Sherman Bamford To: [email protected] <[email protected] cc: Sherman Bamford <[email protected]> > Subject: NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage draft multi-species habitat conservation plan comments - attachments 2 12/13/2011 03:32 PM Sherman Bamford Forests Committee Chair Virginia Chapter – Sierra Club P.O. Box 3102 Roanoke, Va. 24015 [email protected] (540) 343-6359 December 13, 2011 Regional Director, Midwest Region Attn: Lisa Mandell U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990 Bloomington, MN 55437-1458 Email: [email protected] Dear Ms. Mandell: On behalf of the Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club, the following are attachments to our previously submitted comments on the the NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage (“NiSource”) draft multi-species habitat conservation plan (“HCP”) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (“Service”) draft environmental impact statement (“EIS”). Draft of Virginia Mountain Treasures For descriptions and maps only. The final version was published in 2008. Some content may have changed between 2007 and 2008. Sherman Bamford Sherman Bamford PO Box 3102 Roanoke, Va. 24015-1102 (540) 343-6359 [email protected] Virginia’s Mountain Treasures ART WORK DRAWING The Unprotected Wildlands of the George Washington National Forest A report by the Wilderness Society Cover Art: First Printing: Copyright by The Wilderness Society 1615 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202)-843-9453 Wilderness Support Center 835 East Second Avenue Durango, CO 81302 (970) 247-8788 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. Our goal is to ensure that future generations will enjoy the clean air and water, wildlife, beauty, and opportunities for recreation and renewal that pristine forests, rivers deserts, and mountains provide. Our membership of more that 200,000 people is a potent force that gets the attention of Congress, the White House, and federal agencies who manage our public lands. You can join the growing number of Americans who believe that preserving wilderness is essential by calling 1-800-THE-WILD (1-800-843-9453) to speak with a representative of our membership services. Or, you can join online at our website—www.wilderness.org. Special assistance for this report was provided by Production and layout assistance by: Printed in the USA by: Virginia’s Mountain Treasures The Unprotected Wildlands of the George Washington National Forest by Mark Miller for The Wilderness Society Virginia’s Mountain Treasures Preface During the course of my career, long before States. As wild country and open space disappear working full time for the conservation community, I from private land, every acre of public land becomes had the pleasure of spending four years at Sweet Briar more precious. We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance College in central Virginia. It is difficult to describe to permanently protect a priceless forest legacy and what that lovely setting meant to me, except to say that bequeath it to our grandchildren. But that opportunity one of the highlights of living there was the panoramic is fleeting. view of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains right No one understood the impermanence and fragility outside my door. I fell in love with the state back then, of nature’s web of life better than the late Ernie captivated by its simple beauty, and mention this brief Dickerman, the indefatigable champion of Virginia piece of personal history because preserving Virginia’s wilderness to whom we owe endless gratitude. Place wild landscapes and hidden wonders has become a after place listed in our Mountain Treasures report is personal quest for all of us at The Wilderness Society. intact today because a warrior like Ernie refused to let Eastern wilderness is an uncommon and very logging and development encroach on his beloved wild precious commodity. Before passage of the Eastern lands. Luckily for us another generation of advocates Wilderness Areas Act of 1975, many people believed and heroes now carries the torch he passed on: Bess unspoiled wilderness simply no longer existed east of and Jim Murray, Steve Kirchbaum, Don Giecek, Lynn the Mississippi River. Thousands of dedicated Cameron, Juliana Simpson, and the entire Virginia activists proved them wrong. The Wilderness Wilderness Committee to name just a few. We offer Society’s report, Virginia’s Mountain Treasures: The our sincerest thanks to them too. Unprotected Wildlands of the George Washington As you read this document I trust you will feel the National Forest, describes more than 600,000 acres spark of hope it is meant to engender. Virginians and of potential wilderness, an assortment of dazzling others turned hope into reality in 2000 when Congress natural jewels that remain intact even today. This designated more than 10,000 acres of new wilderness booklet is a guide to the best of the best of these in the Priest and Three Ridges Wilderness Areas of the special places—little known corners