March 2007 NON-PROFIT ORG U. S. POSTAGE Address Service Requested P A I D PERMIT NO. 1409 CHAS WV 25301 Friends of Blackwater Save Our Squirrel Campaign Coalition Wins Extension of Squirrel Inside this Edition rd Comment Period -- April 23 is new deadline. Director’s Letter - Page 2 More than twenty-five groups have joined L i v i n g f o r Save Cheat Canyon - Page 3 the “SOS - Save Our Squirrel” Coalition to keep West Virginia, Keep Dolly Sods Wild - Page 4 federal protection for “Ginny”, the endangered M i s s o u r i SOS! Save Our Squirrel - Page 5 West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel, a beloved F o r e s t Images of Blackwater - Page 6 & 7 2006 Membership and Supporters - Page 8 resident of the Blackwater region. A l l i a n c e , Nature Notes: Allegheny Owls - Page 9 Stewards of Blackwater Heritage: The SOS Coalition now includes Heartwood, the Potomac The Wilderness Society, the Ohio Valley Treasured Mountain Memories - Page 10 H i g h l a n d s , In Memory & Honor - George Breiding - Page 11 Environmental Coalition, the West Virginia E- K e n t u c k y Membership Form - Page 12 Council, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, H e a r t w o o d , T h e Maryland SOS! Comment Letter - Page 12 Appalachian Voices, the Southern Appalachian Conservation Council, the West Virginia Biodiversity Project, the Southern Environmental Rivers Coalition, The Center for Biological extended to April 23, 2007. Law Center, the Southern Appalachian Forest Diversity, La Paix Herb Farm, and The West Our coalition says that the Fish and Wildlife Coalition, WildLaw, the Sierra Club Appalachian Virginia Wildlife Federation. Service has failed to establish squirrel population Region, Virginia Forest Watch, National Wildlife numbers or trends, and has ignored known threats Federation, Blue Heron Environmental Network, Whew -- what a team! to the squirrel. They want to give the timber and the Endangered Species Coalition. West Virginia Congressmen Nick Rahall and industry unfettered access to the most important Additional members are American Lands, Alan Mollohan have already helped us get the part of Ginny’s habitat – the older growth northern Potomac Valley Audubon Society, Sustainable comment period on the “delisting” proposal continued See SOS! Page 2 BLACKWATER CANYON TRAIL PROTECTION CAMPAIGN GETS A BOOST State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Declines logging haul road. The Forest Service did not to Sign Forest Service Plan to Destroy Canyon Trail; include the public in a historical resources review. Congressman Mollohan Weighs In for Trail In March of 2006, Friends of Blackwater and The Blackwater Canyon Trail Protection the Wilderness Society asked to be part of this Campaign received a boost when the West Virginia review, followed by the National Trust for Historic State Historic Protection Office (SHPO) refused Preservation. to sign on to a Forest Service “Programmatic The review, under Section 106 of the Historic Agreement” -- that would allow Allegheny Wood Preservation Act, is called a consultation, and Products (“AWP”) to destroy cut-stone archways involves the SHPO, the Forest Service, AWP and and other remains of the 1890’s railroading era in the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Blackwater Canyon. -- plus advocacy groups that ask to be parties. It Protection of historic resources along the has been a difficult process, so far, with the Forest Blackwater Canyon Trail was raised in comments Service and the timber company refusing to share challenging the Forest Service’s Draft Environmental the document that describes the proposed land deal Impact Statement and Preferred Alternative, which or the survey of the property line, or to rule out would allow AWP to turn the public Trail into a continued See Trail Page 2 Working to protect West Virginia’s Highlands, including the Blackwater River watershed and the Blackwater Canyon. 501 Elizabeth Street - Charleston, WV 25311 H 1-877-WVA-LAND H fax 304-345-3240 H www.saveblackwater.org H [email protected] March 2007 March 2007 Notes from the Director SAVEThrough partnerships, workingCHEAT to protect the endangered species of theCANYON! Cheat Canyon by limiting logging and road building. Dear Friend of Blackwater, CHEAT CANYON VICTORY!! Congratulations -- we won a big one! Board of Directors It was up to us. The supporters of Friends of Blackwater have put in place the first ever court-approved endangered species protection plan in estW Virginia. The The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, charged with enforcing the Judy Rodd - President detailed, multi-year plan protects critical habitat for the rare Cheat three-tooth snail (triodopsis platysayoides), which lives in rock crevices in the heart of Endangered Species Act, wouldn’t do their job. the Cheat Canyon near Morgantown, West Virginia. Scientists will call the shots in defining protected areas. Paul Hill - Vice-President So, it