Dual celebration Saturday of the outdoors

In the wilds of Oconee County there are special places to savor. And that’s why the Forest Service and its partners on Saturday invite everyone to outdoor activities in the Sumter National Forest, at Oconee State Park, and at Chattooga Belle Farm. Mike Crane, the Andrew Pickens District ranger, draws attention to a pair of milestones. One is the 40th anniversary of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Act and the 50th anniversary of the national Wilderness Act. Crane’s colleague Jennifer Barnhart is a key organizer for Saturday’s activities. For the adventurous, there will be professionally-guided whitewater rafting. The Oconee State Park will be a venue for fun, family friendly activities between 9 and 1 o’clock. If solitude is your thing, Barnhart recommends the Ellicott Rock Wilderness. A wilderness area of nearly 9,000 acres, it’s the only place in the country that expands into three states—South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. On 96.3/WGOG NEWS tomorrow, Barnhart talks further on why wild and scenic and wilderness are so important to the landscape.