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Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest

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The Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest in northern Georgia comprises two United States National Forests , the Oconee National Forest in eastern Georgia and the Chattahoochee National Forest located in the North Georgia Mountains. The Chattahoochee National Forest is composed of an eastern and western forest. The western forest contains Johns Mountain , Little Sand Mountain, and Taylor Ridge (Georgia) . The combined total area of the Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest is 867,265 acres (3,510 km), of which the Chattahoochee National Forest comprises 751,069 acres (3,039 km) and the Oconee National Forest comprises 116,196 acres (470 km). The county with the largest portion of the eastern forest is Rabun County , Georgia , which has 148,684 acres (601.7 km) within its boundaries.

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46-415: Numerous animals can be found in this forest including birds such as species of hawk , species of owl , blackbirds , ducks , eagles , sparrows , hummingbirds , geese, and cardinals. Mammalian species that roam in the forest are American black bear , shrew , coyote , a variety of bats , squirrel , beaver , river otter , bobcat , deer , weasel , mice, and foxes . The forest is known to be home to

92-555: A concealed perch. In America , members of the Buteo group are also called hawks, though birds of this group are called buzzards in other parts of the world. Generally, buteos have broad wings and sturdy builds. They are relatively larger-winged and shorter-tailed than accipiters, and fly further distances in open areas. Buteos descend or pounce on their prey rather than engaging in fast, horizontal pursuit. The terms accipitrine hawk and buteonine hawk are used to distinguish between

138-441: A mating pair build their nest before mating season then improve it throughout nesting season. They usually do this before mating. Hawks have a striking mating ritual. First, a male and a female fly together in a circular motion . Once they reach a certain height, the male dives toward the female before ascending back to that height. The two birds repeat this until the male latches onto the female, and they begin to free-fall towards

184-498: A method of measuring avian " IQ " by measuring their innovation in feeding habits. Based on this scale, hawks were named among the most intelligent birds. The hawk is very intelligent towards humans and other hawks. Hawks, like most birds, are tetrachromats with four types of colour receptors in the eye. Unlike some birds, but similar to other diurnal raptors, most hawk species are violet-sensitive but cannot perceive ultraviolet light. Hawks also have relatively high visual acuity –

230-537: A population of 160,000 in 2015. Middle Georgia's largest employer is Robins Air Force Base, with more than 22,300 employees as of 2015, followed by Geico with over 5,690 employees and the Medical Center of Central Georgia, with over 4,600 employees. Other employers in the region include the Houston County Board of Education , Bibb County Board of Education, Houston Healthcare, Perdue Farms ,

276-469: Is 721 ft. (220 m), overlooking Town Creek at 33.6511, -83.1317. Hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae . They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks , sparrowhawks , sharp-shinned hawks , and others. This subfamily are mainly woodland birds with short broad wings, long tails, and high visual acuity. They hunt by dashing suddenly from

322-568: Is a citizen scientist activity that monitors hawk migration and provides data to the scientific community. The red-tailed hawk is probably the most common hawk in North America . Past observations have indicated that, while hawks can easily adapt to most environments, they prefer open habitats such as deserts and fields, likely because it is easier to spot prey. As they are able to live anywhere, they can also be found in mountainous plains and tropical, moist areas such as Central America ,

368-533: Is an eleven-county region in the U.S. state of Georgia . It abuts the Atlanta metropolitan area , just to the north, and is anchored by both the Macon and Warner Robins metropolitan areas. Largest cities in the region: Macon (pop. 157,025), Warner Robins (pop. 80,567), Perry (pop. 20,944), Milledgeville (pop. 17,058), Fort Valley (pop. 8,796), Centerville (pop. 8,260), Eatonton (pop. 6,338). According to

414-406: Is better for a hawk to arrive at its destination as early as possible to have first pick of mates, territory, food, and other resources. There are a variety of factors impacting the strategy and success of a hawk's migration. Kerlinger states that a bird has more body fat when it begins its migration than when it arrives at its destination. Thus, the more fat a bird has when it begins its migration,

460-607: Is located 75 miles south of the Atlanta International Airport, and home to Georgia's largest industrial complex at the Warner Robins Air Force Base. Houston county has more than 3,000 acres of land for industrial development and one of the lowest property tax rates in middle Georgia. The county is designated one of Georgia's Entrepreneur Friendly Communities. Houston County has experienced a population growth, from 89,208 in 1990 to

