Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
The Chattahoochee - Oconee National Forest in North Georgia includes two national forests, the Oconee National Forest and the Chattahoochee National Forest. The total area of the Chattahoochee - Oconee National Forests is 3504 km ², of which the Chattahoochee National Forest 3037 km ² and the Oconee National Forest covers 467 km ². The county with the largest part of the forest is the Rabun County, where there are 601.7 km ².
- 3.2.1 Oconee Ranger District
History
The Chattahoochee National Forest got its name from the Chattahoochee River, whose source is in the North Georgia Mountains. The River and the field name by English settlers were given, they named themselves after the Indians living here. The Cherokee and Creek lived in north Georgia. In a dialect of Muskogee languages Chatta means stone and ho chee pronounced or floral. This marked or flowered stones were in the Chattahoochee River to a settlement near Columbus.
1911 bought by the United States Forest Service 125 km ² of land the Gennett family for $ 7 per acre in the following counties Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin and Union from. This country was the beginning of what would become the Chattahoochee National Forest later. The initially purchased land was on June 14, 1920 Part of Cherokee National Forests. The Ranger Roscoe Nicholson, who was the first game warden in Georgia and had the Forest recommended service, continue with the initially purchased land by the expansion of the Chattahoochee National Forest in negotiations for the purchase of the majority of Forest Service land in which now the Tallulah Ranger District is located, continued. The Coleman River Scenic Area near Clayton was inaugurated in honor of rangers Nick, as he was also called to his rise as a model for conservation. The Ranger Arthur Wood helped the conservation also to rise and was a key figure in the early development of the Chattahoochee National Forests. Unwise land and resource use had the deer and trout populations virtually wiped out and Arthur Woody brought these animals back into the area. The trout were sent to Gainesville, captured from the narrow, dirty mountain streams and finally suspended in the streams again. Arthur Woody also bought fawns of his own money and fed them until they could be reintroduced into the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area. Many landmarks in the Chattahoochee National Forest bear his name to honor his work. Sosebee Cove is a 0.7 km ³ large area of broken- hardwood along the GA 180 near the memorial to Arthur Woody, who negotiated the purchase of the Forest Service. On 9 July 1936, the Forest Service has been reorganized to follow the states boundaries and President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Chattahoochee National Forest as a separate National Forest. 1936, the Chattahoochee National Forest was divided into two Ranger Districts, in the Blue Ridge Ranger District and in the Tallulah Ranger District. 1959 President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed that 388 km ² of land in federal ownership in Central Georgia to the Oconee National Forest should be. Then the Oconee National Forest with Chattahoochee National Forest was merged to today's Chattahoochee - Oconee National Forest. The Chattooga River was designed in the 70s of the last century as a Wild and Scenic River. The Chattooga River remains one of the few free-flowing rivers in the southeastern U.S. and is known for its beautiful scenery. Here rafting trips are possible. The movie Deliverance was filmed on the Chattooga River; he was in the film, on the notional Cahulawassee River.
Today
Today's Chattahoochee National Forest covers 18 counties in north Georgia. The current Chattahoochee National Forest has five Ranger Districts, but two of them, the Tallulah Ranger District and the Chattooga Ranger District will be merged. It covers 3500 km rivers and streams ( of which about 2200 km streams where trout live ). There are over 720 km of hiking trails and other routes and 2,600 km ² ( unpaved, but passable public ) roads. In addition to the Chattooga River and the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River, are among the natural monuments within the park boundaries of the 3499 km long Appalachian Trail, Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest point and the Anna Ruby Falls. The Chattahoochee National Forest covers ten Wilderness Areas, which are all managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Wilderness Areas are:
Today's Oconee National Forest covers eight counties in Georgia and is managed by a Ranger District. In Oconee Ranger District, there are list of paths in the Oconee National Forest. The head office is located in Gainesville.
Counties in Georgia
Here are counties that belong partly or wholly to the Chattahoochee - Oconee Forest listed by area and the main Ranger District.
Chattahoochee National Forest
Chattooga Ranger District
- Banks County, 2.6 km ²
- Stephens County, 94 km ²
- Habersham County, 161 km ²
- White County, 167 km ²
Armuchee - Cohutta Ranger District
- Catoosa County, 0.02 km ²
- Chattooga County, 78 km ²
- Gordon County, 33 km ²
- Floyd County, 27 km ²
- Murray County, 209 km ²
- Walker County, 76 km ²
- Whitfield County, 47 km ²
Toccoa Ranger District
- Dawson County, 27 km ²
Tallulah Ranger District
- Rabun County, 602 km ²
Armuchee - Cohutta Ranger District and Toccoa
- Fannin County, 429 km ²
- Gilmer County, 223 km ²
Brasstown, Chattooga Ranger District and Toccoa
- Lumpkin County, 231 km ²
- Towns County, 233 km ²
- Union County, 396 km ²
Oconee National Forest
The Oconee National Forest is located halfway between Macon and Athens. In the region there are many artificial lakes, which can be used for water sports. Hiking and camping are possible, but some areas in the forest are privately owned. Galingayle, a lake club in Madison, is an example that the country is not available for non-members are privately owned. These clubs work together with the park rangers to ensure that their lifestyle has a small or no impact on the environment.
Oconee Ranger District
- Greene County, 108 km ²
- Jasper County, 123 km ²
- Jones County, 67 km ²
- Monroe County, 1 km ²
- Morgan County, 1.2 km ²
- Oconee County, 0.6 km ²
- Oglethorpe County, 15 km ²
- Putnam County, 152 km ²