Virginia Forest Watch



Warning! - Since 2003, many ranger districts of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests have begun to routinely narrow your opportunity to comment on projects to a single period of about 30 days!  Please click here for additional information.

National Forest Monitoring

George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

What's Going on - Virginia Public Lands


This page will keep you up to date on planned timber management and other activities on the GW & JNF.

It's important that we all keep up with what's going on in every Ranger District on the Forest. We will try to keep in touch with plans in each District, but it will be necessary to rely on your input to stay current. Let us know as soon as you hear of planned timber sales or questionable "management activities" and we will post them.

Look up timber sales and other activities impacting the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. Contact us about public lands issues at VAFW (Public Lands), P.O. Box 3102, Roanoke, Va. 24015-1102, ph.(540) 343-6359


   National   Forest-Wide       
Clinch Ranger District  Eastern Divide Ranger District1 Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger Districts
James River Ranger District Lee Ranger District Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area
North River Ranger District2 Warm Springs Ranger District

Map of George Washington and Jefferson National Forest Ranger Districts

Note: all projected dates for release of Forest Service documents are agency estimates only. The FS lists its schedule of proposed actions at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/projects_plans/sopa/index.shtml

Seven High Priority Areas

Learn about our Seven High Priority Projects in Virginia Mountain Treasure Areas and what you can do save these areas and protect the natural features in them


(1) Central Alleghany Timber Project - formerly Big Run Timber Sale – (Alleghany Co., James River Ranger District)
Area affected - Panther Knob mountain treasure area.


(2) Tims Draft timber sale – (Augusta Co., North River Ranger District)
Area affected – Jerkemtight-Benson Run mountain treasure area.


(3) Proposed industrial-scale wind installation in two unroaded areas– (Shenandoah/ Rockingham Cos.)
Area affected - Church Mountain and Falls Ridge mountain treasure areas.


(4) Back Draft timber sale – (Bath and August Cos., North River Ranger District)
Area affected - Walker Mountain treasure area


(5) Marshall Run/Rocky Spur timber sales – (Rockingham Co., North River Ranger District)
Area affected -Beech Lick Knob mountain treasure area


(6) Wells Branch timber sale – (Lee and Wise Cos., Clinch Ranger District)
Area affected - Roaring Branch mountain treasure area


(7) North Fork of Pound gas development – (Wise Co., Clinch Ranger District)
Area affected - North Fork of Pound mountain treasure area



1The New River Valley & New Castle Ranger Districts have combined and are now called the Eastern Divide Ranger District. 2The Deerfield & Dry River Ranger Districts have combined and are now called the North River Ranger District.