VWC Newsletter - December 2006
THE WORLD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
The wilderness community is slowly coming to terms with the momentous changes that flow from the election of November 7th. First and foremost, Congressman Goodlatte will be stepping down from his position as chairman of the powerful Agriculture Committee. He will no longer be able single-handedly to block Virginia wilderness legislation. He will probably be replaced by Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the Committee. Even more remarkable, the chairman of the Resources Committee of the House, Richard Pombo, not only lost his chairmanship but his seat as well. He will most likely be replaced by Congressman Rahall, a long-term wilderness supporter from West Virginia – good news for both states. On the Senate side, Senator-elect Webb has also expressed his support of the Virginia Ridge and Valley Bill.
For the short term, however, all this turmoil probably means that there will be no Virginia wilderness legislation passed by the lame duck Congress. That means going through the cycle yet again for the Virginia Ridge and Valley Bill. Mr. Boucher and Senator Warner should be ready to re-file their bills early in the new year. While no legislation has completely smooth sailing, our navigational stars should be well aligned for the coming Congress.
New Wilderness Coordinator
The Virginia Wilderness Committee is delighted to announce the appointment of a new coordinator for the development of wilderness appreciation in the George Washington National Forest. She is Carol Lena Miller, a native of the Valley and a passionate conservationist. She now resides in Montezuma (for those whose geography is shaky, Montezuma is west of Dayton and Bridgewater), and she impressed everyone by arriving by bicycle at the Annual Meeting in Hone Quarry. Carol Lena has equal facility with computers and personal contacts. She hit the ground running by accompanying a VWC delegation to Washington for Wilderness Week, a whirlwind tour of seminars on wilderness advocacy and a round of visits to congressional offices. Carol Lena is rapidly increasing her knowledge of the topography of the GW and is building her community contacts.
Carol Lena has developed a powerful presentation to introduce civic, educational, and faith groups to the concept of wilderness. Contact her to schedule an illustrated talk for your group.
FOREST PLANNING ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON
The appointment of our new Wilderness Coordinator comes at a particularly opportune time, as the Forest Service is embarking on a revision of their management plan for the George Washington National Forest. Although the beginning date keeps changing, we expect a formal announcement of the timetable early in the new year. The VWC is looking ahead to the scheduling of public hearings on the plans to be proposed by the Forest Service. We will be meeting with other conservation groups to craft a set of proposals for the protection of those areas that have outstanding wilderness potential. Now is the time for all of you to nominate your favorite places on the GW that you would be prepared to speak in favor of, when the time comes for public participation. We expect to be well represented at every public hearing, and we will need to call on you to come out in support. One can be sure that the proponents of resource extraction, habitat manipulation, and motorized recreation will be well represented, and it behooves us to have a formidable representation of the conservation and wilderness agenda. Look for notices in forthcoming Newsletters and make a resolution to be there with your support.
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Virginia Wilderness Committee: www.vawilderness.org
President: Jim Murray, 1601 Bentivar Farm Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22911 (434-973-6693)
Vice-Pres: Mark Miller, 62 Big Hill Rd., Lexington, VA 24450 (540-464-3110)
Treasurer: Juliana Simpson, 11 E. Monmouth, Winchester, VA 22601 (540-662-7043)
Secretary: Laura Neale, 423 Sheep Creek Lane, Fairfield, VA 24435
Wilderness Coordinator: Carol Lena Miller, 4939 Ottobine Rd., Dayton, VA 22821 (540-879-2127
The wilderness community is slowly coming to terms with the momentous changes that flow from the election of November 7th. First and foremost, Congressman Goodlatte will be stepping down from his position as chairman of the powerful Agriculture Committee. He will no longer be able single-handedly to block Virginia wilderness legislation. He will probably be replaced by Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the Committee. Even more remarkable, the chairman of the Resources Committee of the House, Richard Pombo, not only lost his chairmanship but his seat as well. He will most likely be replaced by Congressman Rahall, a long-term wilderness supporter from West Virginia – good news for both states. On the Senate side, Senator-elect Webb has also expressed his support of the Virginia Ridge and Valley Bill.
For the short term, however, all this turmoil probably means that there will be no Virginia wilderness legislation passed by the lame duck Congress. That means going through the cycle yet again for the Virginia Ridge and Valley Bill. Mr. Boucher and Senator Warner should be ready to re-file their bills early in the new year. While no legislation has completely smooth sailing, our navigational stars should be well aligned for the coming Congress.
New Wilderness Coordinator
The Virginia Wilderness Committee is delighted to announce the appointment of a new coordinator for the development of wilderness appreciation in the George Washington National Forest. She is Carol Lena Miller, a native of the Valley and a passionate conservationist. She now resides in Montezuma (for those whose geography is shaky, Montezuma is west of Dayton and Bridgewater), and she impressed everyone by arriving by bicycle at the Annual Meeting in Hone Quarry. Carol Lena has equal facility with computers and personal contacts. She hit the ground running by accompanying a VWC delegation to Washington for Wilderness Week, a whirlwind tour of seminars on wilderness advocacy and a round of visits to congressional offices. Carol Lena is rapidly increasing her knowledge of the topography of the GW and is building her community contacts.
Carol Lena has developed a powerful presentation to introduce civic, educational, and faith groups to the concept of wilderness. Contact her to schedule an illustrated talk for your group.
FOREST PLANNING ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON
The appointment of our new Wilderness Coordinator comes at a particularly opportune time, as the Forest Service is embarking on a revision of their management plan for the George Washington National Forest. Although the beginning date keeps changing, we expect a formal announcement of the timetable early in the new year. The VWC is looking ahead to the scheduling of public hearings on the plans to be proposed by the Forest Service. We will be meeting with other conservation groups to craft a set of proposals for the protection of those areas that have outstanding wilderness potential. Now is the time for all of you to nominate your favorite places on the GW that you would be prepared to speak in favor of, when the time comes for public participation. We expect to be well represented at every public hearing, and we will need to call on you to come out in support. One can be sure that the proponents of resource extraction, habitat manipulation, and motorized recreation will be well represented, and it behooves us to have a formidable representation of the conservation and wilderness agenda. Look for notices in forthcoming Newsletters and make a resolution to be there with your support.
*************************************
Virginia Wilderness Committee: www.vawilderness.org
President: Jim Murray, 1601 Bentivar Farm Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22911 (434-973-6693)
Vice-Pres: Mark Miller, 62 Big Hill Rd., Lexington, VA 24450 (540-464-3110)
Treasurer: Juliana Simpson, 11 E. Monmouth, Winchester, VA 22601 (540-662-7043)
Secretary: Laura Neale, 423 Sheep Creek Lane, Fairfield, VA 24435
Wilderness Coordinator: Carol Lena Miller, 4939 Ottobine Rd., Dayton, VA 22821 (540-879-2127