A Publication of WILD VIRGINIA Volume VIII, No.1 Protecting your favorite wild places Winter 2006 Virginia Governors Advocate for Full Protection of Inventoried Roadless Areas* GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT: As By supporting Warner's policy, Gov- There are three important ways you a big present to all of us, on Decem- ernor Tim Kaine has shown the citi- and your friends and family can help: ber 22, 2005 outgoing Governor Mark zens of Virginia that he recognizes the value of keeping our wildlands intact. Warner officially filed a petition with • SIGN the national petition to the The George Washington and Jefferson the United States Department of Ag- Bush Administration (petition is at National Forests already have 3,000 riculture for permanent protection of www.wildvirginia.org) over 394,000 acres (23.7% of the total miles of roads, with an accompanying maintenance backlog estimated at $20 National Forest acreage) in Vir- • CONTACT Senators John War- million. ginia’s George Washington and Jef- ner and George Allen and your Rep- ferson National Forests. Warner’s resentative to ask that they support petition to Secretary Mike Johanns, ”Roadless areas in Virginia's and promote protection of Virginia’s who oversees the management of all national forests are critically roadless areas. It is only with the National Forests, asked that the fed- important for wildlife habitat support of Virginia’s Federal legisla- eral government follow the terms of and help safeguard drinking tors that the roadless protection peti- tion will be accepted. Write a letter the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation water for thousands of citizens. or e-mail as soon as possible. Rule in Virginia to ensure all inven- Our forests also present really toried roadless areas receive perma- outstanding opportunities for • SEND letters of support and en- nent protection from logging, road recreation and tourism” said couragement to say THANK YOU to building, mining and drilling. The Governor Warner. Tim Kaine. It is important that Tim Bush Administration repealed in the Kaine continue to pressure the For- Roadless Rule in May 2005. "I have determined it is in the est Service to protect roadless areas. best interest of the Common- On March 1st, Virginia’s new gov- wealth to have these areas ernor, Tim Kaine, showed his sup- protected in their current port for Warner’s policy by writing Please contact them soon. undeveloped state for current Thank you for helping in the directly to Mike Johanns and the and future generations." chief of the U.S. Forest Service ask- effort to protect Virginia’s ing for full protection of roadless ar- last wild places! eas in Virginia. His letter was ac- The demand for backcountry recreation companied by a petition signed by Governor Tim Kaine in the national forests is projected to more than 5,000 Virginians asking Patrick Henry Building, 3rd Floor, increase 170 percent by the year 2050. 1111 East Broad Street, the Forest Service to reinstate the This increase in demand could help our Richmond, VA 23219; 804-786-2211 2001 Roadless Rule. This is in addi- economy as Virginia has the most tion to the more than 80,000 com- Senator John Warner roadless acreage of any state in the ments the U.S. Forest Service has 1003 First Union Bank Building eastern half of the country. 213 South Jefferson Street already received from Virginians in Roanoke, Virginia 24011; 540-857-2676 support of full protection for roadless areas. If the U.S. Forest Service accepts Senator George Allen Virginia’s roadless protection petition, 3140 Chaparral Dr. Bldg. C, Suite 101 it will then negotiate a detailed plan Roanoke, VA 24018; 540-772-4236 *Not all roadless forests are included in the US with the state. Under the current Ad- Forest Service inventory. For example, Wild Vir- The contact information for your district ginia is actively researching the “loss” of roughly ministration, the Forest Service will Representative can be found at: 18,000 acres from the Big Schloss Roadless Area on the Lee Ranger District (Shenandoah River likely deny the petition. This is where www.house.gov/writerep. Watershed) between 1979 and 1994. the members of Wild Virginia come in. PAGE 2 VOLUME VIII, NO.1 Wild Virginia Hikes and Outings Signal Corps Knob Great Eastern Trail Tale of Two Timber Sales Timber Sale Scouting Trip on on Walker Mountain Shenandoah Mountain The Forest Service is planning a We will be looking at two timber sales, 230 acre timber sale on a remote Join Wild Virginia and the Potomac one recently cut and another that the part of Shenandoah Mountain near Appalachian Trail Club while we dis- forest service is planning. Come learn Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness. Help cuss new plans for a “Great Eastern about local