US Fish & Wildlife Paint Rock River Wildlife Refuge
Posted: Apr 11, 2013 12:51 pm
As a part of Obama’s America's Great Outdoors initiative (AGO), the US Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed a National Wildlife Refuge for the Paint Rock River Watershed in Franklin County, Tennessee (http://www.fws.gov/southeast/paintrockriver/index.html). The money to fund the AGO comes from $900 million in royalties for oil and gas produced from federal lands. There were already two previous failed attempts, one in the 80’s and other in the early 2000’s, to have this area made a National Forest.
The current proposed refuge will connect the Bear Hollow Mountain and Walls of Jericho WMA with the Skyline Management Area making the majority of the southwest Cumberland Plateau owned by the State or the US Government. The USFWS is looking for willing sellers and those who will establish easements within the targeted 25,120 acres in Franklin County, TN. The largest tract of interest is 12,276 acres with 4 others who are between 1,300-3,000. The majority of parcels are between 50-200 acres, however one landowner does own a combined total of 14,399 of the acres. To download the Draft Environmental Assessment and Land Protection Plan in its entirety go to http://www.fws.gov/southeast/paintrockr ... 5-2013.pdf.
The proposed refuge tract is comprised of 3 tributaries of the Paint Rock River – the Larkin Fork, the Estill Fork, and Hurricane Creek (http://www.fws.gov/southeast/paintrockr ... 232012.pdf) but does not include any of the river itself and the USFWS services states that the proposed area is in no real threat or danger. The watershed does provide habitat for endangered species such as the Gray Bat, Snail Darter, and American Hart’s Tongue Fern as well as 45 species of rare freshwater mussels. The USFWS gives priority consideration to six wildlife-dependent public uses on National Wildlife Refuges: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation. If these uses are determined to be compatible with refuge purposes, and funds are available to manage them, they would be allowed within the proposed refuge. ***The USFWS does not see caving as a priority public use and there are 68 caves on the proposed refuge that will be closed to the public. *** However one of the objectives of America’s Great Outdoor initiative is to improve opportunities to get young people outdoors but closing the caves in this area excludes a large recreational group in this region who also take their kids caving.
The USFWS has had two public meetings regarding the proposed refuge. I had the opportunity to attend the second one in Winchester on Wednesday April 10th. Following the presentation by the USFWS they allowed a questions and answers session. Many locals who are live in the proposed area were present and expressing many concerns. I did take the opportunity to ask them directly if they are in fact planning on closing the caves if they acquire the land. I was informed that because of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) that the caves on the proposed refuge will in fact be closed for recreational purposes.
The USFWS is taking comments from the public until May 3rd to be considered in the development of the final Environmental Assessment and Land Protection Plan. You do not have to be a resident of Franklin County or even Tennessee to submit a public comment. This is an opportunity for cavers to be heard and make their comments public. For all those who have complained in the past about the Govt closing caves this is your opportunity to express your opinion. They are required to consider and address any substaintive comments. Please send your comments to: Oliver van den Ende, Refuge Planner Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, 2700 Headquarters Rd., Decatur, AL 35603 paintrockriver@fws.gov. All comments they receive will be documented and a part of the public record. After that time they will finalize their Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment and submit it to the regional USFWS director in Atlanta. Once it is approved there it will then go to the USFWS Director in Washington for final approval. The USFWS expects the proposal to be approved by the end of June, 2013. This is your opportunity to speak up.
I want to personally state that as a nature lover and conservationist, I am not opposed to the proposed USFWS Wildlife Refuge in the Paint Rock River Watershed in Franklin County, Tennessee. I feel this will protect the land and all of its environmental resources for many generations to come. However, as a caver and photographer who lives in Tennessee, what I am against is the blanket closure of caves on public land by our government agencies while continuing to allow access for other public uses. I personally do not understand how the USFWS does not see that environmental education, photography, and wildlife observation go directly hand in hand with caving. By not allowing caving they are intentionally excluding a large recrational group in this region while allowing other recreational uses on the land. The USFWS has already learned a valuable lesson on the Fern Cave Preserve in Jackson County, Alabama. The blanket closure there kept responsible cavers out while in the meantime allowed locals unchecked access who went in and permanently damaged the cave. The proposed refuge in the Paint Rock River Watershed has 68 caves on it. If it can happen to a large cave system like Fern, it would be even more likely that it could happen to many of the 68 caves on the proposed preserve.
