[at-l] Black Bears, present and future

[jeffshike2000 at yahoo.com (jeff hunter)]

An article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution today talks about a 450 pound Black Bear that was hit and killed by a car near the intersection of Interstate 85 & US 120 in Gwinnett County, Georgia.  The bear had been relocated from Gatlinburg after it developed a fondness for dumpster diving.  The bear was tagged and relocated to Polk County, Tennessee.  From there, it headed south, where it was killed on the highway.  
 
Another note of interest concerning Black Bears; TDOT (Tennessee Dept of Transportation) is planning on relocating 20 miles of US Highway 64 from the Ocoee Gorge, into the Cherokee National Forest.  The relocation project has a budget of $1.5 Billion ($1.2 billion in federal dollars) and one of the major impacts listed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is the fragmentation of Black Bear habitat.  According to the DEIS (page 4-18);
 
 "The new roadway under either build alternative would present a barrier to the movement of bears. Bears may also get onto the roadway, thus creating a hazard for traffic and a danger for the bears...  Long term cumulative effects would include loss of habitat (both in area and in quality) and loss of individual animals to traffic.  Increased access to remote areas could also result in greater hunting pressures on the Black Bear and may encourage additional logging operations in more remote areas."
 
 
If you are concerned about the potential loss of some of the Cherokee NF to a 4-lane highway, and it's associated impacts on hiking, wildlife, water quality, and more, please checkout the DEIS at the following link;
 
http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/information-office/hotprojects/deis/Chapter%204%20-%20Environmental%20Consequences.pdf
 
TDOT just extended their public commentary period to February 15.  Even if you are in favor of the highway, and some of y'all very well might be, the plan as proposed has lots of flaws. One of the major issues is blasting through pyritic rock, which has the potential to leach acid into the Ocoee River and it's feeder streams.  This plan will also impact (8) recreation trails including the Benton MacKaye Trail. 
 
Public comments could help shape a better plan, or kill it all together.  Please let your voice be heard. 
 
Comments on the Draft EIS can be sent to Charles Bush, Environmental Planning and Permits, Suite 900, J.K. Polk, 505 Deaderick, Nashville, TN 37243-0443. or by email to:charles.bush@state.tn.us 
 
Thanks.
Jeffrey Hunter



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