was “up to us” to protect the Cheat snail and its habitat – and we Jeannie Dalporto - did it! Here’s a brief run-down on this campaign -- and how we won it: Secretary We are working hard to make the same kind of real and lasting difference -- in protecting the Blackwater Canyon region, and its mascot Three years ago, the news leaked out that the timber company Allegheny Wood Products was pre- Linda Cooper - Treasurer species, “Ginny”, the endangered West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel. paring to build logging roads and timber in the Cheat Canyon – right in the middle of the steep, rocky Sandy Fisher The agencies that should be protecting Blackwater and Ginny are not woodland habitat of the rare Cheat snail. This tiny creature, on the Endangered Species list since July doing their job. National Forest officials won’t protect the historic Canyon 3, 1978, is cute, delicate, and dangerously slow-moving – no match for a bulldozer. Sheila McEntee Trail, and rollbacks are practically the norm at the Fish and Wildlife Service. So it’s “up to us” to protect these special West Virginia high mountain Scientists and outdoor lovers who care about the snail and the Cheat Canyon contacted Friends of Advisory Board places and creatures for all of us -- and for our children and grandchildren. Blackwater. “We have to do something!” they said. “The federal and state authorities say their hands are tied.” Annie Dillard - Author We love to hear from you. We try to earn your ongoing support and confidence every day. Thank you ,especially for writing letters and e-mails OK, we said – what’s at stake here? Our members want us to defend the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) in the West Virginia Highlands -- the “ESA” Larry Groce - Director, Moun- and making calls to public officials. is crucial to protecting the Blackwater Canyon. Shall we jump in and fight -- or shall we let the bulldozers crush the snails to smithereens? tain Stage It’s up to us -- and we are doing it! Jason Halbert It was a no-brainer. “It will take a big effort,” we resolved, “but we will try to protect this tiny snail and the Endangered Species Act!” Sincerely, USA Today Highlights David Hammer, Esq. We got to work. Attorney Josh Barrett of DiTrapano, Barrett and DiPiero filed a groundbreaking lawsuit and spent hundreds of hours on the case -- in- Blackwater on Alan Karlin, Esq. cluding flying to Washington, DC for high-level negotiations. Josh teamed up with ESA specialists Eric Glitzenstein and Erin Tobin at Myer, Glitzenstein, Judy Rodd Valentine’s Day! and Crystal in Washington, DC. We owe these three dedicated professionals so much. Patrick McGinley - Trail (continued from page 1) 50 Dates in Professor of Law SOS! Continued from Page 1 We alerted our members and supporters, who donated generously to pay campaign expenses. We worked with organizational partners, including destruction of historic sites. industrial haul road.” hardwood forest. There is 50 States CLEAR(Cheat Lake Environment and Recreation Association) and the West Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. We mobilized scientists, and did mail- Deborah McHenry, Esq. Roses and chocolates th already a “cover-up” brewing West Virginia Congressman On February 13 , 2007 are fine, but there’s nothing ings and newsletters. Research scientists evaluated the snail’s critical needs and habitat with financial support from the Coopers Rock Foundation, Rafe Pomerance - Alan Mollohan has been Mollohan questioned Mark -- Fish and Wildlife has refused like wanderlust to make a Defenders of Wildlife and the World Wildlife Fund. Duane Nichols, Paul Wilson, and Ann Chester did huge amounts of organizing work. Ken Hotopp, former US Deputy supportive of Trail protection, Rey, the head of the Forest to release 2,325 pages of public traveler’s heart beat faster. field biologist and snail man extraordinare, shared his expert knowledge of the Cheat snail every step of the way. Thanks and congratulations to these Assistant Secretary of and has challenged the Forest Service, about the Blackwater documents about their proposal. With Valentine’s Day as valiant warriors! State for Environment Service’s approach to the issue. Trail at a meeting of the House We are appealing this action, inspiration, USA TODAY’s travel and asking that the comment staff asked local experts for Finally, in January 2007, the timber company agreed to a settlement. On February 5, 2007 the federal court approved a comprehensive environmental Joe Riffenberger - In a letter of January 19, 2007 Appropriations Committee period remain open until we get each state and the District protection plan for the Cheat snail that includes the ongoing involvement of environmental representatives and their experts. A link to the entire plan Wildlife Biologist Mollohan said, on Capitol Hill. We deeply all the documents and are able of Columbia to pick a favor- document is on our website, www.saveblackwater.org.