January 2025 Newsletter
VWC President Tim Mahoney
From the President:
The 118th Congress went out with a whimper. Throughout the course of the two-year period, action on many bills was stalled because each house of Congress was controlled by a different party, and both awaited the 2024 election outcome. When that resulted in unified Republican control of both houses and the White House, Republican leaders chose to punt most bills into the 119th Congress when they would wield more power. Major legislation, such as federal appropriations, was pushed into the new year as well as hundreds of small bills, including both the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act and the Shenandoah Mountain Act.
The Farm Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress enacts. A new farm package should be enacted every four years to set agricultural price supports and maintain food assistance programs for the public. Because both Virginia bills were referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Farm Bill was a possible vehicle for their inclusion. Instead, Congress passed a one-year extension of the old Farm Bill. Thus, the new Congress has a new farm deadline, and we have a new opportunity.
As someone who made a career in conservation legislation, I can understand the frustrations that people feel when partisanship, or gridlock, postpones worthy efforts. The original Wilderness Act was first introduced in 1956. It became law in 1964, with tremendous bipartisan support. The Viginia Ridge and Valley bill was bottled up from 2002 until it was enacted in 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. Fortunately, Virginia Wilderness advocates have never let the setbacks in Congress stop them from moving forward which is why Virginia has 23 wilderness areas preserved in six separate laws.
None of this is easy. All of it is worthwhile. We hope to see the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area and Virginia Wilderness Additions bills soon reintroduced in the new Congress, and we will continue to work steadfastly toward this goal. There are dozens of other unprotected areas that need support, meaning they need supporters. Some people devote a good chunk of their life working to protect a special place, including many of us at the Virginia Wilderness Committee. Protection is the reward.
Sincerely,
Tim Mahoney, VWC President
The 118th Congress went out with a whimper. Throughout the course of the two-year period, action on many bills was stalled because each house of Congress was controlled by a different party, and both awaited the 2024 election outcome. When that resulted in unified Republican control of both houses and the White House, Republican leaders chose to punt most bills into the 119th Congress when they would wield more power. Major legislation, such as federal appropriations, was pushed into the new year as well as hundreds of small bills, including both the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act and the Shenandoah Mountain Act.
The Farm Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress enacts. A new farm package should be enacted every four years to set agricultural price supports and maintain food assistance programs for the public. Because both Virginia bills were referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Farm Bill was a possible vehicle for their inclusion. Instead, Congress passed a one-year extension of the old Farm Bill. Thus, the new Congress has a new farm deadline, and we have a new opportunity.
As someone who made a career in conservation legislation, I can understand the frustrations that people feel when partisanship, or gridlock, postpones worthy efforts. The original Wilderness Act was first introduced in 1956. It became law in 1964, with tremendous bipartisan support. The Viginia Ridge and Valley bill was bottled up from 2002 until it was enacted in 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. Fortunately, Virginia Wilderness advocates have never let the setbacks in Congress stop them from moving forward which is why Virginia has 23 wilderness areas preserved in six separate laws.
None of this is easy. All of it is worthwhile. We hope to see the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area and Virginia Wilderness Additions bills soon reintroduced in the new Congress, and we will continue to work steadfastly toward this goal. There are dozens of other unprotected areas that need support, meaning they need supporters. Some people devote a good chunk of their life working to protect a special place, including many of us at the Virginia Wilderness Committee. Protection is the reward.
Sincerely,
Tim Mahoney, VWC President
Virginia Wilderness Highlight – Lewis Fork
Smyth and Grayson Counties, established in 1984
Located within the southeast corner of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is the 6,076-acre Lewis Fork Wilderness. It is home to Mount Rogers, the highest point in the Commonwealth (5,729 feet) and across the Appalachians between North Carolina and New Hampshire. Lewis Fork Wilderness offers a wide range of forest types. At lower elevations and in the protected coves, towering tulip poplar, American beech, yellow birch, and sugar maple compete for sunlight in the forest canopy. In the late fall, mountain ash dazzles visitors with its colorful red berries. On the high slopes of Mount Rogers, red spruce and Fraser fir form a dense thicket. These species are remnants of a forest that dominated the Commonwealth during the last ice age and the high elevation of Mount Rogers is all that still protects this rare forest community. Numerous small streams cascade down the slopes of Mount Rogers, all of which are designated cold-water streams and suitable for native brook trout.
Recreational opportunities abound in Lewis Fork Wilderness. There are over 28 miles of trails and many of these trails, when combined with the Grayson Highlands State Park trail system, create loops of every imaginable length. The Appalachian Trail (AT) and the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail are the two premier trails within the wilderness. The AT passes in and out of the wilderness for a total of 5.5 miles. One of the big draws to the area are the wild ponies. While not located within the wilderness, the ponies are often seen grazing the balds of the abutting Grayson Highlands State Park.
Lewis Fork Wilderness trails are maintained through the hard work and dedication of volunteers with the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club (MRATC) and the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS). To learn more about Lewis Fork Wilderness, go to www.vawilderness.org/ lewis-fork-wilderness.
