VWC Newsletter - June 2000
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BILL!!!!!!!
Thanks to all of you who have met and talked and written ad nauseam about Wilderness designation for Three Ridges and The Priest, Virgil Goode has stated in writing that he intends to file a bill in the House for both Wilderness Areas. We confidently expect our Senators to follow suit.
As Winston Churchill would say, this is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end; but it is the end of the beginning. The nay-sayers predicted that we would never get this far, but with your help we will overcome all the obstacles between filing and passage. What we must now do:
CLINTON'S POLICY ON ROADLESS AREAS
The long-awaited culmination of President Clinton's dramatic announcement on Reddish Knob finally saw the light of day on May 22nd. All the usual suspects assembled to hear a presentation by the GW/Jefferson staff about the draft "Rule" and EIS for the roadless areas of our combined national forests. As many of you will already have heard, there are three major parts to the "Preferred Alternative":
Meanwhile, the development of the new policy has had anything but a beneficial effect on the proposed management plan for the Jefferson National Forest. All the money that should have been devoted to that effort has disappeared back to Washington, and planning personnel have been seconded to other jobs because their salaries cannot even be paid. When we shall see a Draft Management Plan for the Jefferson is anybody's guess, but don't expect it as a Christmas present.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT:
Mr. William Damon, Supervisor
GW/Jefferson National Forests
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, VA 24019
or to
USDA Forest Service - CAET
Attention: Roadless Area Conservation Proposed Rule
P.O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City, UT 84122
VIRGINIA WILDERNESS COMMITTEE
ANNUAL MEETING: 24 June 2000
Meet at Love Gap at 9:30 am. We will walk into the proposed Three Ridges Wilderness via Maupin Fields and Bee Mountain, arriving in about an hour and a half at Hanging Rock, the best vantage point for viewing not only the rugged interior of Three Ridges but also the more distant prospect of The Priest Wilderness. Bring your lunch and plenty of water. After our meeting we will return by the same route. Brave souls, however, could arrange for transport at the Tye River and complete the traverse of Three Ridges via the AT.
To reach Love Gap take I-64 or US 250 to Rockfish Gap and turn south on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Proceed to milepost 15.4 at Love Gap. A grassy meadow (with apple trees) on the east side of the road provides a place to park, and the way into Maupin Fields is via a gated access road. Beyond Maupin Fields we follow the AT south.
Tentative Agenda:
HIKE IN LITTLE RIVER ON JUNE 10
The VWC and The Wilderness Society are organizing a day hike (June 10) in the Little River Roadless Area in the George Washington National Forest. The purpose of this hike is to allow TWS staff and DC-based environmental allies from other groups to see firsthand one of the many spectacular places deserving protection. Members of VWC will lead the hike. We hope hike participants will attend the June 20th Forest Service hearing in Roanoke to speak in support of strong forest roadless area protection. Call Lynn Cameron for details in you want to attend.
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: 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 22601 (540) 662-7043
SECRETARY: Lynn Cameron, 5653 Beards Ford Rd., Mt. Crawford, VA 22841 (540) 234-6273
Thanks to all of you who have met and talked and written ad nauseam about Wilderness designation for Three Ridges and The Priest, Virgil Goode has stated in writing that he intends to file a bill in the House for both Wilderness Areas. We confidently expect our Senators to follow suit.
As Winston Churchill would say, this is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end; but it is the end of the beginning. The nay-sayers predicted that we would never get this far, but with your help we will overcome all the obstacles between filing and passage. What we must now do:
- As soon as the bill is filed, write to thank Virgil Goode and to urge him to press for hearings and for passage of his Wilderness. We need to confirm his sense of proprietorship, so that he is really committed to pushing the bill through an unfriendly committee.The Honorable Virgil Goode
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 - Write to our Senators to urge them to file a corresponding bill on the Senate side.The Honorable Charles S. Robb
The Honorable John W. Warner
U.S. Senate
Washington DC 20510 - Prepare for hearings in the House and Senate. We will be putting together panels of citizens to support the bills, and we will need your help to make this the strongest possible case for their passage.
CLINTON'S POLICY ON ROADLESS AREAS
The long-awaited culmination of President Clinton's dramatic announcement on Reddish Knob finally saw the light of day on May 22nd. All the usual suspects assembled to hear a presentation by the GW/Jefferson staff about the draft "Rule" and EIS for the roadless areas of our combined national forests. As many of you will already have heard, there are three major parts to the "Preferred Alternative":
- There will be no road construction or reconstruction within the inventoried roadless areas. Even temporary roads are covered by the rule, although maintenance of existing roads will be allowed. (You will remember that inventoried roadless areas may include up to 1/2 mile of road per 1000 acres.)
- Local managers will decide what is to be allowed in inventoried roadless areas. Timber harvest would be allowed if it can be accomplished without new roads.
- The Tongass would be excluded from the road building prohibition at least until its forest plan review scheduled for April 2004.
Meanwhile, the development of the new policy has had anything but a beneficial effect on the proposed management plan for the Jefferson National Forest. All the money that should have been devoted to that effort has disappeared back to Washington, and planning personnel have been seconded to other jobs because their salaries cannot even be paid. When we shall see a Draft Management Plan for the Jefferson is anybody's guess, but don't expect it as a Christmas present.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT:
- Attend the public hearing to be held on June 20th at the Airport Holiday Inn on Thirlane Road in Roanoke. You may speak for 3 minutes and/or present a written statement.
- Write a letter
Mr. William Damon, Supervisor
GW/Jefferson National Forests
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, VA 24019
or to
USDA Forest Service - CAET
Attention: Roadless Area Conservation Proposed Rule
P.O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City, UT 84122
VIRGINIA WILDERNESS COMMITTEE
ANNUAL MEETING: 24 June 2000
Meet at Love Gap at 9:30 am. We will walk into the proposed Three Ridges Wilderness via Maupin Fields and Bee Mountain, arriving in about an hour and a half at Hanging Rock, the best vantage point for viewing not only the rugged interior of Three Ridges but also the more distant prospect of The Priest Wilderness. Bring your lunch and plenty of water. After our meeting we will return by the same route. Brave souls, however, could arrange for transport at the Tye River and complete the traverse of Three Ridges via the AT.
To reach Love Gap take I-64 or US 250 to Rockfish Gap and turn south on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Proceed to milepost 15.4 at Love Gap. A grassy meadow (with apple trees) on the east side of the road provides a place to park, and the way into Maupin Fields is via a gated access road. Beyond Maupin Fields we follow the AT south.
Tentative Agenda:
- Minutes of last year's meeting.
- Treasurer's report.
- Election of officers.
- Three Ridges and The Priest Wilderness Bill
- Management planning on the Jefferson.
- Any other business.
HIKE IN LITTLE RIVER ON JUNE 10
The VWC and The Wilderness Society are organizing a day hike (June 10) in the Little River Roadless Area in the George Washington National Forest. The purpose of this hike is to allow TWS staff and DC-based environmental allies from other groups to see firsthand one of the many spectacular places deserving protection. Members of VWC will lead the hike. We hope hike participants will attend the June 20th Forest Service hearing in Roanoke to speak in support of strong forest roadless area protection. Call Lynn Cameron for details in you want to attend.
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: 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 22601 (540) 662-7043
SECRETARY: Lynn Cameron, 5653 Beards Ford Rd., Mt. Crawford, VA 22841 (540) 234-6273