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The information contained in these web pages was originally issued as a report in 1999 by the Wilderness Society. The report is entitled Virginia's Mountain Treasures, The Unprotected Wildlands of the Jefferson National Forest. Written by Shireen Parsons for The Wilderness Society, the report is copyrighted by The Wilderness Society and reproduced here by permission. The current status of these lands can be found by checking web sites listed on the links page.

The Wilderness Society
Founded in 1935, The Wilderness Society works to protect America's wilderness and to develop a nation-wide network of wild lands through public education, scientific analysis and advocacy.
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Preface
Virginia's Mountain Treasures is the fifth in The Wilderness Society's series of publications that identify and describe the unprotected wildlands of national forests in the Southern Appalachians. The previous reports are North Carolina's Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wildlands of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests (1992); South Carolina's Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wildlands of the Andrew Pickens District of the Sumter National Forest (1993); Georgia's Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wildlands of the Chattachoochee National Forest (1995); and Tennessee's Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wildlands of the Cherokee National Forest (1996).
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Ernie Dickerman
Virginia's Mountain Treasures is dedicated to the life and memory of Ernie Dickerman.
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Overview
In the national forests of the Southern Appalachians, there are still tracts of forested land that are largely wild and unroaded. Some of these are set aside as wilderness, the Appalachian Trail corridor, national recreation areas, and botanical and scenic areas. Others are in administrative management categories that currently are considered unsuitable for logging and road building. However, many important wildlands are still open to future timber cutting and related road construction.
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Why Protect Wild Areas?
In the United States, the practice of setting aside selected lands to remain in a primitive, undeveloped condition dates back more than a century. It is recognized that wildlands provide important benefits for people. Yet, how does one measure the joy of exploring an old-growth forest to see how nature works over time? How valuable is the experience of fishing for native brook trout in a pristine river, or camping deep in the woods where the sights, sounds, and smells are only those of the forest?
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