Wilks Creek Workday

Ron Thomas, Glen Abernathy, Glen’s Grandsons  Gehrig & Jackson Abernathy, and Bruce Johnson  were the Foothills representatives at todays workday. Overall, a good turnout I believe 4 projects were completed. Here are a few pictures from the project we completed.  

Foothills makes donation for wildlife and conservation youth education....

Our guest speaker last night was Kathy Church who is the Wildlife Interpretive Specialist/ Programming Coordinator. She provides youth education for the surrounding 11 counties. She is part of the Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR and works out of Smithgall Woods. A large part of her funding comes from the local chapters of TU to support her youth programs for youth education. Our chapter made a $3000 donation to help support that effort.

Foothills Volunteers Needed in support of Wilks Creek Habitat Improvement....

Trout Unlimited in conjunction with the National Forest Service and the Department of Natural Resources will hold a stream remediation workday at Wilks Creek on Saturday, July 29, 2017. The Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited will lead this activity and work will start at the stream at 9 am and will end around noon with a BBQ lunch provided. In stream structures will be built under the direction of the Forest Service to improve stream habitat for brook trout. Your participation would be greatly appreciated. The more volunteers, the more we can accomplish and the lighter the work will be for those participating. Last year we had over 50 volunteers and that is the goal for 2017 when we start work on a new stream Wilks Creek. Wilks Creek is about 20 minutes north of Helen and the easiest way to get there is to take Main Street through Helen and follow 17 & 75 signs North. Continue on this road till you get to mile marker 15. The mile markers are on the right side of the road and are small green signs. Just about 100 yards past mile marker 15 on the left is the entrance to the Chattahoochee National Forest of the WMA. A sign marks the entrance to an unpaved road on the left. Our project work will be approximately 2 miles down that road.

Parking will be limited along that road. However, just a little further north past mile marker 15 is where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road and their is a parking lot on the right. We can park and car pool into the work area. Please try to arrive at the parking lot around 8:30 am.

So we have enough BBQ for all our volunteers, please let me know that you plan to attend. Either give me a phone call or send me an email.

We look forward to working with you on this project and thank you.

Bill Lott
UCCTU
Cell 404-735-9989
sue.bill314@gmail.com

Foothills Monthly Meeting this Thursday.....

Date: 07/13/2017

Time: 6:30 P.M.

Location: United Community Bank, 468 W Louise Street, Clarkesville, GA 30523

Come join us this Thursday and bring a friend. The social time is around 6:00 - 6:30 with the program starting up at 7:00 and runs to about 8:00.

Program for this month presented by.....

Kathy Church

Smithgall Woods

Wildlife Interpretive Specialist/ Programming Coordinator

Most of us know Kathy and have worked with her on a variety of projects for Smithgall Woods. Foothills TU has historically been a staunch supporter in both financing and providing volunteer labor for Smithgall and the Youth Education Program. We've invited Kathy to come speak to our members about how we can be most effective in helping her reach as many students as possible. We hope you'll not only plan to attend Thursday's meeting but bring someone with you.

Weekly Fishing Outing this week

Our Foothills group lead by Parks Davis made a trip to Cherokee, NC to fish the trophy stream. Parks said that they saw some big fish and even landed some of them.  Here's some photos of one that Parks landed earlier this week.

Check our fishing outings on our page or better yet, send Parks an email and ask to be added to his weekly blast of where and when they are going each week.

Trout Camp 2017

Luke Ferguson & Gavin Brown.... the youth that Georgia Foothills sponsored for this year's Trout Camp at Rabun-Gap Nacoochee school...

Photos from Trout Camp 

 

June meeting CANCELLED

Foothills monthly meeting for June has been cancelled due to conflicting events.... see you in July

"Kids Day at the Park" at Smithgall this Saturday, June 10th.

Saturday, Jun 10, 2017 (10 AM to 1 PM)

Volunteers needed for "Kids Day at the Park" at Smithgall this Saturday, June 10th.

Bring your kids and their endless imaginations for a fun day of learning and play at Smithgall. This year’s theme is the Wonders of Water! There will be outdoor games, stream ecology, water guns, water balloons, and much more. Bring your sack lunch. Please wear clothes that can get dirty or wet.

Admission: $5
Event Phone: 706-878-3087

2017 Seniors Fishing Rodeo - June 2nd

This is a friendly reminder that the 2017 Seniors Fishing Rodeo will be this Friday, June 2, and the Family Fishing Festival will be Saturday, June 3. Both events will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. We are asking that volunteers please arrive by 8:00 a.m. Upon arrival, please stop by and sign-in at the Education Center and enjoy some coffee and doughnuts.

We are looking forward to two great days of fishing and connecting people with the great outdoors! These events are possible thanks to the continued and generous support from Friends of the Hatchery, volunteers, community, vendors, Blairsville Trout Unlimited #692, Blue Ridge Trout Unlimited #696, Georgia Foothills Trout Unlimited #629, Gold Rush Trout Unlimited #733, (all other Trout Unlimited chapters/members), Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Old Reel Collectors Association (ORCA), North Georgia Taxidermy, Xtreme Christian Outdoors, Sav-A-Lot Food Store Blue Ridge, Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola, Dunkin Donuts, House of Prayer Blairsville, Blairsville First Baptist Church, and the list goes on and on. The dedication is great and widespread and we thank you ALL. If we ever miss thanking someone, it is purely accidental so please let us know. We sincerely appreciate EVERYONE and ALL you do! Participants appreciate you, too! We often receive phone calls, cards and comments about all the good things you do to help make these events very successful each year.

Hope to see you Friday and Saturday!

Thank you,

Crystal Thomas
Program Assistant
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery
4730 Rock Creek Road
Suches, GA 30572
PHONE 706-838-4723
FAX 706-838-4626
www.fws.gov/chattahoocheeforest
www.facebook.com/chattahoocheeforestnfh
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US Forestry Program - Foothills Landscape Collaboration

Our guest speaker for the May Foothills TU meeting was Mike Brod with the US Forest Service office out of Gainesville. Mike is a Staff Officer with the Forest Service specializing in Fire and Natural Resources and a long time resident of Rabun County.

This timely presentation by Mike will focus on encouraging public participation in the Foothills Landscape Community Collaboration. The purpose of this project is to create, restore and maintain ecosystems that are more resilient to natural disturbances. Specifically, the Forest Service is seeking to enhance and provide quality habitat for rare and declining species, as well as desired game and non-game species; to reduce hazardous fuel loading across the landscape to diminish damaging wildfires; to improve soil and water quality; to provide sustainable recreation and access opportunities; and to awaken and strengthen a connection to these lands for all people.

From the Chattahoochee National Forest website:
We Need YOU: We need your knowledge and insights right from the start in order to plan the right work in the right places for the right reasons. Share what you know about the Foothills Landscape with us and others through this collaboration. Use this forum to tell your community what you care about and why. Describe what you want and need from this landscape...and also what you can and do give. Learn from the knowledge that others share. And consider the many other perspectives revealed to all of us through this collaboration.

Check out the next seminars and field trips at  FoothillsProjects Get your voice heard at these seminars so that your interest are included in the planning of the public lands. In this case the foothills of N Ga.  Don't be silent... your favorite stream could become an ATV trail.    Can't make it, then go to  http://www.tinyurl.com/FoothillsLandscapeCollaborate and make your interest known on their blog.  They want to hear from you.