ecosystems, national forest us scout the proposed cutting units Trail” and hike part of the route. We management, and corporate welfare and create a plan to stop this timber are very excited to learn about this for timber companies. sale. plan to create a trail from Northern Alabama to the Adirondacks in New York. The trail would come through When & Where: When & Where: Virginia on the west side of the Shen- andoah Valley and cross all 60 miles Sunday June 11, meet at 9 am. Meet Sunday March 12th. 9 am. Meet at of Shenandoah Mountain. We will at Java Java, 2214 Ivy Road (by Java Java, 2214 Ivy Road (by Sneak hike from FS road 95 to Reddish Sneak Reviews) in Charlottesville. Reviews) in Charlottesville. Knob, one of Virginia’s most spectacu- lar peaks. Hike Details: Hike Details: This is a moderate hike. We will be We will be hiking on logging roads hiking on logging roads and hiking and hiking into the woods to explore When & Where: into the woods to explore some of the some of the different cutting units. Saturday April 8, meet at 7:30 am. different cutting units with some off This is a moderate hike with some trail adventuring. Bring hiking shoes, off trail adventuring. Bring hiking Meet at Java Java, 2214 Ivy Rd (by Sneak Reviews) in Charlottesville. lunch, water, and a camera (optional). shoes, appropriate winter clothing, We should be back in Charlottesville lunch, water, and a camera Hike Details: around 6:30 pm. Call contact person (optional). Mountain biking to some for rain date information. of the furthest cutting units may be This is a difficult hike, 8 miles, 1,500 ft a possibility (for those who bring climb, with stream crossings. Bring mountain bikes). We should be back hiking shoes, lunch, and water. Call Restoration Outing for in Charlottesville around 6:30 pm. contact person for rain date information. Call contact person for rain date Shenandoah Mountain information. Shenandoah Mountain is one of Wild Wildflower Hike in the Virginia’s priority areas. That’s be- Trillium Fields cause it is the largest chunk of un- Contact Person fragmented forest in the eastern U.S. that does not enjoy permanent pro- Mike Kruse This is a special hike for those who tection. Join Wild Virginia and the [email protected] donated $100 or more in response to Virginia Native Plant Society to learn our last fundraising letter. about invasive plants and restoration (434) 293-7401 efforts. Bring your work clothes and If you are not yet a $100 donor and gloves as we may be pulling weeds! would like an invitation to this hike, (Now that’s direct action!) Contact Mike if you are please contact Jason Halbert, [email protected] When & Where: planning on attending. Also When: contact him with any Sunday July 9, meet at 9 am. Meet at Java Java, 2214 Ivy Road (by Saturday, May 6, 2006 questions, for directions, or if Sneak Reviews) in Charlottesville. you’d rather meet the group Hike Details: in the forest. To be announced. VOLUME VIII, NO.1 PAGE 3 Ancient Mountain Sentinel- Wild Virginia Field Update Volume VII, Number I - Winter 2006 A species of particular concern to Wild Virginia is the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta). The Wood Turtle is found on the George Washington WILD VIRGINIA National Forest (GWNF) and is officially listed under Virginia’s Endan- gered Species law as “Threatened”. It is “very rare and imperiled” and is considered a “Tier 1” species, meaning it is in the greatest need of conser- vation. The Wood Turtle’s natural habitat is clean-running streams and associ- ated forest in the far northern portion of the state, an area subject to in- tense growth and development pres- Protecting Your Favorite Wild Places sures. Protecting Wood Turtle popu- lations and habitat PO Box 1065 on the GWNF ap- Charlottesville, VA 22902 pears essential to (434) 971-1553 the long-term sur- http://www.wildvirginia.org vival of the species [email protected] in Virginia. Unfor- tunately, the secu- rity of Wood Tur- E d i t o r s & C o n t r i b u t o r s tles continues to be Ernie Reed, Jason Halbert, Steve threatened by tim- Photo of Wood Turtle by Steve Krichbaum taken on the Krichbaum, Mike Kruse, Eric Gilchrist, ber sales and other George Washington National Forest. Kristin Taverna, and Jen Creasy US Forest Service Layout Design-Gillian Shasby & management activities. Kristin Taverna Wild Virginia moved on several fronts in 2005 in our efforts to improve protection of this beautiful reptile. Wild Virginia staff and volunteers con- Submissions ducted numerous field surveys on the GWNF to collect information on We welcome submissions of articles, Wood Turtle locations, habitat, and numbers. Our findings were communi- op-ed, poetry, cartoons, photos, draw- cated to the Forest Service, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fish- ings, etc.