Newsletter of the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area Rothkugel Plantation Humanities Grant Awarded for AFHA has received a WVU Extension Research Team Forest Heritage Video grant to inventory and develop an interpretive plan for the historic Rothkugel Plantation. Rothkugel represents AFHA has been awarded a research and development the first experiment at applying the principles of modern grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council for re- forestry on a large scale to West Virginia’s cutover for- search, oral history collection, and video footage to de- ests. This unique plantation is the result velop a documentary film on forest heritage. Gerry Mil- of collaboration between lumber mill nes of Augusta Heritage Center and historian Robert owner George Craig and two forestry Whetsell are developing the film project. The project was pioneers at the turn of the twentieth initiated by the opportunity to film during the final century; Austrian-born forester Max month of operations of the family owned Myles Lumber Rothkugel, and Gifford Pinchot, father Company sawmill near Beverly. A generous donation of American Forestry and Chief For- from the Myles family, through the Augusta Heritage ester of the newly created US Forest Center of Davis and Elkins College, will be used to match Service. The plantation was innova- the Humanities Grant. An additional Humanities Media tive for its day and attracted the grant will be sought for actual production of the film, attention of foresters worldwide. which will explore a variety of forest heritage themes 2007 marked the 100th anni- related to the initial “Resilient Forest” exhibit developed versary of the Rothkugel Planta- by Whetsell for AFHA. Milnes and Whetsell have part- tion. The plantation is situated nered on two previous documentaries, The CC Boys, and along WV Route 28 in Pocahontas Cliff-Scaling Soldiers of West Virginia. County, approximately two miles east of Bartow, West Virginia in the Stakeholder Donations Requested Greenbrier Ranger District of the Mo- AFHA is again requesting donations from stakeholders nongahela National Forest. to support the work of our organization. Any amount, The project, coordinated by Ameri- from $10 to $1000, is welcome. These private funds help Corps member Andrea Brutscher, to leverage many times the amount by matching grant with professional leadership from funds. The donations from last year enabled us to sup- port AmeriCorps member work on AFHA projects, as well Dr. Dave McGill and Robert Whet- Max Rothkugel sell, is identifying and measuring as for projects on federal lands such as the Monongahela the existing Norway Spruce and European Larch trees National Forest and Fernow Experimental Forest. that remain from the initial plantation planting. These AFHA continues our policy of making newsletters, trees are being marked on a stem map of the site, along meetings, and other benefits available with boundaries and existing trails. From this informa- to all stakeholders -- everyone who tion, an interpretive team including Monongahela Forest expresses interest. We are asking for representatives will develop an interpretive plan to guide donations not as a membership, but as development of the site for visitors interested in forest an expression of support from those heritage. AFHA wishes to develop the Rothkugel Planta- who are committed to the program tion as one of the featured sites on their “Forestry Tour” and able to help. Thanks to all of you – self-guided tour brochure. past and future – who can help us out! AFHA: PO Box 1206 Elkins, WV 26241 — 304-636-6182 — www.appalachianforest.us restoring metal window frames. Working with the Heritage Tourism Workshop contractor, Ed Devine, they have assisted with pouring As part of a Cultural Heritage Development minigrant footers, insulation, building walls, and repair of outside from Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, AFHA is decking. Additional work in progress or planned includes planning a heritage tourism development workshop in repair of the porch roof awning, doors, floor repairs, Webster Springs in May. A driving loop brochure of wiring, heating, insulation and interior finish. In addition, Webster Springs and Cranberry Flats will also be the AmeriCorps conducted an archeological inventory published as part of this project. The project has been under the floor of the Mill that revealed artifacts coordinated by AFHA VISTA Tina Ralston, who has including a number of glass bottles dating from before worked diligently to involve potential heritage tourism prohibition. businesses along the route. Tina will complete her VISTA service at the conclusion of the workshop, while Elkins Depot Celebrates 100 Years additional work in the Webster Springs area will be The volunteers and board of the Elkins Welcome continued by AmeriCorps member Kent Walker. Watch Center are gearing up for the fast-approaching 2008 the