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The Highlands Voice West Virginia Highlands Conservancy PO. Box 306 Non-Profit Org. Charleston, WV 25321 U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 2831 Charleston, WV The Highlands Voice Since 1967, The Monthly Publication of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Volume 51 No. 2 February, 2018 Governor Justice Has Plan for State By John McFerrin Parks: Timberrrrrr! A bill to allow commercial logging in West Virginia’s State the average of four trees per acre per tract nor more than one half Parks has been introduced in the West Virginia Legislature. The of the merchantable timber volume of the acre. Only trees with a bill, Senate Bill 270 (SB270) and House Bill 4182 (HB4182), was circumference of at least sixteen inches based on the diameter at introduced at the request of Governor Justice. This bill would end breast height, may be harvested.” an 80-year ban on logging in West Virginia’s State Parks. The bill leaves many questions unanswered. Its restriction If the bill becomes law, West Virginia plans to borrow fifty of four trees per acre is an average for the entire tract being million dollars to use on park maintenance. It will then cut enough considered for timbering. With a large tract, many more trees could timber each year to make the payments on the loan. be cut on individual acres and still meet the bill’s average of four The Governor and supporters of the bill contend two things. trees per acre. Neither does it address the problems that come with First, they contend that we need the money for maintenance of the logging, particularly the roads that would have to be built to reach Parks. They contend that we have not consistently kept up with the trees to be cut. The bill also leaves out any definition of “sound” maintenance in the past so that now the Parks are deteriorating management. It is left for the Director of the Department of Natural and need a substantial sum of money to repair. Resources and the Director of Forestry to decide. Forest health, Supporters also contend that some logging is necessary to wildlife, clean water, and recreation are not mentioned in the bill as maintain the health of the forests in State Parks. requirements of the management plan. Supporters contend that the logging will be limited and The bill also does not specify which Parks would lose their unobtrusive. The bill allows logging as part of “a sound silvicultural timber. In interviews, public officials have identified the larger Parks management plan.” It also restricts the logging by saying, “Any such as Watoga, Cacapon, Lost River, Holly River, Twin Falls, prescriptions written relating to timber harvesting shall not exceed and Cedar Creek. These Parks are big enough that, according to (More on p. 5) What’s inside: Thoughts from our President 2 Appeal filed on ACP 9 What other states are doing? 15 Corridor H makes a mess 3 Monitoring water 9 Importance of State Parks 16 Holiday greetings 3 Land Trust saves a view 10 Keeping an eye on the pipeline 18 Matters legislative 4 A little coal news 11 Board highlights 19 Taking action 5 Over in North Carolina 11 Get stuff 20 Logging and wildlife 6 Fola Coal rolls on 12 How to join 7 Roster of officers 12 Get a history book 7 Get a Hiking Guide 13 Logging in parks 8 What’s a healthy forest? 14 Visit us on the web at www.wvhighlands.org Find us on Facebook The Highlands Voice February, 2018 Page 2 Thoughts from our president Another Year, Another Full Plate By Larry Thomas January started the new year with a “We strongly believe that the ACP He estimated $40 million to $50 lot of activity. I believe you could say it came is unneeded and cannot be built safely million could be raised through increased in like a lion. From the proposed pipelines, without causing permanent damage to timbering in the forests surrounding state proposed logging in our state parks and the the environment, particularly critical water parks. quarterly board meeting it has been very resources,” stated Rick Webb of the “If we’re really going to ramp up busy as well as disturbing. DPMC, who is chairing the development of tourism, which is really a goal of this First was a tour of the proposed the new ABRA program. “We will continue governor, we want to have a nice product ACP pipeline route through south eastern to challenge the government decisions when people come to visit. So, we need to Highland County, Virginia. What an eye involving the project. But, with certain pre- fix up our state parks,” opener. Rick Webb, WVHC board member construction activities already underway, “What’s the best way to do it? We’ve and Program Coordinator of the Dominion citizen oversight is essential given the got tens of thousands of acres of forests Pipeline Monitoring Coalition led the tour to limited resources of government