506-982: Is not an eagle. The common names of some birds include the term "hawk", reflecting traditional usage rather than taxonomy. For example, some people may call an osprey a " fish hawk " or a peregrine falcon a " duck hawk ". Falconry was once called "hawking", and any bird used for falconry could be referred to as a hawk. Aristotle listed eleven types of ἱέρακες ( hierakes , hawks; singular ἱέραξ , hierax ): aisalōn (merlin), asterias, hypotriorchēs, kirkos, leios, perkos, phassophonos, phrynologos, pternis, spizias, and triorchēs. Pliny numbered sixteen kinds of hawks, but named only aigithos, epileios, kenchrēïs (kestrel), kybindis, and triorchēs (buzzard). Accipitrine hawks generally hunt other birds as their primary prey and thus are sometimes called "hen-hawks". Similarly, they are sometimes called "wood-hawks" because of their woodland habitat .Though they are also known as "True Hawks" With most being called Sparrowhawks or Goshawks with

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552-577: Is spread over eight Georgia counties and is organized into one ranger district. The Oconee Ranger District maintains several hiking and other recreational trails in the forest. Forest headquarters are located in Gainesville, Georgia . Listed below are the counties with land in the Forest showing the area and the relevant ranger districts. The Oconee National Forest is almost halfway between Macon and Athens . There are two major man-made lakes within

598-521: Is traditionally included in Accipitridae, but is possibly a convergent genus from an unrelated group (see red goshawk taxonomy ). The " Buteonine group " includes genera Buteo , Parabuteo , Geranoetus , and most of Leucopternis . Members of this group have also been called "hawk-buzzards". The proposed new genera Morphnarchus , Rupornis , and Pseudastur would be formed from members of Buteo and Leucopternis . Members of

644-717: Is used in politics to describe someone perceived as favoring war. The term reportedly originated in the United States during the 1810 debates in Congress over a possible war with Great Britain. Congressman John Randolph is said to have referred to Henry Clay 's pro-war faction as the "war-hawks". Numerous sporting clubs, such as the Atlanta Hawks , the Hawthorn Hawks , and the Malmö Redhawks , use

690-690: The Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area . Many landmarks in the Chattahoochee bear Ranger Woody's name in tribute to his work. Sosebee Cove , a 175 acres (0.7 km) tract of prize hardwood along GA 180 is set aside as a memorial to Woody, who negotiated its purchase for the Forest Service. Woody also helped build a school, in Suches GA, where he was born, which was later named after him, Woody Gap School,

736-521: The Georgia Department of Economic Development , the region consists of the following counties: Baldwin , Bibb , Crawford , Houston , Jones , Monroe , Peach , Pulaski , Putnam , Twiggs , and Wilkinson . In 2010, the estimated total population of Middle Georgia, including the counties of Baldwin , Bibb , Crawford , Houston , Jones , Monroe , Peach , and Twiggs counties, was 445,608 people. The population has grown by 11% over

782-653: The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame , and the Museum of Arts & Sciences. The region has an abundance of nature and wildlife; the High Falls state park is located just north west of Macon. High Falls was a prosperous Industrial town with several stores, including a mill, a cotton gin and a shoe factory until it fell from prosperity. The region hosts several events each year, with Macon, the population center hosting over 20 annual events and has been nicknamed

828-719: The North Georgia mountains . The River and the area were given the name by the English settlers who took the name from the Indians living here. The Cherokee and Creek Indians inhabited North Georgia. In one dialect of the Muskogean languages , Chatta means stone; ho chee , marked or flowered. These marked or flowered stones were in the Chattahoochee River at a settlement near Columbus, Georgia . In 1911,

874-642: The Southern Baptist Convention , United Methodist Church , Catholic Church , National Baptist Convention USA , African Methodist Episcopal Church , National Missionary Baptist Convention of America , and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church . The region's largest non-Christian religions were Hinduism , Islam , the Baha'i Faith , Unitarian Universalism , and Judaism . The largest Jewish movements in

920-846: The United States Forest Service purchased 31,000 acres (125 km) of land in Fannin , Gilmer , Lumpkin and Union Counties from the Gennett family for $ 7 per acre. This land was the beginning of what would become the Chattahoochee National Forest. The initial land purchases became a part of the Cherokee National Forest on June 14, 1920. Ranger Roscoe Nicholson , who was the first forest ranger in Georgia and had advised

966-629: The West Indies , and Jamaica . Parents feed young hawks from early in their lives until they leave the nest. Young hawks, while still in the fledgling phase, will leave their nests as early as six weeks old, but they do not hunt until they are older. Like most birds of prey , hawks kill their prey with their talons. Hawks usually prefer hunting just before nightfall when daylight lessens. Although hawks are known for being violent predators , some are gentle and quiet. Hawks fly by flapping their wings rapidly then relying on momentum to glide through

