Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition
 
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Our Forests

Upcoming projects on the Jefferson and George Washington National Forest

Courtsey of Virginia Forest Watch.  For more projects in Virginia...

CLINCH RANGER DISTRICT

North Fork of Pound gas development As part of a federal lands mineral lease, Equitable Resources of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has notified the Forest Service that they intend to drill multiple gas wells and construct several roads and pipelines throughout the length and breadth of the 4,756 acre North Fork of the Pound roadless area, one of the largest remaining roadless areas in the entire Cumberland bioregion,

Proposed:

  • 21 Wells - federally held minerals under lease
  • 4 Wells - privately held minerals (in addition to federal minerals)
  • 11 mi. of New Roads to access federally held minerals
  • 12 mi. of Pipeline (about 11 mi. follow the Roads and ~1 mi. in addition to these)
  • 13,500 ft. of additional New Road to access privately held minerals
  • Receiving "expedited review" under the Bush administration's recent Executive Order # 13212

At Stake:

  • According to the FS, 4836 acres of public land is under a lease dating to the early 1980s
  • 3496 acres within the 4756 acre North Fork of Pound roadless area is under lease (about 73.5%)- plus possible additional public lands acreage outside of the roadless area (private minerals)
  • Mixed mesophytic forests in the heart of one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America
  • Public water supply for the town of Pound, Va., population 1,800
  • At least 135 acres of old growth is documented in this area
  • 565 acres of 890 acre Cane Patch Ravines special biological area (Va.
    Natural Heritage(VDNH)) could be impacted
  • Portions of the 390 acre Indian Grave Gap special biological area (VDNH) could
    be impacted
  • Portions of 215 acre Pine Mtn. Tunnel special biological area (VDNH) could
    be impacted
  • Other rare biological communities could be impacted

    The Forest Service took initial comments for this project in July 2002. A decision is expected approx. April 2004. There will be additional opportunities to comment before then. Please write the Forest Service TODAY to express your concern about the proposed wholesale destruction of this roadless area, and to request a copy of the Environmental Impact Statement, to be released in the near future .

Bark Camp -

One of the most controversial logging projects on the Jefferson National Forest, the Bark Camp timber sale is located at the center of an area described by the Nature Conservancy as "the single most diverse hexagon in the continental United States." The timber sale site lies in the middle of some of the Cumberland bioregion's highest mountains, an area with outstanding recreational assets like Chief Benge Scout Trail, Bark Camp campground, Big and Little Stony Creeks, and scenic High Knob. Many families in the area have hunted, fished, hiked, and ridden their horses on the mountains surrounding High Knob for generations. Unfortunately, massive logging projects of hundreds (and some approaching and exceeding a thousand) acres on the Clinch Ranger District have become almost routine in recent decades. The FS has admitted that the Clinch Ranger District is more heavily logged than any other Ranger District on the Jefferson National Forest, and, in turn, the High Knob area receives more logging than any other part of the Clinch Ranger District.


In 1997, the Forest Service proposed 1413 acres of logging stretching across five miles of the area. In response, the Clinch Coalition, a local group quickly mobilized to stop the project and gathered thousands of petition signatures from local residents opposed to the project. Because of the controversy surrounding the sale, the FS held meetings, in an attempt to assuage the opposition, but still came up with a very large 700 acre project - with more intensive even-aged cutting in many of the units than the original proposal. In 2001, during the summer after the sale was approved, a floods and landslides occurred in Big Stony Creek, a watershed that had been heavily logged by the FS in the '80s and '90s. The decision for the sale was revised, but still remains over 600 acres in size and leaves many watersheds (like those in the upper tributaries of Little Stony Creek) unprotected.
Virginia Forest Watch has joined other groups in a lawsuit against the sale filed by Southern Environmental Law Center and Wildlaw. For more updates and information on hikes in the area, see " www.clinchcoalition.org "

 

NEW RIVER VALLEY RANGER DISTRICT formerly Blacksburg/Wythe, Ranger Districts

Brush Mtn and Round Mtn. prescribed burns - Proposed 1515 acres of prescribed burning in the Brush Mtn. Roadless Area and proposed 1,100 acres of prescribed burning on the east side of Round Mtn. . Although the project would impact a roadless area, the Forest Service plans to categorically exclude the project from detailed analysis.

 

JAMES RIVER RANGER DISTRICT
 

Toms Br Timber Sale - proposed timber sale in an area adjacent to Barbours Cr. Wilderness Area that contains both "remote habitat for wildlife" and lands slated for "intensive" timber management. Forest Service is expected to be taking initial comments on this proposal soon.

 

NEW CASTLE RANGER DISTRICT

Little Mtn timber sale - The controversial new project is a 178 acre logging project involving 1.15 mi. of new permanent roads, some of which will be constructed in a roadless area. It is located in a valley that is known for endangered James spinymussel and incredible scenic beauty. Virginia Forest Watch plans to appeal this project in August.

GLENWOOD-PEDLAR RANGER DISTRICTS


Parkers Gap Timber Sale - A recently proposed 210 acre even-aged logging and thinning project right between the current Apple Orchard Special Management Area (SMA) and Thunder Ridge Wilderness. Several of the cutting units are located along scenic Rt. 812 (Warbler Rd.) just below Sunset Fields. The project is located in the Peaks of Otter salamander conservation area, part of a small area that is habitat for one of the rarest salamanders in North America. The cutting units are at the headwaters of North Creek and include portions of several stands over 100 yrs. old and includes FS identified old growth.
This project is the reincarnation of an unwise logging proposal that the FS has been unsuccessfully pushing (in several forms) for over 12 years. Ten years ago, a state fisheries biologist cautioned the FS against logging this area because of its location at the sensitive headwaters of a trout stream (North Creek). And twelve years ago, during the North Creek Opportunity Area Analysis twelve years ago, the Sierra Club wrote the Forest Service asking them to consider importance of the area between Apple Orchard SMA and Thunder Ridge Wilderness Area as a wildlife movement corridor. Twelve years later, the Forest Service is still trying to push this project through. The initial comment period for this project began earlier this summer. The Forest Service will release an environmental assessment on the project in the near future.

For more information contact Virginia Forest Watch or the Jefferson-GW National Forest.