Since the fall of 2010, Virginia Wilderness Committee has been participating in the "Stakeholder Group", a diverse group of folks who have been working hard to reach consensus about some typically divisive issues of forest management in the George Washington National Forest. Led by Mark Miller (Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and Virginia Wilderness Committee), Marek Smith (The Nature Conservancy), Al Bourgeois (Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries) and John Hancock (MeadWestvaco), the group includes interests from conservation, wildlife, hunting and fishing, timber, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, etc.
After many meetings and discussions, the Consensus group has reached agreement to support several legislative designations in the GWNF; the protection of any core wild area will be accompanied by improvement of early succession habitat through timber harvest and burning. Virginia Wilderness Committee encourages the US Forest Service to fully support the following Consensus recommendations for protection in the new management plan:
- Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area with embedded wilderness areas: Skidmore Fork Wilderness Area, Little River Wilderness Area, Bald Ridge Addition to Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Area, and Lynn Hollow Wilderness Area
- Beech Lick Knob Wilderness Area
- Wilderness additions for Rich Hole, Rough Mountain, Three Ridges, and St. Mary's
The following proposals have been identified by the Consensus group as possible areas for future collaboration:
- Jerkemtight Wilderness Area
- Little Allegheny Mountain Wilderness Area
- Big Schloss National Scenic Area and Three High Heads Wilderness Area
- Northern Massanutten National Recreation Area
- Kelley Mountain National Scenic Area
The Consensus group agrees to disagree on Laurel Fork Wilderness Area and Three Sisters Wilderness Area; VWC encourages you to support wilderness for these two areas as well as those above.
If the Forest Service should choose NOT to heed the recommendations of this strong Consensus group, then Virginia Wilderness Committee continues to support all of the following protections in the GW:
Lee Ranger District
Northern Massanutten National Recreation Area
Big Schloss National Scenic Area
Three High Heads Wilderness Area
North River Ranger District
Beech Lick Knob Wilderness Area
Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area
Skidmore Fork Wilderness Area
Little River Wilderness Area
Bald Ridge Addition to Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Area
Lynn Hollow Wilderness Area
Benson Run Wilderness Area
Bolshers Run Wilderness Area
Elliott Knob Wilderness Area
Archer Knob Wilderness Area
Warm Springs Ranger District
Laurel Fork Wilderness Area
Rich Hole Wilderness Addition
Paddy Lick Wilderness Area
Little Allegheny Mountain Wilderness Area
Pedlar Ranger District
Three Ridges Wilderness Addition
St. Mary's Wilderness Addition
Kelley Mountain National Scenic Area
Three Sisters Wilderness Area
Whites Peak Wilderness Area
Adams Peak National Scenic Area
James River District