Native Cane Restoration in the Chatooga River Watershed

 The Chattooga Conservancy is working in partnership with Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Cooperative Extension Services, Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (RTCAR), and the U. S. Forest Service to restore native river cane on a 29-acre site within the Wild & Scenic Corridor of the Chattooga River. EBCI artisans on the Qualla Boundary have benefited from two harvests of river cane for traditional and cultural uses such as making baskets and blowguns, and the project continues to generate interest as the largest river cane restoration effort in the Southeast, attracting attention from diverse entities including SC Public Television and the Army Corps of Engineers. However, acquisition of funding through federal agencies is unassured and attaining project success continues to be a work in progress.