By STEPHEN IGO
Times-News

WISE - State Delegate Bud Phillips, D-Clintwood, on Monday said the Clinch Coalition, a regional environmental organization, deserves credit for keeping a wary eye on management decisions within the Jefferson National Forest in general and the High Knob area in particular.

High Knob is located above Norton in Wise County but is referred to as an area that sprawls into portions of Scott County as well.

Phillips was the keynote speaker at a Clinch Coalition anti-logging rally this weekend. Phillips addressed coalition members and others Saturday at Norton's Flag Rock Recreation Area, a popular overlook located below the High Knob observation tower.

Phillips said he did not address specific issues such as the Clinch Ranger District's planned Bark Camp timber sale, composed of about 700 acres of woodlands. The different plots targeted for logging operations are scattered across an area in the vicinity of Bark Camp Lake in Wise County.

"I spoke about how those of us who live in the mountains have a strong attachment to the land, and that those who do not live here do not understand why we have a strong attachment to the land," Phillips said. "The mountains, the forests, the fields and their way of life provided everything they needed to live. My ancestors tried to sustain the land because it sustained them. Lots of outsiders, including the Forest Service, sometimes only see the dollar value of the timber. There's more value to our forests than simply timber value."

He said the Clinch Coalition provides the citizens of the region a valuable service.

"There is an importance of having checks and balances in the use of our forestlands, meaning if somebody is not watching and paying attention to how our forests are used, they will be used in a manner that many of us would disagree with," Phillips said. "I commended the Clinch Coalition for standing up and voicing their concerns about the practices of the Forest Service. They got a national award this year for monitoring timber activities in the High Knob area."

The Clinch Coalition has been rallying opposition to the JNF's plans to proceed with the Bark Camp timber sale. The organization lost a legal challenge earlier this year in federal court to derail the planned sale. The district wanted to offer bids from area loggers this fall. Clinch District Ranger Doug Jones was unavailable for comment on Monday.

Phillips said he would like the JNF to make more areas of High Knob off-limits to timber harvesting.

"There should be more wilderness (designations) to protect areas from development or logging. There are certain portions of High Knob that can be designated wilderness. Take Devil's Fork in Scott County. It is a beautiful area. It's just a very unique area of the state."