Protect Our National Forests

An executive order by President Trump directs the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to issue new guidance within the next 30 days to accelerate timber harvesting on federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), with the goal to “fully exploit our domestic timber supply.

Contact Representative Ben Cline to protest cuts of Forest Service employees and the executive order to decimate our national forests.

This executive order would end compliance with the Endangered Species Act, bypassing critical protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable animals and plants. There’s no way to increase timber production without targeting old-growth and mature forest stands that do the crucial work of providing habitat for wildlife, filtering municipal drinking water, providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildfire resilience, and absorbing and storing the carbon necessary to fight climate change. It’s also unclear how timber sales could be planned, administered, and implemented when the government has just fired thousands of Forest Service employees.

My family has enjoyed camping, hiking, exploring, canoeing in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. We have often explored and camped in other national forests while cross country traveling. My family drinks municipal water from the national forests.

Tell Ben Cline to protect our national forests.

Shenandoah Mountain Wildflower Tournament

A rare Lady Slipper

The Virginia Master Naturalist Headwaters Chapter, Friends of Shenandoah Mountain, and Virginia Native Plant Society - Shenandoah Chapter are cosponsoring a Shenandoah Mountain Wildflower Tournament on May 11, 2013. Get outside and see beautiful spring wildflowers on Shenandoah Mountain at various locations in the George Washington National Forest. Areas of exploration include North River Gorge, Wolf Ridge Trail, Braley Pond, and Reddish Knob.

Groups will explore and find as many different types of wildflowers as possible and photograph (do not pick them) each one. The best photos will be featured on the website of Friends of Shenandoah Mountain.

For more information about times, where to meet, what to wear and bring, and to register  online visit Shenandoah Mountain Wildflower Tournament.

North River Gorge

In the middle of a political campaign filled with lies, distortions, and flip flops it clears one's mind and soul to spend some quality time with the truth and beauty of nature. Pictures from a recent hike on North River Gorge Trail in the George Washington National Forest, Augusta County, Virginia.

North River seen from the swinging bridge.

Fall colors light up the trail.

A serene pool in North River.

Frack U III

I have previously posted about fracking in the Shenandoah Valley and about the George Washington National Forest Management Plan. Like some of you, I've attended meetings and contacted decision-makers to urge fracking caution on both public and private lands. In recent months the issue seems to have fallen off the media radar, but that doesn't mean it has gone away.

Fortunately, the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors (most of the proposed wells are in the Bergton area, but other locations could eventually be impacted) is being just that - cautious - and insisting on local self-determination for setting regulations that will protect the local quality of life. They have set a good example for other jurisdictions.

The George Washington National Forest Management Plan, which will guide activities on nearly 1.1 million acres for the next 15 years, is nearing completion. Although public comments (53,000) on the plan were overwhelmingly (95%) in support of a ban on natural gas fracking and horizontal drilling in the Forest, and 10 local governments in the region support it, it seems the final version of the plan may yet weaken or eliminate the proposed ban - as Ken Landgraf a National Forest planning officer said, "we're evaluating that very carefully to see if we can put together a package of mitigation factors that would allow us to make portions of the forest available." Might be a fox in the henhouse - could oil and gas campaign contributions to key congressmen and high powered D.C. lobbyists be hijacking the process from citizens and local governments?

We could talk about the million plus visitors to the GWNF each year, or the impact to wildlife, or the heavy truck and equipment traffic that would shatter the tranquility of not only the forest but also of the communities along roads accessing this treasure. However the most compelling reason to keep the ban on hydraulic fracking and horizontal drilling is the protection of a huge watershed (headwaters of both James and Potomac rivers) that provides drinking water for local residents of the Shenandoah Valley, and also for millions in NOVA, Washington, D.C., and Richmond.

