Virginia Wilderness Committee will convene for its Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 16, 2010. Join us at the Braley Pond picnic area in the GWNF at 10:30AM to review our work for the past year and to look ahead at the year to come. We will also elect officers for the coming year. The meeting will be followed by a brown-bag lunch and an optional short hike. We invite and encourage participation from all VWC members, so please join us!
Join Virginia Wilderness Committee for a trail maintenance day on Buck Mountain Trail in the heart of the Little River Proposed Wilderness Area in the George Washington National Forest on Tuesday, June 15. We welcome your participation, for a half day or full day on the trail. Meet at Briery Branch Church of the Brethren at 8:30am, or at Hearthstone Lake at 8:50am.
Take a look at the menu structure for this website, and you might notice an additional item: Hikes. Once a month, we will post detailed information about a new place to visit in VA's National Forests. We will tell you how to get there, where to park, interesting things about the location, and a detailed trail description. We're focusing on places that are kid-friendly, so check back to know where to go for your next family adventure.
Here we go again! Because of new planning rules now in place, the Forest Service is conducting another set of public hearings on the management plan for the George Washington National Forest. Dates and locations for the upcoming meetings are:
April 12 - Valley Elementary School, 98 Panther Dr, Hot Springs, VA
April 14 - East Hardy High School, Baker, WV
April 19 - Rockbridge County High School, 143 Greenhouse Rd, Lexington, VA
April 28 - Woodstock National Guard Armory, 541 Hoover Rd, Woodstock, VA
We know how much we love the wildness of the George Washington National Forest. On April 24, we have a chance to help keep the forest clean and healthy by participating in the annual Clean-Up Day. Meet with other friends of Virginia Wilderness Committee at 9:00 AM at the Union Springs reservoir. From there, we will drive further west up the mountain and pick up trash along FDR 225 (Union Springs Rd). Be sure to bring along gloves and water. Contact Carol Lena Miller (email or phone 540-578-0275) and let us know you are coming.
VWC and the Friends of Shenandoah Mountain are working steadily to strengthen our list of supporters for the Shenandoah Mountain Proposal. Many businesses, organizations, faith groups, and individuals from up and down the valley as well as from other places near and far have shown support by endorsing the proposal.
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) has recognized the work of the Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC) by presenting the 2009 James E. Dockery, Jr. Environmental Leadership Award to Jim Murray. Jim accepted the Award on behalf of the many contributors to our success with the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2009.
Legislative protection of our most outstanding public lands in Virginia always requires patience and persistence, and in some cases more than others.
The Clinton-era 2001 Roadless Rule has been in and out of courts since Clinton's announcement on Reddish Knob in the George Washington National Forest back in November of 2001. By decision of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2009, the Rule is currently law of the land. However, the viability of the Rule now hangs with the 10th Circuit Court, who will make a decision in 2010. Congressional action is the best road to permanent protection for our roadless areas - and that process is now underway.
The Shenandoah Mountain Proposal is gaining footage as we work in the community to educate and inform the public about this opportunity to protect the best wild lands in the Shenandoah Mountain, Laurel Fork, and Kelley Mountain areas of the George Washington National Forest. We invite you to learn more about this proposal for National Scenic Area and Wilderness designations by speaking to your organization, class, church, or other group. Just contact us
