested as part of the ongoing USFS White Pine Project. Credit: Buzz Williams, 2026