 Wake Up and Smell the Clear-Cut The scenic and recreational attractions of the High Knob area, located in Virginia within the Clinch Ranger District in Jefferson National Forest, are some of the state's best-kept secrets. Clinch Ranger District harbors an incredible diversity of plants and animals, rugged mountains, and flowing streams. Unfortunately, this type of area is not well represented in protected public lands, especially in the High Knob region located in the far southwest corner of the state. In the past 10 years, 80 percent of the logging in the Clinch Ranger District has occurred in the High Knob region. An opportunity is at hand to preserve some of the last remaining wild places in Jefferson National Forest. Over the next two years, the Forest Service intends to issue a draft management plan for public comment and ultimately adopt a long-range strategy for managing the forest. The Forest Service expects a 50 percent increase in recreation in the South, including Virginia, by 2005, underscoring the need to protect special wild places such as High Knob. WHAT'S AT STAKE If the Forest Service continues its present policies and practices, the 57,000-acre High Knob area--with its rugged and remote terrain, mountain streams, scenic waterfalls, popular byways, miles of hiking trails, rich biological diversity, and old-growth forests--will be gone or greatly diminished. Many native plants and animals, including wildflowers, black bears, and songbirds, are adversely affected by the lack of protection of the large tracts of contiguous forest provided by the High Knob area. These species depend on the remaining wildlands in High Knob for their survival. The Jefferson National Forest contains the headwaters of a number of streams and rivers that nourish southwestern Virginia and provide drinking water to area residents. The water quality of the Clinch River, which includes a number of endangered and threatened species, is at grave risk from several factors. One is excessive clear-cutting. Keeping these wildlands in an undisturbed condition will help improve the water quality and preserve world-class fisheries. "Few people are aware of the bounty of our national forests," said Michael Francis, director of The Wilderness Society's National Forests Program. "These lands supply more than half the fresh water used in homes and businesses. One-third of all our endangered plants and animals depend on the forests." Logging Losses A 1994-99 study of the Guest River, conducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority, noted that the highest levels of sedimentation on the river were recorded just below where national forest logging activities are occurring. Increased sedimentation is a serious concern because it raises water temperatures and degrades the overall quality of rivers and streams, thereby threatening the survival of marine plants and animals, as well as compromising the drinking supply for area residents. The Guest River Group, of which the Forest Service is a member, is attempting to clean up the river, and the Forest Service's recommendation to increase timber sales is exacerbating the problem.
In addition to the CMB timber sale, two others are being planned. One is in the Bark Camp region, which stretches across High Knob and includes two lakes and highly used recreation areas. This sale proposes to log mature trees on 1,413 acres in the Bark Camp area. The Bark Camp sale will build or rebuild eight miles of logging roads in this beautiful but fragile mountaintop region. The Wilderness Society is working with The Clinch Coalition. Recreation Versus Logging "Since the timber cutting has occurred behind my house, we have heard no owls at night. I have lived in this house for 25 years and could always hear them. Now there is nothing. It is very sad that they have destroyed the home of these animals." --Otis Ward Otis Ward has lived on High Knob for the last 25 years. What Ward would like most to see is this land and the animals on it preserved for his five grandchildren.
The Forest Service has acknowledged that many areas in the National Forest System should be managed for conservation, not commodities. The High Knob region of Jefferson National Forest is the place to put these new policies to work. Future management of Jefferson National Forest should feature three vital components:
Strong citizen support is needed to protect the High Knob region. Work on the new plan has been in progress for seven years. Reduced funding for planning may yet again delay the completion of the Jefferson National Forest Revised Forest Plan. If this happens, it will allow the Forest Service to continue managing Jefferson National Forest as it has in the past--with increased logging. As drafted, the new plan will give better protection to the forest, including the recommendation for new wilderness areas and better protection of riparian zones. The public can help by getting on the mailing list to comment on the proposed revised Forest Service plan. Take action from this site by clicking here. Contact: Jefferson National Forest Plan Revision Michael Francis Shirl Parsons |
