WARM SPRINGS RANGER DISTRICT

Patrick Sheridan District Ranger
Rt. 1, Box 30
Hot Springs, Va. 24445
ph (540) 839-2521
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/warmsprings/

updated August 12, 2009

View of Little Alleghany Roadless Area from east

CURRENT AND UPCOMING

Gathright Prescribed Burn – proposal to burn approximately 50 acres on Forest Service land near the Gathright Wildlife Management Area.

RECENT

Cubville Timber Sale – Approx. 193 acres of logging, 1080 acres of prescribed burning, and construction of 3 miles of roads and firelines approved southwest of Burnsville, Virginia. The project is located near the Warm Springs Mountain and Bear Rock Trails, some of the premier trails of this area, and may impact part of the Warm Springs Mountain Virginia Mountain Treasure Area. Three rare or listed aquatic species are found in the watersheds of this project area and nearby. The project is one of many projects in a 91,000 acre management prescription area where logging is emphasized over most other uses. The project area also encompasses part of a “Mosaics for Wildlife Habitat” and “Remote Habitat for Wildlife” prescription area.


Big Cobbler Prescribed Burn - 450 acres of prescribed burning in the Hidden Valley area.


Roadside herbicide application – spraying herbicides on roadsides throughout the ranger district.


Muddy Run fisheries improvement – would increase large woody debris in stream to enhance fish habitat.


Poor Farm stream habitat improvement – repair eroding banks, place boulder barriers, and put gravel on fish stocking road.


Muddy Run Trail – extend the Muddy Run Trail to Rt. 220.


Robinson Lane Timber Sale - This 505-acre timber sale was approved in the upper reaches of the Jackson River - an area with bald eagle habitat, caves for endangered bats, habitat for numerous other rare species, and sensitive karst geological areas nearby. After one failed attempt, the Forest Service sold this timber sale only after dropping the minimum acceptable bid by $155,134 (68%), selling it for less than half the amount it had originally asked.


Pads Creek and Bluegrass Hollow salvage sales - Citizens have visited the site and are concerned about (1.) logging in riparian areas, (2.) logging in two stands that are 183 years old, and other old age stands, and (3.) approved skidding over long distances and down steep slopes.


Open Trail Timber Sale - This project is a 212 acre timber sale with an associated 3.2 mi. of road reconstruction in a popular resort and outdoor recreation-oriented portion of Bath Co. The project would impact black bears, cerulean warblers, and numerous other species. The FS's roads analysis revealed that there is already a whopping 19 mi. of open roads, closed roads, user-created roads, skid roads and other types of roads in the project area, yet even more construction is planned. Virginia Forest Watch joined a Wildlaw appeal against this project in April 2003.


Alleghany Highlands Trail System - see http://www.virginiaforestwatch.org/jamesriver.shtml (James River Ranger District in this National Forest Monitoring section of the VAFW website)