updated: February 7, 2006

Sandy Timber Sale - A 263 acre logging project on Sandy Ridge above the Lost River. The project takes place in some of the most northern reaches of the George Washington National Forest, in West Virginia. The Forest Service says that it views this project as "routine" and non-controversial, despite the project's very large size. The cutting units are located just south of Corridor H, the controversial four-lane highway. The FS began taking initial comments on this project in spring 2003. There should be additional comment opportunities in the future.

Prescribed Burns - Five separate projects calling for 10,475 acres of prescribed burning (Big Mountain, Devils Hole, Falls Ridge/Laurel Run, Great North Mountain, and Wayonaze burns).

Paddy Run and the Vances Cove Trail: Both are at Risk as a result of the recently approved Paddy Timber Sale

photo: Copyright Sherman Bamford 2005

Paddy Timber Sale - 133 acres of even-aged logging in a portion of Great North Mountain that was part of the Big Schloss Roadless Area inventoried during the RARE II process in 1978. Since 1978, the Big Schloss Roadless Area has been greatly diminished in size. Big Schloss was 36,526 acres in RARE II, the third largest roadless area on National Forest land in the Eastern U.S. (larger even than the present-day Cranberry Wilderness). Its size in the latest Inventory for the GWNF FEIS has been whittled down by 40% to 20,755 acres. Even the 1991 draft EIS for the GWNF Plan included the Great North Mountain area (in the project area) as part of the Roadless Area; it was inexplicably dropped when the Final EIS and Plan were released. That portion of Great North Mountain east of Forest Road 1018, west of FDRs 93 and 93F, north of FDR 371, and south of US 55 is a large de facto roadless area around 6000 acres in size that is presently uninventoried by the FS. It apparently is even contiguous with the presently inventoried Big Schloss RA; the roads (371 and 93F) don't entirely separate these areas. Cutting units 5 and 6 of the Paddy project are part of this uninventoriedGreat North Mountain roadless area, while other proposed cutting units (all or parts of 1,2,3,4) are in other unroaded lands that are contiguous with the Big Schloss Roadless Area. The lower reaches of the project area near Paddy Run contains numerous seeps; logging will negatively affect this highly biodiverse area. The project was approved in Fall 2004 over the objections of several conservation groups. Wild Virginia is actively monitoring the project. If interested in helping with monitoring efforts, contact Steve Krichbaum, Wild Virginia Conservation Director at loki4@rica.net.

Sours Supin Timber Sale - Approved Spring 2005. 281 acre timber sale on National Forest land just south of the Bryce Mtn. Ski Resort. The project involves extensive even-aged logging and 1.6 miles of road construction near a tributary of the N. Fork of the Shenandoah River. Peters Mill Rd/Taskers Gap All-Terrain-Vehicle route relocations - Approved April 2005. The good news is that this project will move two official ATV trails further away from streams that had been impacted by motorized use. The bad news is that some of these ATV route still run through unique biological areas originally recommended for protection by state biologists. We also believe that there is still potential for streams to be damaged by permitted or unpermitted ATV use in the area, despite the changes. Time will tell whether the relocations will successfully reduce damage to the watershed from ATV use.

Slate Timber Sale - 188 acres of logging approved just across the state line from the Paddy Timber sale (see Paddy Timber Sale above). This project would impact portions of the Big Schloss Roadless Area in West Virginia. Virginia Forest Watch and Shenandoah Ecosystems Defense Project filed separate appeals opposing this project.

Buck Mountain prescribed burn – 650 acres of burning in Hardy Co., WVa.