RGS in the Southern Appalachians

[ridgerunner]

Just wandering what you guys who hunt down here think about this organization? Do they do anything down here?

[rolawson]

Don't know of any work they have done down south. You would think they would be on the front line to fight Heartwood to get our Forest Service logged. Think they put all of their effort in the north. I don't even know what they do up there. That is due to my ignorance. I guess it is easy to say they are all about habitat improvement when the habitat improvement is done already. So what do they do?

[jack the dog]

I have been a member for a few years. There is a Smoky Mtn Chapter listed, but have not seen them do anything in my short time. They had an event five or six years ago, only one I know of.
Most go down to the chapter events in SC. Why ? I don't know. $$$ I think.

I attended the USFS planning sessions here in WNC this past fall and several RGS Members, that I didn't know, were in attendance as well as their regional biologist.
They gave a lot of input for the planning process. Logging was big here but the huggers have put a hurting on that. RGS did stand up for logging.
I would like to see something happen down here with the Smoky Mtn Chapter, and I would like to see the RGS sponsor some projects here, because our RG population is rapidly sliding downhill. I guess we are just not the focus of their attention at present.

I'm up for helping if anyone knows how to roll a ball in this direction, I would be glad to help kick it along.

I keep my membership going because I think they are helping the RG somewhere, but it doesn't appear to be happening in the Southern Apps.