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VWC Newsletter - December 2008

Virginia Ridge and Valley - Yet Again?

Sisyphus had nothing on the Virginia Wilderness Committee. The forces of obfuscation and delay, led by the well-loathed Senator from Oklahoma, have won the day in the 110 th Congress. Unwilling to try to force the passage of the big package of public lands bills in which Virginia Ridge and Valley had been included, the Senate leadership decided to let all 150 bills expire with only a whimper.

The news is, however, not unrelievedly bad. As we understand it, from our knowledgeable friends in Washington, it will probably be possible to resurrect the big package early in the 111 th  Congress without all those committee hearings and with stronger support in both Houses.  VWC will, however, omit nothing that we can do to get our bill forward. We will be working with  Congressman Boucher and Senators Webb and Warner to reintroduce our original bills as well.  One way or another we intend to push this stone back up the hill again in hopes of making it stick  this time. We will be calling on all of you to contact your Senators and Congressmen at the appropriate time.

NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE VWC

The VWC Annual Meeting in August was notable for changes in leadership. Laura Neale, who has been serving as our secretary, has stepped up to the presidency, and her former office has been filled by Pete Bsumek. Other officers remain in place (see below). Those of you who were not there missed a double treat. You didn't get to savor Locust Springs Campground and our wilderness candidate Laurel Fork, and you missed a delightful party given by Betty Mitchell and Brian Richardson at their rustic cottage on the banks of Laurel Fork itself.

PLANNING ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON

Meanwhile the seemingly endless Forest Service meetings about the new GW management plan go on and on. Your officers have driven many miles and spent many hours, first in the series of general meetings and then in sessions on special topics such as wilderness, roads and trails, and vegetation management. Two more meetings are planned for January of next year; one will be on the 29 th , but the other is yet to be scheduled since it was originally planned for Inauguration Day. The Forest Service plans to release a Draft Plan in April. We urge you to take a serious look at it and let the Forest Service know what ideas you have for its improvement.

FRIENDS OF SHENANDOAH MOUNTAIN

Shenandoah Mountain holds a special place in the hearts of Wilderness advocates in Virginia. As the largest and least fragmented continuous block of land remaining in the Central Appalachians, it provides exceptional natural beauty, wildlife habitat, and an extensive network of trails. Its eastern flank forms a drainage divide between the headwaters of two major rivers, the Potomac and the James. It includes 10 peaks above 4,000 feet, with Reddish Knob the highest. Perennial springs high on the mountain give rise to pure streams that support aquatic life and provide clean drinking water for municipalities in the Shenandoah Valley.

VWC is not the only group that appreciates Shenandoah Mountain. Mountain bikers enjoy the trails in the area and consider it one of the best mountain biking destinations in Virginia. Wilderness advocates and mountain bikers alike want to see the area protected, but mountain biking is not allowed in Wilderness; herein lies the rub. In an effort to find common ground, VWC initiated conversations with local mountain bike leaders to see if a joint protection strategy could be worked out. Under the leadership of Bart Koehler of The Wilderness Society, VWC board members and representatives from Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition and IMBA met over the course of several years and hammered out an agreement that both interest groups enthusiastically support. We concluded that the best way this area can be permanently protected is through National Scenic Area designation, which would allow mountain biking on most of the trails, with core wild areas designated as Wilderness. Together we are proposing the following:

  • Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (115,000 acres) between Rt. 33 and Rt. 250.  Within the NSA, three substantial Wilderness areas and a big addition to Ramseys Draft: 
    • Skidmore Fork Wilderness (Rockingham Co.) - 5228 acres
    • Little River Wilderness (Augusta Co.) - 12,490 acres
    • Lynn Hollow Wilderness (Highland Co.) - 6168 acres (With a small boundary adjustment to Ramseys Draft Wilderness making the Shenandoah Mountain Trail the boundary rather than the ridgeline, this would be a separate Wilderness separated from Ramseys Draft by the Shenandoah Mountain Trail.)
    • Bald Ridge Wilderness (addition to Ramseys Draft Wilderness on the eastern side) (Augusta Co.) - 6550 acres
In addition to Shenandoah Mountain we agreed to ask for permanent protection of two other special areas:

  • Laurel Fork Wilderness (Highland County) - 10,153 acres (One of the most beautiful and biologically rich areas in Virginia, it is particularly known for salamanders, birds, beaver ponds, a spruce forest, and an exceptional native trout stream.)
  • Kelley Mountain/Big Levels National Scenic Area (located south of Waynesboro in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Sherando Recreation Area and St. Marys Wilderness) - 12,895 acres (a popular destination for mountain bikers)
A new group called Friends of Shenandoah Mountain grew out of this collaborative effort. Co-chaired by Lynn Cameron of VWC and Thomas Jenkins of Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, the Friends group has submitted a detailed description of the Shenandoah Mountain Proposal to the George Washington National Forest Planning Team. Contact Lynn Cameron at <[email protected]> for a copy. Maps will soon be posted online on the VWC web site. The Friends group is actively seeking endorsements of this proposal by organizations and businesses.

Here's how you can help. If you belong to an organization that would like to hear a presentation and consider endorsing this proposal, please contact Lynn or Carol Lena Miller.

Cards for Julie

Our loyal, dependable, longserving treasurer, Julie Simpson is temporarily incapacitated with a serious illness. I am sure that she would like to hear from our members whom she has served so faithfully. She is with her daughter in Maryland but your best address is:

Julie Simpson

C/o Gerald Mulqueen

19749 Fort Valley Rd.

Strasburg, VA 22657

Meanwhile Jim Murray is pinch hitting on the finances, so you can still send your checks to VWC, 1625 Bentivar Farm Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22911.

*************************************

Check the date stamp on your label. It shows the date of your latest contribution. Are you up to date?  Checks to VWC, 1625 Bentivar Farm Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22911.

Virginia Wilderness Committee: www.vawilderness.org

President: Laura Neale, 423 Sheep Creek Lane, Fairfield, VA 24435 (5402611909)

VicePres:

Mark Miller, 62 Big Hill Rd., Lexington, VA 24450 (5404643110)

Treasurer: Juliana Simpson, 634 64 th St. South Haven, MI 49090 (5405391458)

Secretary: Pete Bsumek, 485 W. Bruce St., Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (5404214105)

Wilderness Coordinator: Carol Lena Miller, 4939 Ottobine Rd., Dayton, VA 22821 (5408792127)

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© Virginia Wilderness Committee, 2013

Contact us:
Virginia Wilderness Committee
[email protected]
P.O. Box 7257
​
Richmond, VA 23221