Brasstown Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Brasstown Wilderness was designated in 1986 and currently consists of 12896 acres (52.2 km²). The Wilderness is located within the borders of the Chattahoochee National Forest in Union County
and Towns County
, Georgia
. The Wilderness is managed by the United States Forest Service
and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System
.
The highest elevation
in the Brasstown Wilderness is the 4784 feet (1,458.2 m) peak of Brasstown Bald
, which is also the highest point in Georgia. The land that forms the Wilderness drapes across the northern, northeastern, and southwestern flanks of Brasstown Bald. In addition to 14.1 miles (22.7 km) of trout
streams
and abundant wildlife
, the Brasstown Bald is home to several threatened
or endangered species
such as the Pygmy Shrew
.
Union County, Georgia
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 17,289. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 20,968. The county seat is Blairsville.Its Sole commissioner is Lamar Paris, who has served since 2001....
and Towns County
Towns County, Georgia
Towns County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on March 6, 1856. As of the 2000 census, the population was 9,319. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,894. Its county seat is Hiawassee.-History:...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The Wilderness is managed by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System
National Wilderness Preservation System
The National Wilderness Preservation System of the United States protects federally managed land areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. It was established by the Wilderness Act upon the signature of President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964...
.
The highest elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
in the Brasstown Wilderness is the 4784 feet (1,458.2 m) peak of Brasstown Bald
Brasstown Bald
Brasstown Bald is the highest natural point in the state of Georgia, USA, with a summit elevation of 4,784 feet above mean sea level....
, which is also the highest point in Georgia. The land that forms the Wilderness drapes across the northern, northeastern, and southwestern flanks of Brasstown Bald. In addition to 14.1 miles (22.7 km) of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
streams
STREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
and abundant wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
, the Brasstown Bald is home to several threatened
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
or endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
such as the Pygmy Shrew
Pygmy Shrew
The American Pygmy Shrew is a small shrew found in Alaska, Canada and the northern United States down through the Appalachian Mountains. It was first discovered in 1831 by the acclaimed naturalist William Cane in Georgian Bay, Parry Sound....
.