VWC Newsletter - February 2000
Nelson County Heats Up
The Wilderness Campaign for Three Ridges and The Priest got a big boost in Nelson County on February 7th. Under the leadership of Al Weed (local vintner) and Frankee Love (Nelson County Board of Tourism), we put on a great show to highlight the importance of wilderness to the County, the Commonwealth, and the Nation.
The evening got off to a running start with Irish music and step dancing, and pots of hot chili. Then Bill Damon, Supervisor of the GW/Jefferson National Forests delivered a rousing speech on the nuts and bolts of wilderness designation. His talk went a long way toward clearing up common misconceptions about wilderness. You CAN hunt and fish in National Forest Wilderness. The Forest Service WILL fight fires aggressively in wilderness, using all technological means, including a water-dropping helicopter on standby at Weyers Cave Airport during fire season. Search and rescue WILL go on just as in the rest of the Forest.
The follow-up questions showed just how difficult it is to disseminate accurate information and to counteract disinformation. Damon and Weed patiently went over and over the same old points about fire, hunting, and the values of wilderness till you would have thought that the ideas would have penetrated the brick walls of the building.
Backing up the jaw-boning were displays from several organizations. The VWC laid out maps and breath-taking photos of Three Ridges and The Priest. The Appalachian Restoration Coalition turned out some high tech maps of the areas, the county, and the region. Professor Lincoln Brower brought a beautiful collection of local moths and a display highlighting the conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Other displays were mounted by the Montebello Clean Mountain Coalition and other local groups.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, it is time for the VWC to clear for action:
! WRITE TO VIRGIL GOODE !
asking him to introduce a wilderness bill for Three Ridges and The Priest.
Congressman Virgil Goode
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515If you have any connection to Nelson County, however tenuous, also write to:
Board of Supervisors
Nelson County Courthouse
Lovingston, VA 22949Would you like to have a presentation to any of your local groups? It can easily be arranged. Mark Miller, Lynn Cameron, and Jim Murray all have slide shows about wilderness in Virginia, with emphasis on Three Ridges and The Priest. They are eager to sound the call to arms!
Membership: Membership in the VWC is open to anyone who believes in the need for preservation of wilderness. To join, send a recent letter supporting wilderness written to a public official, OR send $5 or more per year to the VWC Treasurer, address below.
Officers:
PRESIDENT: Jim Murray, 1601 Bentivar Farm Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22901 (804) 973-6693
VICE PRES: Chris Bolgiano, 10375 Genoa Rd., Fulks Run, VA 22830 (540) 896-4407
TREASURER: Juliana Simpson, 11 E Monmouth, Winchester, VA 22603 (540) 662-7043
SECRETARY: Lynn Cameron, 5653 Beards Ford Rd., Mt. Crawford, VA 22841 (540) 234-6273
The Wilderness Campaign for Three Ridges and The Priest got a big boost in Nelson County on February 7th. Under the leadership of Al Weed (local vintner) and Frankee Love (Nelson County Board of Tourism), we put on a great show to highlight the importance of wilderness to the County, the Commonwealth, and the Nation.
The evening got off to a running start with Irish music and step dancing, and pots of hot chili. Then Bill Damon, Supervisor of the GW/Jefferson National Forests delivered a rousing speech on the nuts and bolts of wilderness designation. His talk went a long way toward clearing up common misconceptions about wilderness. You CAN hunt and fish in National Forest Wilderness. The Forest Service WILL fight fires aggressively in wilderness, using all technological means, including a water-dropping helicopter on standby at Weyers Cave Airport during fire season. Search and rescue WILL go on just as in the rest of the Forest.
The follow-up questions showed just how difficult it is to disseminate accurate information and to counteract disinformation. Damon and Weed patiently went over and over the same old points about fire, hunting, and the values of wilderness till you would have thought that the ideas would have penetrated the brick walls of the building.
Backing up the jaw-boning were displays from several organizations. The VWC laid out maps and breath-taking photos of Three Ridges and The Priest. The Appalachian Restoration Coalition turned out some high tech maps of the areas, the county, and the region. Professor Lincoln Brower brought a beautiful collection of local moths and a display highlighting the conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Other displays were mounted by the Montebello Clean Mountain Coalition and other local groups.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, it is time for the VWC to clear for action:
! WRITE TO VIRGIL GOODE !
asking him to introduce a wilderness bill for Three Ridges and The Priest.
Congressman Virgil Goode
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515If you have any connection to Nelson County, however tenuous, also write to:
Board of Supervisors
Nelson County Courthouse
Lovingston, VA 22949Would you like to have a presentation to any of your local groups? It can easily be arranged. Mark Miller, Lynn Cameron, and Jim Murray all have slide shows about wilderness in Virginia, with emphasis on Three Ridges and The Priest. They are eager to sound the call to arms!
Membership: Membership in the VWC is open to anyone who believes in the need for preservation of wilderness. To join, send a recent letter supporting wilderness written to a public official, OR send $5 or more per year to the VWC Treasurer, address below.
Officers:
PRESIDENT: Jim Murray, 1601 Bentivar Farm Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22901 (804) 973-6693
VICE PRES: Chris Bolgiano, 10375 Genoa Rd., Fulks Run, VA 22830 (540) 896-4407
TREASURER: Juliana Simpson, 11 E Monmouth, Winchester, VA 22603 (540) 662-7043
SECRETARY: Lynn Cameron, 5653 Beards Ford Rd., Mt. Crawford, VA 22841 (540) 234-6273