Wilderness Bill Needs Your Support

PLEASE CALL SENATOR ALLEN

Senator John Warner and Congressman Rick Boucher, with co-sponsorship from Reps. Tom Davis and Jim Moran, introduced the “Virginia Ridge and Valley Wilderness and National Scenic Areas Act” legislation on April 22nd. We need you to contact Senator George Allen and ask him to co-sponsor and support the Senate bill, SB 2342. The bill would protect nearly 41,000 acres in the Jefferson National Forest in Rep. Boucher's district -- 29,000 as wilderness and the remainder as national scenic area where mountain biking would be allowed.

Please emphasize with Sen. Allen’s office that all of the areas in the bill are supported by the local county boards of supervisors or recommended by the U.S. Forest Service in its Revised Jefferson Forest Plan. The bill is supported by a number of businesses including outfitters, hunting stores and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, and has the endorsement of the International Mountain Biking Association.

Please call Senator Allen’s office at 202-224-4024 or fax him at 202-224-5432. We recommend you contact the Senator as an individual, not as a Sierra Club member. Please make these calls as soon as possible.

A fact sheet about the bill and a list of endorsers is below:

Virginia Ridge and Valley Wilderness and National Scenic Areas Act of 2004

S. 2342/H.R. 4202

KEY FACTS

Protects nearly 29,000 acres of the Jefferson National Forest in southwestern Virginia as wilderness.

· Each of the new Wilderness and National Scenic Area designations has been endorsed by either the U.S. Forest Service or the Board of Supervisors of the County in which the area is located. The proposed new Wilderness Areas are:

1. Stone Mountain (Cave Springs) – The Stone Mountain proposed Wilderness Area is a 3,200-acre tract of land adjacent to the North Fork of the Powell River in Lee County. The property is considered to be the least disturbed forest in all of Southwest Virginia and is home to rich populations of two rare salamanders. The Stone Mountain and Payne Branch trails are included as part of the proposed Wilderness Area and provide convenient access for hikers and hunters wishing to visit the Wilderness Area. The trails are also connected to an adjacent campground at Cave Springs.

2. Raccoon Branch – The Raccoon Branch proposed Wilderness Area is located in Smyth County in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The property contains 4,400 acres of extremely rugged country characterized by high ridges and low streams. Eight major trails provide excellent access for hunters, fishermen, hikers and horseback riders and two nearby campgrounds serve as convenient trailheads. In addition, 4.5 miles of the Appalachian Trail also traverses the proposed Wilderness Area.

3. Brush Mountain – The Brush Mountain proposed Wilderness Area is located in Montgomery County, adjacent to the Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. The area is 4,700 acres in size and extends approximately 8 miles along the northwest slope of Brush Mountain. The property is characterized largely by its remoteness, despite its proximity to the suburbs of Blacksburg, providing hunters and hikers with a feeling of true wilderness solitude.

4. Brush Mountain East – The Brush Mountain East proposed Wilderness Area is adjacent to the Brush Mountain proposed Wilderness Area and is located in Craig County. This tract is 3,800 acres in size and shares many of the characteristics of its neighboring proposed Wilderness Area. Brush Mountain East also possesses excellent views along Craig Creek and Brush Mountain’s steep mountain face and is near the Audie Murphy Monument lookout near the top of the ridge.

Creates two new National Scenic Areas to protect almost 12,000 acres of Virginia national forests – Seng Mountain National Scenic Area (6,455 acres) and Crawfish Valley National Scenic Area (5,400 acres). The proposed National Scenic Areas designated in the legislation are:

1. Crawfish Valley – The Crawfish Valley proposed National Scenic Area is located in Smyth County and includes 5,400 acres. The area extends from the crest of Walker Mountain southward to the crest of Brushy Mountain and includes the enclosed valley between the two mountains. An extensive network of trails is included in the proposed area, including more than four miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

2. Seng Mountain – The Seng Mountain proposed National Scenic Area is 6,400 acres in size and is located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Smyth County. Rowland Creek Falls, a 45-foot cascading waterfall is a major scenic attraction in the area. The area also includes a network of recreational trails and convenient access is provided to visitors via the Hurricane Campground and Skulls Gap Picnic Area.

