On State and Local Government, and Private Lands

The three management area designations and stream-side management zones proposed by the Chattooga Conservation Plan (delineated on the attached maps and described above) can be implemented via different means for different types of land managers. The new management areas can be adopted formally on affected federal lands through the ongoing forest plan revision processes in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. They can be adopted informally on the much smaller amount of affected state land (Black Rock Mountain State Park and Tallulah Falls State Park) through collaborative conservation biology research, and restoration and protection efforts that begin with informational meetings. Management area designations can be adopted in local government jurisdictions through ordinances passed and implemented after community meetings that clarify the economic benefits and existing incentives of comprehensive planning for environmental protection. They can be adopted voluntarily on private lands through conservation easements, management plans, and land trust arrangements - some of which are already being implemented under the CRWC Private Lands Initiative.

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