Below is a proposed letter drafted by the Shenandoah Valley Network for you to copy/paste/edit and email directly to Secretary of Agriculture (the Forest Service is part of that Department) Tom Vilsack at agsec@usda.gov. Time is of the essence as the Management Plan is expected to be finalized in the next few months.

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

I support the US Forest Service’s sensible proposal to protect forest resources and drinking water on the George Washington National Forest by prohibiting horizontal drilling on any future federal oil and gas leases in the new Forest Plan. 

The Forest Service should stand firm. The well-considered ban, which is intended to limit or prevent high-volume hydraulic fracturing, was supported by the great majority (95 percent) of more than 53,000 public comments, as well as by many local governments adjacent to the Forest. 

The proposed ban on horizontal drilling will protect the direct drinking water source for 260,000 local residents and the headwaters of the James and Potomac Rivers which supply water to millions in cities in Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland, safeguard fish and wildlife habitat, and preserve the forest recreation experience for the more than 1 million people who visit the George Washington National Forest each year. 

The draft forest plan also proposed to make nearly the entire GW Forest available for vertical gas drilling. The potential impacts of vertical gas drilling on the GW should be more thoroughly studied, with public input, before a decision is made. At a minimum, local drinking water supply watersheds, priority watersheds, and other sensitive natural, scenic and recreation areas should be made unavailable to drilling. 

Thank you for your support on this critical issue.

More information on Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling, the George Washington National Forest Management Plan, and water quality.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival comes to Staunton

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2012 comes the the Visulite Theatre in Staunton on Thursday, April 19 at 7:00 PM. The event (along with one the previous night in Charlottesville) is sponsored by Wild Virginia, an organization working to protect public lands, especially the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, since 1995.

According to the festival website, "this year’s selections will not only take audiences to some of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet, but introduce them to the magnificent animals that inhabit these places and the courageous individuals who are working to protect and preserve both for future generations. The films instill a deep appreciation and a sense of wonder for the natural world that surrounds and supports us."

Tickets are $10. The Visulite Theatre is at 12 N. Augusta Street in Staunton.

Urge officials to protect the George Washington National Forest

The Forest Service wants to know what you think about their management plan for the George Washington National Forest. More logging or less? Close roads or not? How much commercial use versus protecting pristine area? The Forest service wants your comments and ideas on roadless areas, protecting ecologically sensitive species, controlled burns, and much more. To get your views there will be a series of public hearings. All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Valley Elementary School

98 Panther Drive

Hot Springs, VA

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

East Hardy High School

Baker, WV

Monday, April 19, 2010

Rockbridge County High School

143 Greenhouse Road

Lexington, VA 24450

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Woodstock National Guard Armory

541 Hoover Road

Woodstock, VA 22664

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Augusta County Government Center

19 Government Lane

Verona, VA 24482

You can get more information about mailing a letter or commenting online here. There is a good article in The Roanoke Times. When you comment, come down on the side of more environmental protection rather than less

Camp Todd

My son, dog, and I took a little time out for hiking, camping, cooking over an open fire along the Little River near Camp Todd in the George Washington National Forest. With rain in the forecast for today, we got our exploring done yesterday and headed home just as the showers started this morning.

Camp Todd is the site of an early 1800s cabin, perhaps a small settlement. I can imagine a difficult life, but there was fresh water, fish, deer, bear, berries to keep folks going. Plenty of firewood, but one can imagine bitter cold winters. A long way to town by foot or horse, too! The rocky soil and small shaded valley would have made crops virtually impossible. Later the Forest Service had a building at same spot, but it has also been removed.

Summer-like conditions have things greening up at this elevation, but it is about a week behind the Valley. Yes, we packed out our trash and left the campsite cleaner than we found it.

A few pics from our little get-away.

Buds and leaves are just beginning to pop.

The forest canopy will fill in over the next few weeks. With late April temps in the low 80s deep in the GWNF, the trees may be getting an early start. We enjoyed wall-to-wall blue skies until later in the evening when a few clouds rolled in. But, most of the night was star-studded - no tent necessary! We lucked out - rain held off until about 8:00 AM, after breakfast.

