History of Virginia Wilderness Committee
by Ernie Dickerman
July 24, 1996
The Virginia Wilderness Committee was formed in November 1969 at Williamsburg, Virginia. Jon and Sally Soest (pronounced as in toast), man and wife, were the principals; he was a physics professor at William & Mary College and she was a housewife keenly interested in environmental matters. Initially, it was a committee within the Conservation Council of Virginia, with a membership consisting of a few other college professors and students in the botany-biology club of the college. Within a year or so after forming, the group withdrew from the Conservation Council to give itself more freedom of action and decision, but retained the name of Virginia Wilderness Committee. Its purpose was to promote the application in Virginia of the Wilderness Act signed into law by President Johnson on September 3, 1964, five years previously.
First of all, it needed to identify a few areas suitable for placement in the National Wilderness Preservation System confirming to the definition of wilderness in the Wilderness Act. This definition is somewhat complex, like most things that Congress attempts, but for practical purposes it means an area that is wild, roadless, and free of the works of man and that is located within a national forest, a national park, or a national wildlife refuge (though a dozen or so years after 1964 lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management were made eligible by Congress). From the beginning, the idea of suitable lands being found on Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, meaning in the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains, attracted the Committee. Examining national forest maps and otherwise inquiring of the two Forest Supervisors, they located a number of potential areas worth investigating on the ground.
From Williamsburg in Tidewater to the Blue Ridge, much less to the Alleghany Mountains, is a long journey. Accordingly, Jon and Sally Soest, in company with a few students from William & Mary College, would leave Williamsburg after classes Friday afternoon and have all day Saturday and part of Sunday to explore. During school holidays they got into the Alleghany Mountains of the George Washington Forest and beyond. Potential wilderness candidates early identified included the James River Face in Bedford County, Ramseys Draft and St. Marys River in Augusta County, and Laurel Fork in Highland County, on the George Washington. Other potential areas were explored way down in Giles County (south of Blacksburg) on the Jefferson Forest. Early in its first years the Virginia Wilderness Committee got around!
Either Jon or Sally Soest served as president for the first few years beginning in 1969. Then one or two other persons served for a year or two. In 1976, when Ernie Dickerman retired from the staff of the Wilderness Society at Washington DC (where he had cooperated with Jon and Sally) and moved to his present residence in Virginia (near Bufflao Gap in Augusta County), he was elected president and served for three years; after which he and Ed Clark (later to found and remain chief executive of the Wildlife Center of Virginia) swapped offices, with Ed becoming president and Ernie vice-president, for the next two years. Following terms as president by Charles Pierce and Sarah Faulconer, Lynn Cameron of Harrisonburg was elected president and has served for the past three-plus years with great energy and competence. In 1977 Jon and Sally Soest left Virginia and returned to their native state of Washington.
The prime objective of the Virginia Wilderness Committee has constantly been to win the protection of the Wilderness Act of 1964 for more areas in Virginia. However, about 8 or 10 years ago it became apparent that unless the Committee actively concerned itself with management of the two national forests in the state, there might not be any wild, roadless areas left as potential wilderness, whereupon increasing attention has been given management problems and plans for these two forests. Also, political probelms with Shenandoah National Park have demanded attention to preserve its natural character as required by the 1916 National Park Service organic act.
Today in Virginia there are now as of 1996:
July 24, 1996
The Virginia Wilderness Committee was formed in November 1969 at Williamsburg, Virginia. Jon and Sally Soest (pronounced as in toast), man and wife, were the principals; he was a physics professor at William & Mary College and she was a housewife keenly interested in environmental matters. Initially, it was a committee within the Conservation Council of Virginia, with a membership consisting of a few other college professors and students in the botany-biology club of the college. Within a year or so after forming, the group withdrew from the Conservation Council to give itself more freedom of action and decision, but retained the name of Virginia Wilderness Committee. Its purpose was to promote the application in Virginia of the Wilderness Act signed into law by President Johnson on September 3, 1964, five years previously.
First of all, it needed to identify a few areas suitable for placement in the National Wilderness Preservation System confirming to the definition of wilderness in the Wilderness Act. This definition is somewhat complex, like most things that Congress attempts, but for practical purposes it means an area that is wild, roadless, and free of the works of man and that is located within a national forest, a national park, or a national wildlife refuge (though a dozen or so years after 1964 lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management were made eligible by Congress). From the beginning, the idea of suitable lands being found on Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, meaning in the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains, attracted the Committee. Examining national forest maps and otherwise inquiring of the two Forest Supervisors, they located a number of potential areas worth investigating on the ground.
From Williamsburg in Tidewater to the Blue Ridge, much less to the Alleghany Mountains, is a long journey. Accordingly, Jon and Sally Soest, in company with a few students from William & Mary College, would leave Williamsburg after classes Friday afternoon and have all day Saturday and part of Sunday to explore. During school holidays they got into the Alleghany Mountains of the George Washington Forest and beyond. Potential wilderness candidates early identified included the James River Face in Bedford County, Ramseys Draft and St. Marys River in Augusta County, and Laurel Fork in Highland County, on the George Washington. Other potential areas were explored way down in Giles County (south of Blacksburg) on the Jefferson Forest. Early in its first years the Virginia Wilderness Committee got around!
Either Jon or Sally Soest served as president for the first few years beginning in 1969. Then one or two other persons served for a year or two. In 1976, when Ernie Dickerman retired from the staff of the Wilderness Society at Washington DC (where he had cooperated with Jon and Sally) and moved to his present residence in Virginia (near Bufflao Gap in Augusta County), he was elected president and served for three years; after which he and Ed Clark (later to found and remain chief executive of the Wildlife Center of Virginia) swapped offices, with Ed becoming president and Ernie vice-president, for the next two years. Following terms as president by Charles Pierce and Sarah Faulconer, Lynn Cameron of Harrisonburg was elected president and has served for the past three-plus years with great energy and competence. In 1977 Jon and Sally Soest left Virginia and returned to their native state of Washington.
The prime objective of the Virginia Wilderness Committee has constantly been to win the protection of the Wilderness Act of 1964 for more areas in Virginia. However, about 8 or 10 years ago it became apparent that unless the Committee actively concerned itself with management of the two national forests in the state, there might not be any wild, roadless areas left as potential wilderness, whereupon increasing attention has been given management problems and plans for these two forests. Also, political probelms with Shenandoah National Park have demanded attention to preserve its natural character as required by the 1916 National Park Service organic act.
Today in Virginia there are now as of 1996:
- 15 Wilderness Areas protected by the Wilderness Act on Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, totaling 89,874 acres;
- The Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area in Amherst County protected essentially as statutory wilderness and assuring that the Forest Service will not commit any timber harvesting, road building, altering the quantity and quality of stream flows, not other works of man, 7,580 acres;
- 80,000 acres of statutory wilderness under the Wilderness Act in Shenandoah National Park.