Smyth and Grayson Counties, established in 1984
Located within the southeast corner of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is the 6,076-acre Lewis Fork Wilderness. It is home to Mount Rogers, the highest point in the Commonwealth (5,729 feet) and across the Appalachians between North Carolina and New Hampshire. Lewis Fork Wilderness offers a wide range of forest types. At lower elevations and in the protected coves, towering tulip poplar, American beech, yellow birch, and sugar maple compete for sunlight in the forest canopy. In the late fall, mountain ash dazzles visitors with its colorful red berries. On the high slopes of Mount Rogers, red spruce and Fraser fir form a dense thicket. These species are remnants of a forest that dominated the Commonwealth during the last ice age and the high elevation of Mount Rogers is all that still protects this rare forest community. Numerous small streams cascade down the slopes of Mount Rogers, all of which are designated cold-water streams and suitable for native brook trout.
Recreational opportunities abound in Lewis Fork Wilderness. There are over 28 miles of trails and many of these trails, when combined with the Grayson Highlands State Park trail system, create loops of every imaginable length. The Appalachian Trail (AT) and the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail are the two premier trails within the wilderness. The AT passes in and out of the wilderness for a total of 5.5 miles. One of the big draws to the area are the wild ponies. While not located within the wilderness, the ponies are often seen grazing the balds of the abutting Grayson Highlands State Park.
Lewis Fork Wilderness trails are maintained through the hard work and dedication of volunteers with the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club (MRATC) and the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS). To learn more about Lewis Fork Wilderness, go to www.vawilderness.org/ lewis-fork-wilderness.
Wilderness Definitions
Do you know what Wilderness Character means?
While not explicitly defined in the 1964 Wilderness Act, four wilderness character traits are outlined. Taken
together, these mutually reinforcing qualities explain wilderness character and distinguish wilderness from all other lands. They are:
1. Untrammeled. Wilderness should be without significant human influence and natural processes should be allowed to play out without interference.
2. Natural. Wilderness should have native flora and fauna.
3. Undeveloped. Wilderness should have as few human-made structures as possible.
4. Opportunities for Solitude or Recreation. Wilderness should allow people to spend time in nature alone. People should be able to hike, camp, fish, hunt, or do whatever wilderness appropriate activity they choose.
Do you know what Wilderness Character means?
While not explicitly defined in the 1964 Wilderness Act, four wilderness character traits are outlined. Taken
together, these mutually reinforcing qualities explain wilderness character and distinguish wilderness from all other lands. They are:
1. Untrammeled. Wilderness should be without significant human influence and natural processes should be allowed to play out without interference.
2. Natural. Wilderness should have native flora and fauna.
3. Undeveloped. Wilderness should have as few human-made structures as possible.
4. Opportunities for Solitude or Recreation. Wilderness should allow people to spend time in nature alone. People should be able to hike, camp, fish, hunt, or do whatever wilderness appropriate activity they choose.
2024 Recap
While we didn’t see enactment of the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act, designating an additional 5,600 acres of the George Washington (GW) National Forest as Wilderness between two existing Wilderness areas, expanding protections for this remarkable area to nearly 21,000 acres in southeastern Bath County, or the Shenandoah Mountain Act, which would designate more than 92,000 acres of the GW as the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area and 5,779 acres as Beech Lick Knob Wilderness, preserving majestic forests, spectacular vistas, and more than 150 miles of trails on the western edge of the Shenandoah Valley, the Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC) experienced other successes in 2024. We hired a new Executive Director, Ellen Stuart-Haentjens, in January who hit the ground running, we enjoyed a lively celebration of 60 years of the Wilderness Act and 55 years of VWC at Ivy Creek in Charlottesville, participated in the new National Wilderness Coalition's Wilderness Week in DC, led several hikes in Virginia Wilderness, exhibited at events, and continued to collaborate with partners as we furthered our mission.
We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to each of you, our supporters, who have given your time, talents, and funds to support the Virginia Wilderness Committee. You make it possible for us to permanently protect the best of Virginia's wild places for future generations, foster understanding and appreciation of wilderness, and promote enjoyment and stewardship of our last remaining wildlands.
There are a lot of new and exciting things happening in 2025, including more scheduled hikes, a new Wilderness Book Club, meet and greets with our Executive Director in Richmond and Staunton, and more work to push these conservation measures to legislation enactment. Stay posted!
While we didn’t see enactment of the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act, designating an additional 5,600 acres of the George Washington (GW) National Forest as Wilderness between two existing Wilderness areas, expanding protections for this remarkable area to nearly 21,000 acres in southeastern Bath County, or the Shenandoah Mountain Act, which would designate more than 92,000 acres of the GW as the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area and 5,779 acres as Beech Lick Knob Wilderness, preserving majestic forests, spectacular vistas, and more than 150 miles of trails on the western edge of the Shenandoah Valley, the Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC) experienced other successes in 2024. We hired a new Executive Director, Ellen Stuart-Haentjens, in January who hit the ground running, we enjoyed a lively celebration of 60 years of the Wilderness Act and 55 years of VWC at Ivy Creek in Charlottesville, participated in the new National Wilderness Coalition's Wilderness Week in DC, led several hikes in Virginia Wilderness, exhibited at events, and continued to collaborate with partners as we furthered our mission.
We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to each of you, our supporters, who have given your time, talents, and funds to support the Virginia Wilderness Committee. You make it possible for us to permanently protect the best of Virginia's wild places for future generations, foster understanding and appreciation of wilderness, and promote enjoyment and stewardship of our last remaining wildlands.
There are a lot of new and exciting things happening in 2025, including more scheduled hikes, a new Wilderness Book Club, meet and greets with our Executive Director in Richmond and Staunton, and more work to push these conservation measures to legislation enactment. Stay posted!
