Press Release

 

Forest Service Pulls Timber Sale

Public Calls for Greater Protection of Scott County's Dry Creek Watershed in Next Decision

Wise, Va. - District Ranger Ron Bush of the Clinch Ranger District has decided to temporarily withdraw the controversial Back Valley Timber Sale while he revises the environmental assessment to address some discrepancies and other areas of concern.

The proposed 371 acre sale, which is located on Dry Creek just outside of Dungannon in Scott County, brought about concern from most of the local residents immediately downstream when it was first announced last year. At a public hearing one year ago, citizens expressed their concerns about past flooding that had taken place in that watershed.

After that public hearing, Dry Creek watershed resident Charlie Osborne said of the proposed cutting: "I can't believe that anyone would even consider doing this in such a short period of time...At the town meeting I personally showed Mr. Bush the pictures of the devastation created by the last flood. Since he has been shown what can result and chooses to ignore the lessons of the past, then he should be held accountable for the results of his decisions."

Dick Austin, who lives less than two miles from the Back Valley project said in a formal statement prepared for the hearing: "It is now beyond reasonable doubt that Dry Creek is prone to flooding, particularly from heavy run-off across lands where timber has been removed. The notion that the Forest Service can remove timber from 400 additional acres* of this steep watershed, whether in one push or over 3 years, without significantly increasing the prospect of more flooding — that notion is absurd on the face."

*the acreage of the original proposal, now only slightly reduced to 371 acres

Ron Bush, district ranger, stated in an August 2007 letter to concerned individuals: “I am hereby withdrawing my decision for the Back Valley project as documented in my Decision Notice of May 17, 2007. I will be revising the Environmental Assessment to address these discrepancies and other potential areas of concern.” The Forest Service has told members of the public that it intends to proceed with the project, but would provide an additional 30 day period during which the public could raise objections before the agency makes a new decision.

Diana Withen, president of the Clinch Coalition, says: “Area residents and conservationists call for Ranger Bush to use this time to step back, to significantly reduce the scope of the project, and to fully address all of the serious concerns raised by the public, including concerns about logging on steep slopes, landslides, flooding, scarring the landscape from the intensive, heavily concentrated logging and burning operations, and the need for protecting the area for recreation, fishing, and hunting and for protecting rare species downstream. The public has spoken. Let’s work together and jointly manage our public lands in a way that keeps southwestern Virginia a beautiful and wonderful place to live.”

In July, The Clinch Coalition, other organizations, and several citizens of Dungannon filed an appeal. In it they noted that the watershed contains many steep slopes which once scarred by heavy logging and burning could result in landslides and flooding, not only affecting homes, bridges and roads, but also the rare species of mussels in the Clinch River. Organizations and individuals objecting to the timber and burning project included The Clinch Coalition, Charlie Osborne, Roger Blevins, Martha Hillman, Trent Quinn, Karen Hartsock, Anna Hess, Virginia Forest Watch, Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club, and Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project.

Sherman Bamford, public lands coordinator of Virginia Forest Watch, the lead author of the coalition’s appeal said: “We applaud Ranger Bush’s decision to pull the Back Valley project. We hope he now realizes that this is not an ordinary place and that this is not an ordinary project. People’s homes are downstream. We can work together if Ranger Bush is willing to address our serious issues in a satisfactory way.”

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House on Big Stoney Creek in Scott County that was destroyed in the 2001 flood. 
Water reached four feet in the house moving content around and ruining them! 
One man was kill in another house that was swept away by the flood.