The current proposed refuge will connect the Bear Hollow Mountain and Walls of Jericho WMA with the Skyline Management Area making the majority of the southwest Cumberland Plateau owned by the State or the US Government. The USFWS is looking for willing sellers and those who will establish easements within the targeted 25,120 acres in Franklin County, TN. The largest tract of interest is 12,276 acres with 4 others who are between 1,300-3,000. The majority of parcels are between 50-200 acres, however one landowner does own a combined total of 14,399 of the acres. To download the Draft Environmental Assessment and Land Protection Plan in its entirety go to http://www.fws.gov/southeast/paintrockr ... 5-2013.pdf.
The proposed refuge tract is comprised of 3 tributaries of the Paint Rock River – the Larkin Fork, the Estill Fork, and Hurricane Creek (http://www.fws.gov/southeast/paintrockr ... 232012.pdf) but does not include any of the river itself and the USFWS services states that the proposed area is in no real threat or danger. The watershed does provide habitat for endangered species such as the Gray Bat, Snail Darter, and American Hart’s Tongue Fern as well as 45 species of rare freshwater mussels. The USFWS gives priority consideration to six wildlife-dependent public uses on National Wildlife Refuges: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation. If these uses are determined to be compatible with refuge purposes, and funds are available to manage them, they would be allowed within the proposed refuge. ***The USFWS does not see caving as a priority public use and there are 68 caves on the proposed refuge that will be closed to the public. *** However one of the objectives of America’s Great Outdoor initiative is to improve opportunities to get young people outdoors but closing the caves in this area excludes a large recreational group in this region who also take their kids caving.
The USFWS has had two public meetings regarding the proposed refuge. I had the opportunity to attend the second one in Winchester on Wednesday April 10th. Following the presentation by the USFWS they allowed a questions and answers session. Many locals who are live in the proposed area were present and expressing many concerns. I did take the opportunity to ask them directly if they are in fact planning on closing the caves if they acquire the land. I was informed that because of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) that the caves on the proposed refuge will in fact be closed for recreational purposes.
The USFWS is taking comments from the public until May 3rd to be considered in the development of the final Environmental Assessment and Land Protection Plan. You do not have to be a resident of Franklin County or even Tennessee to submit a public comment. This is an opportunity for cavers to be heard and make their comments public. For all those who have complained in the past about the Govt closing caves this is your opportunity to express your opinion. They are required to consider and address any substaintive comments. Please send your comments to: Oliver van den Ende, Refuge Planner Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, 2700 Headquarters Rd., Decatur, AL 35603 paintrockriver@fws.gov. All comments they receive will be documented and a part of the public record. After that time they will finalize their Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment and submit it to the regional USFWS director in Atlanta. Once it is approved there it will then go to the USFWS Director in Washington for final approval. The USFWS expects the proposal to be approved by the end of June, 2013. This is your opportunity to speak up.
I want to personally state that as a nature lover and conservationist, I am not opposed to the proposed USFWS Wildlife Refuge in the Paint Rock River Watershed in Franklin County, Tennessee. I feel this will protect the land and all of its environmental resources for many generations to come. However, as a caver and photographer who lives in Tennessee, what I am against is the blanket closure of caves on public land by our government agencies while continuing to allow access for other public uses. I personally do not understand how the USFWS does not see that environmental education, photography, and wildlife observation go directly hand in hand with caving. By not allowing caving they are intentionally excluding a large recrational group in this region while allowing other recreational uses on the land. The USFWS has already learned a valuable lesson on the Fern Cave Preserve in Jackson County, Alabama. The blanket closure there kept responsible cavers out while in the meantime allowed locals unchecked access who went in and permanently damaged the cave. The proposed refuge in the Paint Rock River Watershed has 68 caves on it. If it can happen to a large cave system like Fern, it would be even more likely that it could happen to many of the 68 caves on the proposed preserve.