Designates as additions to existing wilderness areas – Mountain Lake Wilderness (5,673 acres), Lewis Fork Wilderness (748 acres), Little Wilson Wilderness (1,862 acres), Shawvers Run Wilderness (2,789 acres) and Peters Mountain Wilderness (1,570 acres).

Recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, picnicking, backpacking, bird watching, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, spelunking, rock-climbing and many other outdoor activities would be continued and encouraged in the new Wilderness Areas.

Wilderness designation protects habitat for bear, song birds and wild turkey and includes many stands of old growth.

Located near the growing population centers of southwestern Virginia, the wilderness areas provide opportunities for solitude, wilderness recreation, and spiritual renewal in these forests that are our heritage from the past.

Establishes a continuous non-motorized trail between County Route 650 and Forest Development Road 4018 for mountain bike, equestrian and hiking use. The bill also directs the Forest Service to develop appropriate trail plans for the wilderness and national scenic areas.

Endorsements

June 2, 2004

Elected Officials

Senator John Warner

Congressman Rick Boucher

Congressman Tom Davis

Congressman James Moran

John Moffo, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors

Rupert Cutler, Member, Roanoke City Council and former Assistant Secretary of Agriculture

Local Governing Bodies

Craig County Board of Supervisor/Resolution for areas in Craig County

Giles County Board of Supervisors/Resolution supporting the Forest Plan

Montgomery County Board of Supervisors/Resolution for area in Montgomery County

Smyth County Board of Supervisor/Resolution for areas in Smyth County

Local Businesses

Body Balance/Susan Thomasally

Cooper Cress Stables/Pam Umberger

Cregger Stables/Doug Cregger

Blue Ridge Mountain Sports

Blue Ridge Outdoors Blacksburg/Stacey Schellhammer—manager

Blue Ridge Outdoors Roanoke/Bill Wilson--President

Galax Storage/Mark and Cathy Stanley

Hunter’s Den/Craig County/Ellen Horn—Owner

Kissingrock Camp/Looney Cabin/Annie Malone

Mount Rogers Outfitters

Outdoor Trails/ Roanoke and Lynchburg

Southwest Imports/ Wytheville/ Donna Muhly

Tom Lavelle Veterinary Service/Wythe County

Treehuggers Outdoors/ Wytheville/ Ian Fiorini--Owner

Virginia Tourism Corporation

Local Organizations

Appalachian Trail Conference for areas that affect the Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Voices

Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

Citizens for the Preservation of Craig County/Ellen Coleman

Citizens of Lee Environmental Action Network

Citizens Task Force

Coalition for Job and the Environment

Devil’s Fork Trail Club

Goshen Alliance

Kiwanis Club of Lexington

Living Education Center for Ecology and the Arts

Mountain Heritage Alliance

Patrick Environmental Awareness Group

Piedmont Appalachian Trail Hikers

Preston Forest Homeowners Association/Montgomery County/Adjacent land owners

Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club

Rockbridge Area Conservation Council

Sierra Club of Virginia

Taking Responsibility for the Earth and Environment

The Clinch Coalition

The Nature Conservancy (Virginia Chapter)

Trout Unlimited, Virginia Council

Virginia Forest Watch

Virginia Native Plant Society

Virginia Wilderness Committee

Wildlaw

Wild Virginia

Wythe Conservation Network

Individuals Endorsing the 2004 Bill:

Shirley Blackwell/ Marion

Jim Bradley/Bearhunter/Craig County

Sharon Cooper/Wytheville

Jerry and Carrie Crawford/Bearhunters/Craig County

Linda Danner/Marion

Tom Davenport/Damascus

Bart Fiegley/Marion

Alan and Gloria Heath/Blacksburg

Than and Mary Ann Hitt Blacksburg

Alice and Bill Hurleboss/Path members/Marion

David Jenkins/Blacksburg

Susan Lapis/Southwings/Abingdon

Claire McBrien/ Ecological Educator

Elizabeth Obenshain/Blacksburg

Travis Overstreet/Climbing Coordinator Odyssey Adventure Racing

Sharon Ratliffe/Wytheville

Mary Rhoades/Blacksburg

John Saunders/Marion

Gail N. Vernon/Marion

Dave and Lindsey West/Blacksburg

Lu and Larry Wilhite/Wythe County Larry is a retired USFS employee

National and Regional Organizations

International Mountain Biking Association

Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition

Southern Environmental Law Center

Southwings

The Wilderness Society

Wilderness Support Center