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1012-518: The " Buteogallus group" are also called hawks, with the exception of solitary eagle species. Buteo is the type genus of the subfamily Buteoninae. This subfamily traditionally includes eagles and sea-eagles, but Lerner and Mindell (2005) proposed placing them into separate the subfamilies Aquilinae and Haliaaetinae. This would leave only the buteonine hawks/buzzards in Buteoninae. In February 2005, Canadian ornithologist Louis Lefebvre announced

1058-809: The Chattooga River and the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River, natural attractions within it boundaries include the beginning of the 2,174-mile (3,499 km) Appalachian Trail , Georgia's highpoint, Brasstown Bald and Anna Ruby Falls . The Chattahoochee also includes ten wildernesses that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System , all of which are managed by the United States Forest Service. Parts of these wilderness extend outside Chattahoochee National Forest, as indicated. The wildernesses are: The Oconee National Forest today

1104-504: The Forest Service in its initial land purchases, continued the growth of the Chattahoochee by negotiating the purchase of most of the Forest Service land in what is now the Chattooga River Ranger District. The Coleman River Scenic Area near Clayton, Georgia was dedicated to "Ranger Nick", as he was called, in honor of his promotion of conservation ideals. Ranger Arthur Woody also promoted conservation and

1150-739: The Macon Economic Development Commission recruits new businesses and industries to the region. In August 2017, the Canadian based Irving Consumer Products announced plans to build a manufacturing plant in Macon that would create additional jobs. The Central Georgia Business and Technology Park in Thomaston is a 240-acre facility that houses tenants such as Southern Company , Solutions Pest & Lawn, Criterion Technologies, and Chief Manufacturing. Houston County

1196-851: The Macon-Bibb County Government, the Blue Bird Corp , Coliseum Health System, and Frito lay . Middle Georgia has several cultural attractions that include the Ocmulgee National Monument , Georgia National Fairground , and the Museum of Aviation at the Robins Air Force Base. Macon is home to over 10 museums, 5 tours and 7 annual festivals. Some of the museums include the Tubman African American Museum ,

1242-631: The Oconee National Forest. The Oconee then joined the Chattahoochee to become the Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forests of today. The Chattooga River was designated a Wild and Scenic River during the 1970s. The Chattooga remains one of the few free-flowing streams in the Southeast and is known for its white water rafting and scenery. The movie Deliverance was filmed on the Chattooga River, which became

1288-465: The United States in terms of economic growth and stability, but within the state of Georgia, the region has not experienced much growth. The region lags behind most other regions in the state in terms of well-being of its residents and overall economic growth. As of 2017, over 46,000 workers from nearby counties commute to the Macon-Bibb county for work. To assist in business growth and development,

1334-401: The air. Like other birds, they are known to form flocks when migrating, which improves survival rates over traveling alone. Flocks of birds, especially hawks, are sometimes called "kettles" in the United States. Hawks are known for their unique mating season and means of reproduction . Some species of hawk are monogamous and have one partner their whole lives. The male and female of

1380-546: The better its chances of making the trip safely. Flight path is another important factor in migration because a bird's route can greatly affect the conditions it encounters during its journey. For example, wind direction and speed can either throw the bird off course or push it in the right direction. Due to the relative variability of air conditions over large bodies of water and the resulting impact on safety, hawks tend to avoid any large bodies of water while migrating by detouring around lakes or flying along coasts. Hawkwatching

1426-699: The bird as an emblem. The sports teams of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio officially became known as the RedHawks in 1997 after changing the name from Redskins. Hawks are strongly associated with Guru Gobind Singh in the Sikh community. He is believed to have kept a white Northern Goshawk . As a result, the Northern Goshawk was made the official state bird of Punjab, India . Central Georgia Middle Georgia , also known as Central Georgia ,

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1472-483: The both being named such because of them hunting small birds (like sparrow) and large water-fowl (like goose) respectively The subfamily Accipitrinae contains the genus Accipiter as well as the genera Micronisus (Gabar goshawk), Urotriorchis (long-tailed hawk), and Megatriorchis (Doria's goshawk). Melierax (chanting goshawk) may be included in the subfamily or given a subfamily of its own. Erythrotriorchis (red- and chestnut-shouldered goshawk)

1518-712: The boundaries of the Oconee Ranger District, both on the Oconee River. Lake Sinclair lends its water and name to Lake Sinclair Recreation Area in Putnam County. This is the major recreation area of the Oconee Ranger District and offers camping, boating, fishing and swimming. Redlands Recreation area is located on Lake Oconee in Greene County and offers boating, picnicking and fishing. Oconee River Recreation Area, farther upstream and near

1564-516: The distance at which they can resolve an image – with red-tailed hawks reported to have 16.8 cycles per degree. This is due to the large number of photoreceptors in the retina (up to 1,000,000 per square mm in Buteo , compared to 200,000 in humans ), a high number of nerves connecting these receptors to the brain, and an indented fovea , which magnifies the central portion of the visual field . Hawks additionally have two foveae (depressions in

