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 [1], or visit the Forest Service website [2].) 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 [3] 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.
In your comments, encourage the Forest Service to designate more Wilderness and other protective status designations, and to protect all roadless areas. Stress the need for additional environmental analysis and standards to protect forest, wildlife, and water. Ask the Forest Service to focus on recreation and conservation rather than resource extraction in our forest.
Together with a group called Friends of Shenandoah Mountain, Virginia Wilderness Committee has begun a campaign called the Shenandoah Mountain Proposal to promote our recommendation for the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area with Wilderness designation for Skidmore Fork, Little River, Bald Ridge, and Lynn Hollow. The campaign also includes the Laurel Fork Wilderness recommendation and the Kelley Mountain National Scenic Area recommendation.
This proposal is endorsed by a growing number of local and state organizations, including the local mountain biking organization (Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition) and IMBA. See our Shenandoah Mountain Proposal [4] page or http://www.friendsofshenandoahmountain.org/ [5] for more information.