AFHA website for date and details on the workshop. season. Last year approximately 14,000 visitors passed Forestry Tours through the train depot in which the Welcome Center is The WV Division of Forestry will be conducting a tour housed. During the past year, Welcome Center at Greenbrier State Forest on Saturday, June 14 featuring volunteers provided assistance to visitors from all across a grand opening of the new wildlife observation deck at the United States as well as visitors from Canada, a forest clearing. The interpretive sign at the deck was Germany and Japan. One international visitor, a college funded in part by AFHA minigrant funds. To join in the student from Aichi Japan, said that she would tell her tour of the wildlife viewing area while the local song family back home about the beautiful nature and friendly birds are in their mating season and singing up a storm, atmosphere that she enjoyed while visiting West meet at Greenbrier State Forest in the picnic area Virginia. parking lot at 9:00 AM June 14 to carpool to the site. Even more visitors are expected at the depot in 2008, Those who want to get up early for the daybreak chorus, which marks 100 years since the historic depot’s please contact Allen Waldron at (304) 256-6775 or construction. AFHA AmeriCorps member Teresa Goddard [email protected] . If you want to make a day of it, has assisted the Welcome Center in preparing for this bring a lunch, and after lunch we can walk through the season’s expected increase in traffic by recruiting forest management demonstration area at the Forest. additional volunteers and helping develop new AFHA will be arranging additional tours through the informational products for visitors. The Center is also summer season. Possible tours being discussed include updating volunteer training materials and, for the first Kumbrabow State Forest, Fernow Experimental Forest, time, hiring part-time staff. AmeriCorps members will Rothkugel Plantation, and tours of Maryland State continue to assist volunteers and help fill-in to keep the Forests. Watch the AFHA web site and email list for Welcome Center open more days this season. A rack card announcements. promoting the depot and Welcome Center’s service as well as walking tour brochure are currently being Darden Mill Plans and Progress developed, and benches have also been ordered to Rehabilitation work continues at the Darden Mill in provide additional seating in and around the depot. Elkins, WV, future site of the AFHA Forest Heritage Visitors will be able to choose from up to three Center. Citizens for Historical Opportunity, Preservation excursion trains when departing from the Elkins Depot. and Education in Randolph County (C-HOPE) is leading The Cheat Mountain Salamander will be moving to the the mill effort with participation from AFHA AmeriCorps Elkins depot this season and will feature expanded members, local contractors and community volunteers. seating. The Tygart Flyer will continue to be available for When done, the facility will provide information and those seeking a shorter scenic ride. The Mountain visitor services, exhibits on forest heritage, workspace Explorer dinner train will also run on Fridays and for artisans practicing traditional crafts and AFHA offices. Saturdays during the 2008 tourist season. An increase in The goal for this phase is to complete most of the work the number of tour bus participants is expected. on the exterior and first floor. The AmeriCorps historic preservation team, including More AmeriCorps Joe Sabatino, Eva Gutierrez, and Joan Pitts, have been AFHA is making plans for our second AmeriCorps year hard at work since October 2007 clearing out many years to start in September. If your organization would like of debris and additions inside the Mill, restoring and AmeriCorps help, or if you know someone who might building three sets of double wooden loading doors, and want to serve, see details at www.appalachianforest.us. Spring Stakeholders Meeting May 8th & 9th, 2008 Braxton County, West Virginia Please RSVP if you plan to attend (see below) Program Thursday May 8th La Dolce Vita, Sutton Our Stakeholders meeting this spring in historic 9:30 am Welcome downtown Sutton will feature a variety of forest AFHA Updates products, from the large corporation to the small- AmeriCorps Projects scale tree farm. Our luncheon speaker will be Jim 11:00 am AFHA Council Meeting (all welcome) Wadsworth from Weyerhaeuser Corporation, Noon Lunch (on own from menu) who will tell us about the high-tech products of 12:30 pm Jim Wadsworth their company, which we will see in person on our 1:30 pm Ed Grafton tour of their Heaters plant Friday morning. 2:30 pm Tree Farm Tour (car pool) with Ed G. 6:00 pm Board dinner and meeting Our afternoon speaker will be Dr. A. th Edwin Grafton, PhD. Ed is a retired forestry pro- Friday May 9 fessor from Glenville State College and a Christ- 9:30 am Meet car pool at Flatwoods Bowling mas Tree Grower.