After a hike, kicked-back in the sun, enjoying a cold one and the company of a good dog. We started the fire to build up coals for grilled chicken, baked potatoes, a grilled veggie packet and homemade bread. Good eatin'. How come it always tastes better around a campfire?

A few early wildflowers can be spotted. Others peeking out, just on the verge. After this rain, with predicted temps fairly mild, more will be popping up over the next weeks. The North River Gorge Trail is especially noted for wildflowers.

Little River has a good flow that predicted showers over the next week should sustain and perhaps build. The water is cold! There were a few fishermen seeking elusive trout, but the area was mostly devoid of mankind - which made it a very nice place to be!

Blowin' In the Wind... not yet!

The Forest Service has taken the wind out of the sails of a proposed wind farm in the George Washington National Forest - for the time being, anyhow. Freedomworks, a Harpers Ferry renewable energy firm, had plans to build 131 wind turbines, each 400 feet tall, along the Virginia/West Virginia line in the GWNF in Shenandoah, Rockingham, and Hardy counties. The system could produce 215 megawats and sold to the state grid. Freedomworks had already received clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Forest Service said the plan fell short on three points that are part of the George Washington National Forest Land and Resources Management Plan:

• The turbines would not blend into the landscape,
• Freedomworks failed to prove the project couldn't be done on private land, and
• the project would require building 19 miles of roads in an area where only 2 miles of road should be built.

There is a good chance the decision could be reversed. With the Obama administration and Congress pushing more renewable energy there may be new directives and guidelines coming from D.C. And the Forest Service spokesman added that if Freedomworks can address the issues "in any way" the permit may be revisited. It is hard to see how the turbines can "blend into the landscape," but the other two issues seem ripe for compromise.

Wind turbines, especially large farms like this one, seem to divide environmentalists. Yes, they should be located and designed to minimize impact to wildlife, sensitive plants, and the beauty of the area. But, if we are serious about renewable energy, Americans and environmentalists are going to have to find a middle ground and adjust our NIMBY mentality on these types of projects. Our future depends on it.

There is more in the Daily News-Record.

Sierra Club in the Valley

Snow Day! The Sierra Club has things going on in the Shenandoah Valley and across Virginia. Sit by the fire - mark your calendar for the these events and contact the officials to keep our Commonwealth green.

The Shenandoah Group of the Sierra Club is presenting the following program events. All meetings are free and open to the public. Contact shenandoah.group@gmail.com for more information

• "The State of the Shenandoah River: What We Need to Know and What We Can Do" will be presented by Jeff Kelbie of Shenandoah Riverkeeper on February 17, 7:30pm at Clementine Cafe, 153 South Main Street, Harrisonburg.
• Michael Testerman, Vice-Chair of Rail Solution will provide an overview of current transportation planning and efforts to develop the rail alternative to highway expansion. March 17, 7:30 PM at Clemtine Cafe, 153 South Main Street Harrisonburg.

The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter urges you to support Senate Bills 1447 (McEachin) and 1440 (Herring). Their legislation calls for a mandatory 19% reduction in projected energy demand by 2025 while rewarding utilities for their efficiency investments. This will create jobs and reduce our use of electricity. For more information and contact visit Article XI: To Preserve and Protect.

Finally, let officials at the George Washington National Forest know what you think as they develop their new plan. At 1.1 million acres, the GWNF is the largest National Forest in the eastern United States and is vital to Virginia's environmental and economic health. Tell them to write a plan to provide for species protection, for protecting downstream rivers and drinking water, maintaining its large tracts of roadless areas, and for low-impact recreational activities. More info. Comments may be made at GWNF or emailed to comments-southern-georgewashington-jefferson@fs.fed.us (put "Comment on George Washington Plan Revision" in the subject line.)