agencies on state parks that are some of the finest three problematic areas within the route. that are responsible for regulating pipeline timber anywhere. On a very, very, very First, we traveled to a steep (almost construction.” limited basis, we want to harvest some perpendicular) ridge that will be crossed. Continuing, Webb said “the need for of those trees. It’s great for wildlife, it will I do not see how they will not cause citizen oversight of pipeline construction improve the parks, and the beautiful thing significant environmental damage crossing has been made clear by observations of about it is, all that money goes right back that ridge and there is no way I would want recent pipeline projects and ineffective into the parks to fix up these lodges and to be operating the equipment going up or government agency response to repeated cabins. I think it is a no-brainer. I think it coming down that ridge. A water monitoring violations and water resource harm. We makes great sense.” device has been placed in the stream below have no reason to expect more from the That prompted twelve environmental the crossing to monitor stream quality agencies during construction of the ACP, if groups to request a meeting with Secretary Second, we traveled to a farm laden finally approved, given their failure to require Thrasher to express our concerns with with karst features. Walking the survey line, submission of complete environmental logging in the state parks and to suggest we saw many violations of the protocol, to plans prior to project approval. This deferral alternative sources of revenue to fund what include the route going through the middle of critical review and analysis sets the stage we agreed are needed improvements to of a sinkhole. for significant and long-term degradation our state parks. Last, we hiked up a ridge to get a of high-quality streams and groundwater Several days later Senate Bill 270 to view across the valley of a ridge where supplies.” allow logging in West Virginia’s State Parks they will remove fifty feet of the ridge to The Pipeline CSI is gathering in- was introduced in the 2018 Legislative get to a level to accommodate the right of depth data and assessing the landscape Session at the request of Governor Justice way needed. Dominion has stated they will the ACP is proposed to cross to fill in indicating our State Parks face a $50 restore the original contour of the mountain information gaps in official records. The million maintenance backlog. The Governor when finished. I drove home shaking my effort will involve hundreds of volunteer suggests that logging revenue would be head. observers in Virginia and West Virginia. The used to secure a 20-year bond to pay for it. WVHC is a part of the Dominion program will include extensive water quality Next House Bill 4183 was also introduced Pipeline Monitoring Coalition (DPMC), which monitoring and aerial reconnaissance. in the House. is now a part of the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Initial phases of the Pipeline CSI will focus The conservation groups across the Alliance (ABRA). DPMC is an organization on mountainous areas of the pipeline route, state--now known as Save Our State Parks, of citizen volunteers, conservation groups, where ACP construction threatens water or SOS Parks-- quickly united to oppose SB and environmental scientists convened quality in the headwaters of some of the 270, HB 4183 and any commercial logging in response to Dominion’s proposed major watershed systems in the eastern in West Virginia State Parks. Atlantic Coast Pipeline across the George United States. Results from the information That action prompted Secretary Washington and Monongahela National gathered will be shared with regulatory Thrasher to request a second meeting. Forests and the adjacent mountains and agencies and the media. SOS Parks groups presented eight of their valleys. ABRA is a coalition of over 50 The next big issue to confront was funding ideas to encourage Secretary organizations in Virginia and West Virginia. the announcement on December 17 by Thrasher to withdraw the Governor’s On January 22, ABRA and DPMC West Virginia Commerce Secretary Woody logging bill, which has been met with launched a citizen initiative to monitor Thrasher stating “Timbering activities will stinging public criticism, including from construction activities of the Atlantic Coast be increased on state park lands, with the within the Governor’s own party. Agriculture Pipeline (ACP). The objective of the goal of clearing old forest while producing Commissioner Kent Leonhardt became the Pipeline Compliance Surveillance Initiative revenue that can be pumped back into most prominent Republican to speak out (Pipeline CSI) is to ensure strict application park improvements.
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