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Virginia Wilderness Committee will be present as an exhibitor at the 51st Annual Garden Club of Virginia Conservation Forum in Charlottesville, VA on Friday, November 6, 2009.
The theme for this year's Forum is Building Sustainable Communities. Go to the website www.GCVirginia.org to register to attend. The forum will be held in the Abbott Center Auditorium at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
The Virginia Wilderness Committee and Friends of Shenandoah Mountain encourage you to join our effort to build support for permanent protection of Shenandoah Mountain in the GWNF. We are soliciting endorsements (in the form of a signed statement, no money involved) -- just visit the Friends website and click on Join Friends/Endorse. The list is growing - check it out!
Join Virginia Wilderness Committee and Friends of Shenandoah Mountain at this year's Virginia Environmental Assembly sponsored by the Virginia Conservation Network.
UPDATE: the salamander hunt occurred on August 19, a damp, warm summer night, perfect for the salamanders to come above ground. The group spotted around 20 salamanders, including Cow Knobs, Shen Mtns, and Red-backs. Our thanks to Billy Flint, JMU Biologist who led the way!
The Forest Planning process for the George Washington National Forest has been underway for a couple years now. However, a federal court ruled on 6/30/09 that the management guidelines developed by the Bush administration violate federal law and must be dropped. (Read the news article, or visit the Forest Service website.) We are currently unsure how the Planning for the GW will proceed, but it is sure to at some point, and your comments matter.
In response to the Planning effort, VWC recommends several areas in the GW for Wilderness, National Scenic Area, and National Recreation Area. We have worked hard to limit conflict with other uses in these recommendations, and we want to keep roads open for hunting access. We've also worked hard to keep popular mountain bike trails open, and all private land-owner rights would be maintained.
On March 30, 2009, President Obama signed into law one of the most sweeping pieces of conservation and public land management legislation in years. H.R. 146 creates over 2 million acres of new Wilderness in 9 states - and includes the areas designated in the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act in the Jefferson National Forest.
Virginia's Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wildlands of the George Washington National Forest, a book by Mark Miller for The Wilderness Society, is now available for distribution. The publication describes 63 areas on the GWNF that should be protected from logging, road construction, and other forms of exploitative development. A map and ecological/geological information is included for each Mountain Treasure.
Forest Planning for the George Washington National Forest is underway. The Forest Service invites and encourages our participation in this effort, which will determine how the forest is managed for the next 15 years. Submit comments to the Forest Service soon; the Draft Plan is now being developed, due for release in June 2009. Visit the Forest Service website for more information.
Providing that mountainous western backdrop for much of the Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah Mountain is not part of Shenandoah National Park, but is one of the least fragmented, roadless wildlands left in the Eastern United States. Wilderness advocates, mountain bikers, hikers, hunters, and many other folks who care deeply about Shenandoah Mountain have joined together to advocate for lasting protection for this very special area of the George Washington National Forest.
