Charleston Gazette
August 30, 2006
Wilderness
West Virginia treasure
WHEN the U.S. Forest Service sought public opinion on the future of West
Virginias majestic Monongahela National Forest, respondents overwhelming favored
protecting more land by designating it wilderness under federal law.
While logging, road building, motorized vehicles and mountain biking are allowed
in national forests, those activities are banned in designated wilderness
sectors. Wilderness areas remain open to hunting, fishing, hiking and horseback
riding.
In coming months, the Forest Service will give Congress options for which pieces
of land to classify as wilderness, thus protecting those tracts from damage by
humans.
One possibility, known as Alternative 2 would add 27,700 more acres of
wilderness. That option was an early favorite of the Forest Service.
Some nature groups want Alternative 3, which would add 15 more wilderness areas,
or about 140,000 acres. The forest currently contains five such areas Cranberry
Glades, Otter Creek, Dolly Sods, Laurel Fork North and Laurel Fork South.
Many West Virginians derive their livelihood from timbering or other
forest-related industry. Many others delight in roaming forests in ATVs. Even
so, 71 percent of West Virginians who responded favored Alternative 3, the one
that would protect more land. When the comments were broadened to include
non-West Virginians as well, 93 percent favored that alternative.
No matter what the Forest Service ultimately recommends, it will be up to
Congress to make the final decision. Congress has been designating wilderness
areas since 1911.
The Forest Services management plan is an important guide for balancing the
needs of hikers, kayakers and other recreationists with the concerns of
industries such as coal and timber. Such discussions weigh the desires of people
against the needs of the plants, fish and other wildlife, with an eye toward
protecting disappearing wildlife for future generations.
The Monongahela National Forest has 900,000 acres across 10 counties from the
Maryland border to Richwood and near White Sulphur Springs. A third of the
nations population can drive to it in a single day. Tourism is one of the states
few growth industries, so protecting this national treasure makes good
stewardship, as well as good business sense.
Encroachment from the east spreads every day. Wilderness areas with diverse life
and delicately balanced habitats that are older than humans, that have managed
to survive this long, will only become more rare and precious.
We realize that national forests are intended to serve people, which requires
campgrounds, cabins, picnic shelters, scenic overlooks, lodges and access by
cars. But those functions needn't be harmed by protecting isolated ridges and
gullies from commercial operations.
We hope that Congress weighs all these considerations thoroughly, and chooses a
plan preserving West Virginias wild woodland in the most practical manner.