Forest Service to start ‘use surveys’ Monday

Just in time for heavy fall visitor season

The U.S. Forest Service is partnering with the University of Tennessee to conduct a National Visitor Use Monitoring survey across the Chattahoochee National Forests beginning Oct. 1 and continuing through Sept. 30, 2019.

Forest service personnel and University of Tennessee researchers will be deployed across the forest which drapes across the northern neck of Floyd County, some 6,620 acres, to learn why people are visiting the numerous recreation areas across the forest.

The Pocket at John’s Mountain, the John’s Mountain overlook, Keown Falls all up Everett Springs Road, along with all of the popular hiking trails in the Cohutta Wilderness are likely places for visitors to encounter the survey team personnel. The research teams will be in bright hunter orange vests and signs reading “Survey Ahead” will be posted along the routes. All information provided during the interview is confidential and the survey is voluntary.

The first use survey was taken approximately five years ago and this is the first follow-up in an effort to establish any potential trends related to recreational use of the forest. Managing forest service acreage frequently results in changes to ecosystems, resources or benefits. The resulting trade-off in benefits has to be taken into consideration.

For example, use of forest lands for timber product benefits may imply tradeoffs in benefits to recreation and other uses that benefit from standing timber. Understanding benefits to people helps clarify the implications of these trade-offs.

Information obtained from the survey provides valuable detailed information to forest service personnel with information about the type of activity that attracts visitors and the potential economic impact of that activity. The basic interview lasts about 8 minutes.

For additional information about this program you can visit http://www.fs.fed.us/ recreation/programs/nvum.

The ChattahoocheeOconee National Forest impacts more than 860,000 acres spread across 26 counties. It includes well over 850 miles of trails of hikers, bikers and equestrian use.

/ Doug Walker-File Visitors to the Keown Falls Day Use Area on the Chattahoochee National Forest north of Rome are likely to encounter a special survey team this fall to determine what attracts visitors to the forest.