Evaluation of BLISTER RUN BOG Randolph County, West Virkinia For eligibility as a REGISTERED NATURAL LANDMARK Designation prepared by Dr. Jesse F. Clovis Professor of Biology West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia 26506 January 1974- 1. SITEt :Blister Run Bog, Randolph County, West Virginia 2. DESCRIPTION-: A high elevation (J6.50') 111ountain valley ba.lsalll :fir-red / sp:ruce-sphagnum swamp, with uny beaver dams and alder thickets. It covers about 100 acres, and with surrounding recommended mountainside buffer area makes a total of 1550 A, J. OWNER a ,USFS (swamp proper and northem half, roughly h and Mower Lumber Company, Box.JS, Arboval.e, WV 2491.5, the southern hal:f, south of Rt. 2.50. 4. PROPOSED .BY1 Director/ Northeast Region, Nation-.L. Park Service, under PX/4000·3/o6'36. SIGNIFICANCE1 :Blister Run Bog has several recommendations as a natural area; it is the southernmost extension of balsam fir1 it has many northern birds and plants here far south of their normal range; several other plants found here are very rares it is close to and a useful adjunct to Gaudineer Knob and Gaudineer Scenic areas, USFS. : ... 6. LAND USE: There has been no obvious uses lumbering on the surrounding ~: ·. ~ i;• ': hillsides and perhaps in the swa•p, so11e hunting, are perhaps the only land use. 7. DANGERS TO INT&;RITY OF AREAs Mower Lumber Company (above) apparently owns mineral and perhaps timber rights to most of the area, al though crification of this cannot be found. Christ1nas tree cutting may hurt balsam fir reproduction. US Route 2.50 by it 111ay hurt by debris, etc. :Beavers are flooding area, which may hurt balsam fir, also. 8. SPECIAL CONDITIOifSs USFS has no illlDlediate plans for the area. Mower Lumber has not answered letters as to mineral or timber use of the land. It is an unusual ba.lsa111 fir swamp, would seem to meet Natural LandJl&rk requirements, and I would so recommend. 9. STUDIED BYs Dr. Jesse F. Clovis Biology Department West Virginia University Morgantown, WV · 26506 Blister Run·Bog The Study Method This evaluation has been prepared by Dr. Jesse F. Clovis, Professor of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506. Blister Run Bog was suggested for evaluation by the Director, Northeast Region, NPS, as part of the Wetlands Theme Study, as a bog/swamp area, under Department of the Interior P.O. No. PX/4000/ 3/0636 to West Virginia University. My evaluation of the site included first hand observation, several previous visits, discussion with several experienced field people familiar with the area, some literature, and talks with Forest Service personnel; among these: Dr. Roy B. Clarkson, Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 Dr. Earl L. Core, Biology, WVU, Morgantown, WV 26506 Mr. J.ohn Ballantyne, MNF, Elkins, W 26241 Mr. Byron Foss, USFS, Bartow, WV 24920 Mr. Joe Tekel, MNF, Elkins, WV 26241 Dr. Eugene Hutton, P.O. Box 512, Elkins, WV 26241 Mr. Maurice Brooks, Stewartstown Road, Morgantown, WV 26505 Location Blister Run Bog is in Randolph Co., WV, and lies parallel to and N of US Rt. 250, 4.5 mi. WNW of Durbin, between Cheat Bridge and the intersection of FS 27 with Rt. 250. It also lies between Cheat Bridge and Gaudineer Knob (FS 27). Its geographic coordinates on the USGS Durbin 15' quadrangle are 38°36, N, 79°52• W, at an 1 elevation of 3650 • The entire area lies within the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). Size The bog proper covers 100-150 acres (depending on choice of boundaries) but the area recomm~ed constitutes about 900 A. Additional acreage S of Rt. 250 would add 650 A. The bog lies in a valley between Rt. 250 and Gaudineer Knob, the valley being about 1.5 miles long, and about 0.5 miles wide, narrowing at the lower end (see Boundaries). Boundaries (all distances are as measured on a map) Starting at the intersection of Rt. 250 and the railroad at Cheat River, a line running due E 1.4 miles to Gaudineer Knob: thence SES o.6 miles along the Randolph-Pocahontas county line; thence S~ o.6 miles along the same line to US 250; thence, NW along Rt. 250 about 1.6 miles to the old Cheat Bridge road intersection;thence NW on a line perpendicular to the river and lumber railroad, a distance of about 0.3 miles, to Point A at the river; thence NE along the river about 0.3 2 miles to the starting point. The area as above designated covers about 903 A (the bog proper, roughly enco~passed by the 3650 1 contour line, covers about 110 A), and includes some watershed and buffer areas. The mountainside south of Rt. 250, and parallel to the bog, should be q9nsidered as an additional unit to protect the