of the wild that George Washington National Forest. It will happen provide safe havens for endangered species, rare again—if we can activate the collective power of plants, clean water, historic sites, spiritual respite and thousands of individuals who believe in conservation. renewal, breathtaking vistas and unforgettable outdoor Together we will transform the words written on these experiences. pages to real and lasting changes on the land. The goods news is that every citizen of Virginia Virginia’s wildland treasures are our gifts to the future. has a singular opportunity to take action right now and I hope you will join us in creating that future. help create more wilderness in their own backyard. The bad news is that the fragile roadless areas found William H. Meadows within this forest lie in the shadow of the fast- President, developing Mid-Atlantic region—within one day’s The Wilderness Society drive of at least a third of the population of the United Virginia’s Mountain Treasures Dedicated to the Virginia Congressional Delegation Faithful Conservators of Our Mountain Heritage This volume of Virginia’s Mountain Treasures and Paul Trible, and Congressmen Rick Boucher and describes the finest selection of wildlands to be found James Olin, sponsors of the two bills that serve as the within the George Washington National Forest. All of foundation stones of wilderness in Virginia. them deserve some degree of protection from the Senator Warner had another team-mate in Senator pressures of development. It will be evident, of Charles Robb when he joined Congressman Virgil H. course, to all our readers that we do not expect all of Goode, Jr. in sponsoring legislation to place two more these lands to become wilderness, but it is from this outstanding mountains in the wilderness system. And bountiful reserve that any future additions to the as we go to press, the work continues with the drive National Wilderness Preservation System must be of Senator Warner and Congressman Boucher to drawn. extend their contribution by naming additional The Members of Congress, on both sides of the wilderness areas in the Jefferson National Forest. aisle have consistently recognized that Virginia needs One should also remember that the first wilderness wilderness as a source of clean air and water, a harbor declared in Virginia came from legislation proposed by for biological diversity, a playground for primitive a westerner. We are ever thankful to Senator Henry recreation, and a wellspring of spiritual regeneration. M. Jackson, whose Eastern Wilderness Areas Act The list of supporters is long, but the leadership is established the principle that the Wilderness Act clear. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr. carried through on applied to the east as well as to the west, and which the early vision for the Shenandoah National Park with named the James River Face Wilderness as the first a bill to establish wilderness within the Park. The unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System in major push for wilderness in our National Forests we Virginia. owe to a powerful coalition: Senators John Warner Virginia’s Mountain Treasures Table of Contents Overview 7 Why Protect Wild Areas? 8 The Southern Appalachian Ecosystem 11 The Unprotected Wildlands of the George Washington National Forest 14 Recommendations 17 What you can do to help 17 Big Schloss Cluster 18 Shenandoah Mountain Complex 26 Northern Shenandoah Mountain Cluster 26 Central Shenandoah Mountain Cluster 36 Southern Shenandoah Mountain Cluster 47 Great North Mountain Cluster 50 Alleghany Mountain Cluster 57 Warm Springs Mountain Cluster 66 Rich Hole Wilderness/ Rough Mountain Cluster 72 Southern Alleghany Cluster 78 Massanutten Mountain Cluster 86 Pedlar Cluster 92 Conclusions 100 Summary Table 102 Virginia’s Mountain Treasures Overview In the National Forests of the Southern National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is Appalachians, there are still some lands that are largely procedural in nature and requires the Forest Service to wild and unroaded. Some of these are set aside as study and disclose the affects of its activities. In Wilderness, the Appalachian Trail corridor, National addition, it requires the public to be informed about Recreation Areas, or as Special Biological and Scenic and involved in the agency’s management proposals. Areas. Others are in administrative management categories that currently are considered unsuitable for The Forest Service is now in the process of logging and road building. However, many important revising the management plan for the George wildlands are still open to future timber cutting, road Washington National Forest. However, the process construction, and other development. for doing so has been changed. Under NEPA, This publication focuses on the unprotected previous National Forest Plan revisions had to wildlands of the George Washington National Forest. undergo the preparation of an Environmental Impact The Wilderness Society and sponsoring groups have Statement (EIS).