EASTERN DIVIDE RANGER DISTRICT
(formerly New River Valley and New Castle Ranger Districts)

Cynthia Schiffer
District Ranger, 110 Southpark Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
ph. (540) 552-4641
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/easterndivide/

CURRENT AND UPCOMING

Larkin timber sale - Proposed 132 acre timber sale and prescribed burning project with 2.55 miles of road construction, road reconstruction, and bulldozer constructed fire-lines. The project is located west of the Johns Creek Mountain Virginia Mountain Treasure area and east of Mountain Lake wilderness. The general area is described by a visitor to the area as a "very deep, lush forest" on a north-facing slope. Several of the units are adjacent to, close to, or perhaps overlapping with prescription area 6.C (old growth) on top of Johns Creek Mountain.

Olean vegetation management project – Located in Giles County, near Goldbond. “Vegetation management [other than forest products] to best maintain habitat in an area significantly impacted by recent gypsy moth infestation” (Forest Service project schedule).

Stream downstream from Mottesheard Roadless Area, Eastern Divide Ranger District

Hog Rock timber sale - The approx. 150 acre Hog Rock timber sale is proposed in the vicinity of the Mottesheard Roadless Area on its southeast side. Much of the cutting units are located along the lower reaches of the valley where white oaks and other trees can get to be quite large in size. The proposal is being updated and, according to the Forest Service, all cutting units within the roadless area have been dropped. Several of the proposed cutting units are long, linear units that parallel Wide Hollow Br., Georges Swamp Branch and five other intermittent or perennial streams in the project area. There is a designated OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) road in the area and citizens are concerned that the additional skid trails created by the FS might be vulnerable to OHVs if the sale proceeds. According to the Forest Service, the project is on hold until fiscal year 2008 (approx Sept.2007-Aug.2008) “due to priorities.”

White Rocks timber sale - proposed thinning and prescribed burning project at the White Rocks Campground.

Kelly Hollow road relocation – closure of proposed Rt. 5017 in the Price Mountain Roadless Area and construction of another shorter road to an inholding, reducing overall road mileage in the roadless area and providing access to the inholder.

Bald Mountain Lookouts invasive species control – mechanical treatment and herbicide to control 2 inch and larger ailanthus (tree of heaven) trees.

Gypsy Moth Suppression and “Slow the Spread” – treatment in Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Wythe, Giles, Montgomery and Monroe Counties.

Pace Grazing Allotment – livestock grazing in the Hanging Rock Valley area of Craig County.

RECENT

Round Mountain timber sale - Round Mountain is part of a unique mountain range that surrounds Virginia's Burkes Garden. The proposed 113 acre timber sale located in Wolf Creek watershed, a "Priority Watershed" on the Jefferson National Forest, thanks to the outstanding aquatic biodiversity in the watershed. The north side of Round Mountain contains some sizeable old growth tracts, some adjacent to several of the proposed cutting units.

Stream in Lynn Camp Creek Virginia Mtn Treasure area

Kelly Flats timber sale - 96 acres of "open woodland" "restoration" and 91 acres of shelterwood logging and thinning. The project will also involve 122 acres of herbicide application and will involve moving the boundaries and reducing the size of "Aquatic Habitat Areas" and "Backcountry Remote Areas" where few activities such as logging are allowed.

Rocky Mountain timber sale - In September 2003, Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey wrote: "Today, nobody in the Forest Service is making an 'economic argument for increased road-building.'" (Washington Post). But the recent Rocky Mountain timber sale is one example of numerous sales in which the Forest Service is not being true to its word. The Rocky Mountain timber sale calls for 1.3 miles of new permanent road construction and 123 acres of logging. The project is located across from the Glen Alton tract in the Big Stony Creek valley, "a popular recreation area, given its proximity to Blacksburg. (FS scoping notice)." The watershed is also home to a colorful species of darter found few other places on earth. And the proposed logging includes cutting of forests in or adjacent to a very rocky, old growth forest tract on the ridgeline of Rocky Mountain.

Upper Craig Creek timber sale - 114 acres of logging, 51 acres of herbicide spraying, and new roads and bulldozed firelines, and road reconstruction. The project is located on the south slope of Sinking Creek Mountain, and area with numerous seeps, bogs, sag ponds, springs produced by ancient landslides that occurred in this area. An endangered mussel occurs in the Craig Creek watershed, where the project is planned. Virginia Forest Watch appealed this project in July 2004. UPDATE: May 26, 2006: Virginia Forest Watch monitoring of Upper Craig logging in Montgomery County reveals logging under wet and muddy conditions.

Brush Mtn and Round Mtn. prescribed burns - Proposed 1515 acres of prescribed burning in the Brush Mtn. Roadless Area and proposed 1,100 acres of prescribed burning on the east side of Round Mtn. (the mountain located between Garden Mtn. and Interstate-77). Sensitive plants and old growth could be potentially impacted by the project. The FS is considering using a small bulldozer to construct some of the fire lines. Although the project would impact a roadless area, the Forest Service categorically excluded the project from detailed analysis.

Porterfield - 70 acres of even-aged logging and 279 acres of other precommercial thinning, non-commercial thinning, and prescribed burning. According to the FS, a forest fire that occurred over 70 yrs. ago on this site favored oaks over maple and tuliptrees, demonstrating that mother nature is capable of producing healthy oak forests on her own. The project is located immediately adjacent to proposed Mtn. Lake Wilderness Area addition B and some of the thinning may be inside or near the roadless area boundary. Forest Service decision was issued January 2003.

Little Mtn timber sale - The Little Mtn. project is located in a valley that is known for endangered James spinymussel and incredible scenic beauty. In fact, some area citizens have proposed that the West Virginia section be designated a National Scenic Area. This timber sale is a combination and reconfiguration of the Mottesheard, Trout Branch, Fishy Road, and Binocular Patch logging projects from the late '90s. The original Mottesheard project was controversial because it proposed logging in a roadless area. The original Trout Branch project was appealed by area resident Richard Ettelson and reversed by the Regional Forester. As a result, the FS dropped all of the roadless area units from the Mottesheard proposal and combined the project with others (Fishy Road and Binocular Patch) in 2001. The new project is a 178 acre logging project involving 1.15 mi. of new permanent roads. The sale straddles two states (Virginia and West Virginia). Approx. 65% of the trees would be logged for pulpwood that could easily be replaced with recycled materials. The Forest Service reversed this timber sale in 2003. The Forest Service reissued and approved the timber sale over the objections of a concerned nearby citizen and Virginia Forest Watch in 2004.

Potts Mtn Jeep Trail watershed restoration - previously, the FS announced that it planned to "correct [a] drainage problem from Potts Pond due to OHV [off-highway vehicle] traffic" at Potts Mtn. Pond. The Pond is an important natural area near Barbours Cr. Wilderness Area that is highly vulnerable to OHV impacts. The project is apparently complete. An unsightly "Stonehenge"-like arrangement of large boulders has been placed along an OHV road near the pond. It remains to be seen whether this costly work will be effective or whether additional restrictions would be considered if future incursions take place.

Fenwick and Hostetter Prescribed Burns - Two separate projects calling for a combined total of 1,400 acres of prescribed burning.

Pond below Big Walker Mtn