Alternative refinement Workshop, July 14,
2 PM - 8 PM, Forest Service Supervisor's Office in Roanoke - A
very important event will occur on July 14, as the Forest Service
unveils its ideas for at least six alternatives for the
George Washington National Forest's 15-Year plan revision. This
is your opportunity to learn about them, to discuss them with the
Forest Service, and to encourage the Forest Service to develop
strong alternatives that will protect the resources of this 1.1
million acre national forest. More info. about this
meeting
The Forest Service is starting up the plan
revision process for the George Washington National Forest. A
notice is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Monday March 8, 2010. The
following are dates/times for the associated public workshops
(note: these could be subject to change).
All Meetings will begin at 6:30 pm and
end at 9:00 pm
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Monday, April 12,
2010
Valley Elementary School
98 Panther Drive
Hot Springs, VA
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
East Hardy High School
Baker, WV
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Monday, April 19, 2010
Rockbridge Co. High School
143 Greenhouse Rd.
Lexington, VA 24450
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Just Added: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 7:30 PM start
12000 Government Center Parkway
541 Hoover Road
Fairfax, VA
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Woodstock National Guard Armory
541 Hoover Road
Woodstock, VA 22664
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Thursday, April 29, 2010
Augusta County Government Center
18 Government Lane
Verona, VA 24482
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On June 30, 2009, a judge in the 9th Federal
Circuit overturned the Bush administrations forest planning
rules. A drastic weakening of existing planning regulations first
implemented under Ronald Reagan, the new rules did not adequately
protect wildlife or waterways, did not provide for adequate
levels of public participation, and allowed vague guidelines to
be substituted for enforceable standards. The judges
decision will likely have an immediate effect in Virginia. The
revision of the George Washington National Forest (GWNF) Plan had
been proceeding under these flawed rules, and local groups had
noted several deficiencies in our own Plan due to reliance on
them. It is anticipated that Planning will come to a brief halt
until the Obama administration determines which rules to use.
In the future, the Forest Service will resume revising its
management plan for the George Washington National Forest. This
plan will determine what level of protection local treasures such
as Massanutten, Big Schloss, and Shenandoah Mountain receive. A
strong management plan would recommend permanent protection of
these areas with Wilderness, National Scenic Area, or National
Recreation Area status. A weak management plan would endanger old
growth forests and pristine watersheds by opening them to logging
and natural gas extraction. Come tell the Forest Service that you
want to protect our last great places in Virginia. Let's show the
Forest Service how important this resource is to Northern
Virginians and all Virginians.You can view the Forest Service's
web site for this review process at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/forestplan/revision/index.shtml
Send Comments on GW National Forest Plan Revision - Click on this
link for an easy-to-use email comment form to the Forest. And
pass this on to friends and neighbors.
The Forest Plan Revision process can be
frustrating, lengthy, and mystifying, but, remember, it will
shape the direction of our 1.1 million acre GWNF for the next
fifteen years. We encourage citizens to continue to ask the
Forest Service for full protection of a.) all Virginia mountain
treasures, b) all existing old growth forest tracts and buffers
around them, c) rare, threatened, and endangered species, d)
riparian areas around all waterways, especially those that supply
drinking water and those that contain important fisheries, and e)
Natural Heritage program identified special biological areas and
conservation areas. If you enjoy visiting particular trails,
rivers, or places on the GWNF, please mention them by name and
urge the Forest Service to protect them for future generations to
enjoy!
For more information see:
Website of a coalition of Virginia groups = http://www.forestsforthefuture.org/
Forest Service's webpage for this review process - http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/forestplan/revision/index.shtml
And check with this Virginia Forest Watch webpage for future
updates
Upcoming Meetings & Opportunities
There are no upcoming meetings
We encourage you to attend one or more of the public meetings on
the George Washington National Forest. Comments about the Plan
via letters, emails, phone calls and faxes are important anytime
(both now and after planning resumes). Comments should be sent to
the George Washington-Jefferson National Forests Headquarters in
Roanoke, Virginia. Please contact the Forest Service Mailing
address: Maureen Hyzer, Forest Supervisor, George Washington
National Forest,162 Valleypointe Parkway, Roanoke, VA 24019-3050
Email address: comments-southern-georgewashington-jefferson@fs.fed.us
(Please write "Comment on George Washington Plan
Revision" in the subject line of your post.) Fax
numbers:(540) 265-5145(540) 265-5109
Past Meetings Archives
March 12, 2009
GWNF Forest Plan Revision Review with the Forest Service
Thursday evening, March 12th, 2009 @ 6:45 pm - 9:00 pm
The presentation will start at 7:00 pm but come at 6:45 to view
the maps.
Location - NRECA (National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association) Building at 4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington,
VA 22203. It's near the intersection of Wilson Blvd and Glebe Rd,
one block from the Ballston Metro stop on the Orange Line.
After-hours free parking is available in the building's parking
garage, which is entered on Taylor St.Directions to the facility
can be found at: http://www.nreca.org/ContactUs/directions.htm
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February 5, 2009
Time: 6:30-9:00 p.m., The location of the February 5, 2009 public
workshop has been changed to W.W. Robinson Elementary School,
1231 Susan Avenue, Woodstock, VA. This is located next door to
the Middle School.
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October 29 and 30, 2008
Two more public meetings for revising the Forest Plan of the
George Washington National Forest (GWNF) have been set for
October 29 and 30, 2008. Details are in the box below, as posted
on the GWNF website. The topic of both meetings will be road and
trail access. Please attend meetings or write to the Forest
Service.