1610-921: The festival capital of Georgia. Macon's popular events include the International Cherry Blossom Festival , the Bragg Jam, the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration. Other popular events include the Georgia Peach Festival which is hosted in Byron and Fort Valley, and the annual miss Georgia Peach pageant hosted in Fort Valley . The region features a regional airport, the Middle Georgia Regional Airport . The region

1656-454: The fictional Cahulawassee River in the movie. The Chattahoochee National Forest today covers 18 north Georgia counties. The Chattahoochee currently has three ranger districts: It includes over 2,200 miles (3,500 km) of rivers and streams (including about 1,367 miles (2,200 km) of trout streams). There are over 450 miles (720 km) of hiking and other recreation trails, and 1,600 miles (2,600 km) of "roads." In addition to

1702-514: The ground. In one year, a female hawk will lay about five eggs. Both the male and the female guard and care for the eggs for about a month until they hatch. Hawks feed on a variety of smaller animals such as snakes , lizards , fish , mice , rabbits , squirrels , birds , or any other type of small game that is found on the ground. As an example, red-shouldered hawks eat smaller birds like doves as well as bugs like grasshoppers and crickets . The term war hawk , or simply hawk ,

1748-534: The last 10 years. The fastest growth was reported in Houston County, which saw a population growth of 26.3% followed by Monroe (21.5%) and Jones (21.3%) counties. The racial make-up of the region as of 2010 was 55.9% non-Hispanic white, 38.7% African American and 1.6% Asian, with about 1.8% identified as mixed or two more races. Houston County had the highest educational attainment for bachelor's degrees (14.5%) and graduate or professional degrees (11.2%) for

1794-545: The mysterious blue glow of the Blue ghost firefly, Phausis reticulata , and many species of fish and amphibians swim in the many streams and lakes; also various species of reptile inhabit the forest. The area is also one of the select wilderness areas to someday reintroduce the critically endangered red wolf . The Chattahoochee National Forest takes its name from the Chattahoochee River whose headwaters begin in

1840-501: The northern boundary of the National Forest, offers camping and boating. There are many miles of hiking and equestrian trails within the forest and one trail for dirt bikes and four-wheelers. Hunt camps dispersed throughout the district are temporarily home to hundreds of hunters who enjoy the forest during deer hunting season. An active timber program insures the health of the forest. The highest point in Oconee National Forest

1886-676: The population over 25 years old in the Middle Georgia region in 2011. By the 2020 U.S. census , the counties forming Middle Georgia had a total resident population of 509,994. Forming part of the Bible Belt , Central or Middle Georgia is predominantly Christian , since the colonial era . According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the majority of the region is Baptist , non-denominational , Methodist , and Catholic . The largest Christian denominations were

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1932-409: The region were Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism . The economy in Middle Georgia tends to cluster around five areas: aerospace , healthcare and hospitals, kaolin , warehousing and distribution, and heritage and ecotourism . Macon is the region's retail and trade center and the Macon-Bibb county serves as the region's center of employment. The Middle Georgia region has been competitive in

1978-682: The retina with high photoreceptor density) in each eye, one centrally-placed and the other temporally-placed. Finally, the eyeball is elongated, placing the lens far from the retina and giving a long focal length . Like most birds, hawks migrate in the autumn and the spring. The autumn migration season begins in August and ends mid-December, and different types of hawk choose different times in each season to migrate. Some migration distances are longer than others, and birds traveling longer distances tend to depart in early autumn while those traveling shorter distances start much later. Studies have shown that it

2024-607: The smallest public school in Georgia. current enrollment is around 60 students total, K-12. On July 9, 1936, the Forest Service was reorganized to follow state boundaries and President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Chattahoochee a separate National Forest. In 1936, the Chattahoochee was organized into two Ranger Districts, the Blue Ridge and the Tallulah. In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed 96,000 acres (388 km) of federal lands in central Georgia as

2070-426: The types in regions where hawk applies to both. The term "true hawk" is sometimes used for the accipitrine hawks in regions where buzzard is preferred for the buteonine hawks. All these groups are members of the family Accipitridae , which includes hawks and buzzards as well as kites , harriers , and eagles . To confuse things further, some authors use "hawk" generally for any small to medium Accipitrid that

2116-475: Was a key figure in the early development of the Chattahoochee. Unwise land and resource use had caused the deer and trout populations to virtually disappear in the North Georgia mountains and Woody brought trout and deer back to the area. The trout were shipped to Gainesville, hauled across the narrow, dirt, mountain roads and eventually released in the streams . Woody also purchased fawns with his own money, and fed them until they could be released on what became

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