A quick look at a map tells the ecological importance of the Andrew Pickens District of the Sumter National Forest in northwestern South Carolina. The Andrew Pickens District is the wild southeastern "wall" of the largest contiguous group of national forests east of the Mississippi. The Wilderness that remains on the Sumter National Forest is found on the Andrew Pickens District.
Rugged Backcountry
The "scarp" or cliff-like landform that dominates the Andrew Pickens District owes its remnant wildness to the ruggedness of its foothill backcountry. The 80,000-acre Andrew Pickens District and the 32,000-acre Jocassee Gorges tract are integrally important to the Southern Appalachians' public forestlands. Degrade or diminish the forestlands of the Andrew Pickens and you damage the integrity of the entire Southern Appalachian ecosystem. That simple fact makes the forested beauty and the biological richness of this transitional topography key values to protect.
The Andrew Pickens has much rich forest range for black bears, but proximity to roads and other fragmentation effects compromise much of that habitat. Protecting and enhancing bear habitat on the Andrew Pickens District would supplement existing bear habitat of the Jocassee area to the north and east. There a small bear population persists, despite mounting pressure from an expanding Piedmont population. Black bears appear to be thriving in upstate South Carolina and there's a need to secure and enhance their ranging area.
For more information:
