Bluff Mountain Timber Sale: Down But Not Out!

The battle to save Bluff Mountain is not over. By the time you read this, the US Forest Service will probably have issued for public comment a Draft Supplement to the Environmental Assessment of the timber sale on Bluff. The thirty day comment period which follows the release of the draft allows citizens a chance to finish the job of saving Madison County's tallest peak.

Most of Bluff Mountain has been undisturbed since the 1930's. It is a recovering ecosystem which is on the way to becoming a mature habitat. It now provides the large acreage required by interior forest birds. Bear populations require the high quality habitat present on Bluff. The 4,680 foot peak provides and unbroken region which would be destroyed by future logging. Long-term habitat preservation for these species can be assured only on public lands. Brook trout and other sensitive species now thrive on the Bluff.

The newspapers recently carried stories about a landmark agreement which "saved" Bluff Mountain. But the proposed new alternative will only reduce timber sale acreage in 1998; the Forest Service's plans for Bluff do not rule out future timber sales.

If Forest Supervisor Ramey follows the recommendations of the Bluff Mountain Group, 16 representatives of government agencies, timber industry groups, and regional environmental organizations, new timber harvest objectives would proceed under the existing forest plan. All harvest methods would be allowed and none prohibited, including clearcuts. The recommendations to the Supervisor outline a minimum of 86 acres to be harvested for timber in all three compartments on Bluff, but no maximum. They list areas to be dropped from consideration in 1998 but there are no assurances about 1999 and beyond. And the 1998 schedule for the Bluff timber sale may be maintained at the expense of thorough investigation of the alternatives including the no cut option.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Comment on the proposed Bluff Mountain timber sale. Contact the Forest Service in Asheville and get a copy of the Draft Supplement to the Environmental Assessment. Call the Forest Supervisor at (704) 257-4200. Write and request a full public hearing on the issue. Ask the Forest Service to do a full Environmental Impact Statement on Bluff before timber sales proceed.

This would set the stage for rezoning of the mountain for no cutting when the Forest Plan is revised. The Appalachian Trail crosses the Bluff bringing thousands of visitors each year. Ask that it be re-zoned for no logging or road building, and that a complete inventory of endangered and threatened species be done. Citizens who file comments before the close of the comment period may also join in any appeal of the Supervisor's decision.

This mountain is a centerpiece for the future of this region. Let it return undisturbed to its natural state. No further logging should occur on either side of the mountain. Preserve the Bluff in its entirety. Make an exception for an exceptional place.

For more information contact:
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (704) 656-2773
Lou Zeller
August 19, 1997

Bluff Mountain Campaign