watershed of the bog. This area would be about 650 additional acres, as follows: starting at the intersection of Rt. 250 with the county line, thence SWS 0.7 miles to the top of the mountain; thence NW 1.85 mi. (along the top of the mountain) to Cheat River, thence NE o.8 miles along the river to point A mentioned above; thence, SE along Rt. 250 about 1.6 miles to the starting point. This mountain­ side is privately owned (Mower Lumber Company) but is an important part of the Blister Run Bog watershed, and should be included. The above boundaries were obtained by field observation, as well as topographic maps (USGS Durbin 15' quadrangl~), with all measure­ ments being horizontal (direct) map measurements: all areas and distances are therefore approximate. Ownership The bog itself is USFS, with the remainder of the area N of Rt. 250 being USFS, and part of it designated as the Gaudineer Knob Firetower Area. The Mower Lumber Co., Box 38, Arbovale, WV 24915, owns the mineral rights to the bog area, according to Bryon Foss, Other Resources Assistant on the MNF; I have not received any response from the lumber company in answer to my letters requesting information. Mower Lumber Company also owns the mountainside S of US Rt. 250, recommended for additional watershed area. The USFS Greenbrier district ranger has recommended (Special Interest Area Inventory, reported by Byron Foss, Sept.8, 1972) that the USFS should purchase the mineral rights to the bog, and that the "area should receive special U-3 classification". It is currently under protection of the M3-nagement Unit plan. Correspondents The persons to whom invitation to apply for registration should be addressed are: Mr. John Ballantyne, MNF, Elkins, WV 26241 (USFS Interests) Mower Lumber Co., Box 38, Arbovale, WV 24915 Land Use The area has had little or no use. At the eastern end, Forest Service Road 27 goes to Gaudineer Knob, Gaudineer Scenic area, and the Glade Run of Shaver's Fork of Cheat River fishing area. All these provide some usage of the E end of the area only along the border. 3 US Route 250 has much traffic, with some stopping .at a roadside park at the Wend of the bog. Some debris results from this. However, the area itself appears to have been very little molested or used recently. The timber on the surrounding hillsides is moderate sized hardwood second growth, with some of the Gaudineer area having large spruc~s (preserved as Gaudineer Knob and Gaudineer Scenic Area; see latter as Report# 15 under P.O. No. PX/4000/3/0636). So far as I can determine, the area has not been burned, as regards damage. Dangers to the Integrity of the Ar~a Mower Lumber Co., apparently owns the mineral rights to some or all of the designated area, although to date I have been unable to ascertain this p~~ively; the statement is made on the special interest area inventory (dated 09/08/72) of Mr. Bryon Foss, USFS, Other Resources Assistant for the Greenbrier District of MNF. Maurice Brooks, Professor Emeritus at the WVU Forestry School, says "Proximity to the highway is a constant threat, and there are still too many Christmas tree (the balsam fir makes good Christmas treesJ cutters here". "• •• It is to be expected that if the proposed Snow­ shoe Recreation Area proves profitable that other mountain areas will be surveyed pretty thoroughly, and since the south side of the highway is in private ownership, there is a real threat" (Personal Communication, October 1973). Dangers to the area, then, are US Rt. 250 by it, mineral rights which may produce problems, lowering of reproduction by Christmas tree cuttings, and loss of watershed protection by sale and/or development of the mountainside S of US Rt. 250. Natural dangers include two related things: beaver dam flooding, and windblow from substrate weakening. The photographs show flooding damage and its effects, the large number of downed trees from windblow. The MNF people asked my opinion as to whether to clear out such debris, and I commented it must be natural, and therefore to leave it. Does anyone know the silviculture practices for a balsam fir farm? Beaver removal may be accomplished in the future. Description of Natural Values Blister Run Bog represents an unusual area for several reasons; it is probably the southernmost extension of Abies balsamea, Balsam Fir, in the country. Balsam Fir is replaced southward by Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, with reflexed bracts, but specific distinction of these may be unwarranted. The entire bog area as well as the nearby Cheat Bridge area, has been the source of very rare and new plants for West Virginia, and for Botany.