Key Points to Raise:
1.) ROADS: There are approx. 1,872 miles of
roads on the George Washington, and as of 2003, the road
maintenance backlog for the combined GW/Jefferson was about
$19.34 million. (USFS, Fiscal Year 2004 Forest Service Budget
Justification (2003)). The maintenance backlog has undoubtedly
gone up since this last report was released, due to continued low
levels of agency funding and continued roadbuilding in the
interim. This costly roads maintenance backlog should be
improved by decommissioning unneeded roads or converting them to
non-motorized trails. Roads that are negatively impacting
watersheds, soils, native plant diversity, and wildlife should be
decommissioned, where appropriate, as well. A reasonably
rapid timetable, with benchmarks, should be implemented in order
to ensure that the Forest Service substantially reduces unneeded
road mileage over the course of the next 10-15 years.
2.) ROADS: In order to protect remote habitat
for wildlife, black bears, wild turkey, and other wildlife, the
Forest Service currently uses so-called road density
requirements as a roads management tool. These road density
requirements also have other benefits, including protecting the
recreation experience, protecting water quality in important
watersheds, and ensuring peace and quiet for surrounding
neighbors. Road density requirements should remain part
of the desired condition for areas now specifically managed for
Bear, Turkey, Grouse, and other wildlife. Indeed, they
should be strengthened and should become binding standards.
Before changing any road density requirements, the Forest Service
should use peer-reviewed research and local studies to determine
what the adequate or optimal road density levels are for key
species of wildlife. Black bears are one such keystone species. A
thorough landscape-wide analysis of all threats to black bears,
(including the impacts of new road construction, four-lane
highways, residential and other development outside of
national forests) should be part of the research utilized. When
we think of the Appalachians, one of the first things that comes
to mind is the black bear. Black bears were nearly wiped out by
the early 20th century and were brought back from the brink, with
careful efforts, over subsequent decades. Let's not throw away
the gains we've made by creating new roads or opening too many
areas to vehicle traffic on Forest Service lands without a
thoughtful analysis first.
3.) TRAILS: If you have favorite trails
on the George Washington NF, cite examples of non-motorized
trail(s) on the George Washington National Forest that you are
familiar with. We must ensure that key non-motorized
trails are recognized, adequately maintained, and have fully
protected viewsheds and corridors. Some trails that you might
mention include the Appalachian Trail, the Alleghany Trail, the
Tuscarora Trail, the proposed Great Eastern Trail, the North Mtn
Trail (Lee District), the Shenandoah Mountain Trail, the Wild Oak
Trail, the Dowells Draft Trail, Rader Mtn Trail, Slate Springs
Trail, Bother Ridge Trail, Chestnut Ridge Trail, Grooms Ridge
Trail, Sand Spr. Mtn Trail, Timber Ridge Trail, Lookout Mtn
Trail, the Little Stony Trail, the Shaws Ridge Trail, the
Crawford Mountain Trail, the Chimney Hollow Trail, the North Mtn.
Trail (North River District), Walker Mtn. Trail (#488), Paddy
Knob Trail, Bogans Run Trail, Warm Springs Mtn. Trail, Piney
Ridge Trail, Little Mare Mtn Trail, Brushy Ridge Trail, Beards
Mtn Trail, Dry Run Trail, White Rocks Tower Trail, North Mtn
Trail (James River District), Oliver Mtn Trail, Jerrys Run Trail,
Bat Lick Trail, Signal Knob Trail, Massanutten Mtn Trail, Duncan
Hollow Trail, Roaring Run Trail, Mills Cr Trail, Kennedy Ridge
Trail, and Whetstone Ridge Trail. But there are many
others. Please talk about your favorite spots!
Background information about the meetings should be posted soon
at the GWNF website, www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/forestplan/revision/meetings.shtml.
Information on previous meetings and the planning process for the
GWNF can also be found there.
Please attend one or both meetings if you can. It is important to
express your ideas to the Forest Service.
Comments about the Plan via letters, emails, phone calls and
faxes are critical. The Forest Service will continue accepting
comments for the remainder of 2008 and possibly beyond. Comments
should be sent to the George Washington-Jefferson National
Forests Headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia. Please contact the
Forest Service:
Mailing address:
Maureen Hyzer, Forest Supervisor
George Washington National Forest
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, VA 24019-3050
Email address:
comments-southern-georgewashington-jefferson@fs.fed.us
(Please write "Comment on George Washington Plan
Revision" in the subject line of your post.)
Fax numbers:
(540) 265-5145
(540) 265-5109
Phone numbers:
(888) 265-0019
(540) 265-5100
NEWS:
Roanoke Times March 7,
2007 Editorial: Under a new rule on the forests
- Roanoke Times Columnist Elizabeth Strother writes about the
George Washington NF Plan Revision and the new rules that will
guide the process.
A call to protect the
forest - an op-ed encouraging public involvement during the
George Washington NF Plan Revision written by VAFW's Sherman
Bamford. It appeared in the February 25, 2007 Roanoke Times.
Feb. 16, 2007: Conservationists call for ecological restoration on the George Washington National Forest - A broad coalition of conservation and forest-protection groups called on the U.S. Forest Service today to focus on protecting clean water, diverse wildlife habitat, old-growth forests and remote, wild areas, as well as prime recreation spots, in updating the long-range management plan for the 1.1 million-acre George Washington National Forest in western Virginia.
| Read Press Release | "Forests for the Future" - a brochure highlighting the Citizens Vision for the GWNF.
RESOURCES:
Our Land, Our Water, Our Home - a white
paper on our long-term vision for the GWNF
"Forests for the Future" - a brochure highlighting the Citizens Vision for the GWNF.
U.S. Forest Service Home Page http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/
and GW-JNF Plan Revision webpage http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/forestplan/revision/index.shtml
Website by a coalition of Virginia groups working on the 10-15
year plan revision for the George Washington - http://www.forestsforthefuture.org