VWC Newsletter - July 2003
Annual Meeting: Come One, Come All!
The Annual Meeting of the Virginia Wilderness Committee will take place on Saturday, August 9th, at 10:00 a.m. at Bentivar, the Murray’s place in Albemarle County. Agenda items known at this time include: (1) Reports on wilderness proposals for the Jefferson and George Washington National Forests, (2) Treasurer’s report, (3) Strategy for the upcoming Wilderness Bill, and (4) Election of officers for the coming year. Nominations should be sent to Lynn Cameron, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, 5653 Beards Ford Rd., Mt. Crawford, VA 22841 or [email protected]. A simple lunch will be provided by Bess. Try to bring at least one new member who is willing to join the fight for more wilderness.
Directions to Bentivar:
From the south, take US 29 north from Charlottesville. Cross the South Fork of the Rivanna River (3.7 m N of the Rt 250 bypass) and turn right at the stoplight at the end of the bridge onto Polo Grounds Road (Rt 643). Go 2 miles, and just after the railroad underpass, turn right on Bentivar Drive. Immediately turn left on Bentivar Farm Road. Go to the end and keep going (sign says Bentivar, 1601 B.F.R.) till you reach the old farmhouse at the end of the line. From the north, take US 29 south toward Charlottesville. At the intersection with Airport Rd. (to the right) and Proffit Rd. (to the left; Rt 649) go left and continue till you cross the railroad. At the next right, turn right on Polo Grounds Road (Rt 643). At the end of a black fence on the left, turn left on Bentivar Drive and proceed as above.
Wilderness for the Jefferson
Progress on a bill for more Wilderness Areas on the Jefferson has been steady but agonizingly slow. We expect Congressman Boucher to include the Wilderness Study Areas from the Forest Plan and, in addition, all those areas for which there is significant local support. That means support from the local governing body. Mark Miller has been working assiduously with Boards of Supervisors, and to date Craig, Smyth, and Montgomery have signed on to back wilderness in those counties. The Supervisors of Wythe County have refused to support wilderness, and to date, Pulaski and Bland have yet to be heard from. We need to keep the pressure on to make sure that local officials know that there is a constituency for wilderness.
Gutting the Roadless Rule
The Bush administration is relentless in its attack on all the significant advances in forest management that have been made in recent decades. This time it is the Roadless Rule that is coming under fire. The Forest Service has announced its intention to withdraw portions of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests from the protection of the Roadless Rule. The Tongass contains the largest amount of old-growth temperate rain forest in the world and is home to five species of salmon, black and grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, deer, and mountain goats.
Another significant change proposed for the Roadless Rule would allow governors of states to petition for the removal of roadless areas in their states from the protection of the Roadless Rule. Let the Forest Service know that you want the Roadless Rule to remain intact. Write: Roadless TNF, Content Analysis Team, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 22810, Salt Lake City, UT. Or e-mail:[email protected]. Deadline for comments is August 14th.
And we’re sorry to mention it again, but we do need monetary support, please help if you can. You know you can trust us to be as lean and mean as we possibly can
President: Jim Murray, 1601 Bentivar Farm Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22911 (434-973-6693)
Vice-Pres: John Rice, P.O. Box 167, Bentonville, VA 22610
Treasurer: Juliana Simpson, 11 E. Monmouth, Winchester, VA 22601 (540-662-7043)
Secretary: Mark Miller, 62 Big Hill Rd., Lexington, VA 24450 (540-464-3110)
Field organizer: Don Giecek, 19484 Running Cedar Ln., Maidens, VA 23229 (804-749-1992)
The Annual Meeting of the Virginia Wilderness Committee will take place on Saturday, August 9th, at 10:00 a.m. at Bentivar, the Murray’s place in Albemarle County. Agenda items known at this time include: (1) Reports on wilderness proposals for the Jefferson and George Washington National Forests, (2) Treasurer’s report, (3) Strategy for the upcoming Wilderness Bill, and (4) Election of officers for the coming year. Nominations should be sent to Lynn Cameron, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, 5653 Beards Ford Rd., Mt. Crawford, VA 22841 or [email protected]. A simple lunch will be provided by Bess. Try to bring at least one new member who is willing to join the fight for more wilderness.
Directions to Bentivar:
From the south, take US 29 north from Charlottesville. Cross the South Fork of the Rivanna River (3.7 m N of the Rt 250 bypass) and turn right at the stoplight at the end of the bridge onto Polo Grounds Road (Rt 643). Go 2 miles, and just after the railroad underpass, turn right on Bentivar Drive. Immediately turn left on Bentivar Farm Road. Go to the end and keep going (sign says Bentivar, 1601 B.F.R.) till you reach the old farmhouse at the end of the line. From the north, take US 29 south toward Charlottesville. At the intersection with Airport Rd. (to the right) and Proffit Rd. (to the left; Rt 649) go left and continue till you cross the railroad. At the next right, turn right on Polo Grounds Road (Rt 643). At the end of a black fence on the left, turn left on Bentivar Drive and proceed as above.
Wilderness for the Jefferson
Progress on a bill for more Wilderness Areas on the Jefferson has been steady but agonizingly slow. We expect Congressman Boucher to include the Wilderness Study Areas from the Forest Plan and, in addition, all those areas for which there is significant local support. That means support from the local governing body. Mark Miller has been working assiduously with Boards of Supervisors, and to date Craig, Smyth, and Montgomery have signed on to back wilderness in those counties. The Supervisors of Wythe County have refused to support wilderness, and to date, Pulaski and Bland have yet to be heard from. We need to keep the pressure on to make sure that local officials know that there is a constituency for wilderness.
Gutting the Roadless Rule
The Bush administration is relentless in its attack on all the significant advances in forest management that have been made in recent decades. This time it is the Roadless Rule that is coming under fire. The Forest Service has announced its intention to withdraw portions of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests from the protection of the Roadless Rule. The Tongass contains the largest amount of old-growth temperate rain forest in the world and is home to five species of salmon, black and grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, deer, and mountain goats.
Another significant change proposed for the Roadless Rule would allow governors of states to petition for the removal of roadless areas in their states from the protection of the Roadless Rule. Let the Forest Service know that you want the Roadless Rule to remain intact. Write: Roadless TNF, Content Analysis Team, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 22810, Salt Lake City, UT. Or e-mail:[email protected]. Deadline for comments is August 14th.
And we’re sorry to mention it again, but we do need monetary support, please help if you can. You know you can trust us to be as lean and mean as we possibly can
President: Jim Murray, 1601 Bentivar Farm Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22911 (434-973-6693)
Vice-Pres: John Rice, P.O. Box 167, Bentonville, VA 22610
Treasurer: Juliana Simpson, 11 E. Monmouth, Winchester, VA 22601 (540-662-7043)
Secretary: Mark Miller, 62 Big Hill Rd., Lexington, VA 24450 (540-464-3110)
Field organizer: Don Giecek, 19484 Running Cedar Ln., Maidens, VA 23229 (804-749-1992)