By Mark Miller, SAFC Virginia Field Organizer

On March 30, 2009 President Obama enacted the Public Lands Management Act. His signature secured lasting protection for over 53,000 acres of the Jefferson National Forest. The Ridge and Valley Act created six new Wilderness areas, two National Scenic Areas, and enlarged six already established Wilderness Areas.

The Act designated Brush Mountain East as a federally designated Wilderness. Brush Mountain East is a 3,700 acre jewel nestled in rural Craig County, Virginia. While the areas is small in size it makes up for its diminutive status with a spectacularly steep mountain ridge deeply incised by numerous small streams and finger ridges. The ridge itself climbs from Craig Creek nearly 1,600 feet to the crest of Brush Mountain. The escarpment gives a dramatic backdrop to the views from VA 621 along Craig Creek and provides the foreground for the view from the Audie Murphy Monument lookout near the top of the ridge.

Brush Mountain East is held up by a layer of Devonian Sandstone, but the more friable strata on the north side have promoted the many small drainages, coalescing into about 15 tributaries of Craig Creek. About 7.5 miles of the Appalachian Trail passes through or borders Brush Mountain East and several miles of the old AT traverse the lower slopes of the mountain. This old trail weaves in and out of the many steep, narrow drainages that make up this rugged and pristine place. It crosses many small streams and during high water these streams create many small waterfalls that splash restlessly down the mountain’s western slope.

The George Washington National Forest staff has begun a planning process that will guide and govern the management of the George Washington National Forest for the next ten to fifteen years. This management plan will also recommend areas to be designated as possible Wilderness candidates. Planning staff have remarked that they do not want anymore small wilderness areas. They have repeatedly expressed their concern that small Wilderness does not provide the necessary solitude for a true wilderness experience. A hike along the old AT route would quickly dispel this myth. Brush Mountain East with its deeply incised and sheltered drainages takes one far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

However, solitude is not the only value offered by small Wilderness. Brush Mountain East provides a refuge to black bear, whose signs are seen scratched on old pines. It plays host to approximately six hundred acres of old growth forest and within a generation most of its forest covered slope will become well established old growth. This small Wilderness serves as a host to Table mountain pine, pirate bush and box huckleberry, the latter a rare plant throughout its Appalachian range. While small in size Brush Mountain East plays a large role in protecting and preserving our natural heritage.

Please contact the planning staff of the George Washington National Forest and let them know that small Wilderness plays as an important role as larger Wilderness. Small Wilderness serves to protect and preserve our natural heritage. Let them know that when considering their recommendations for Wilderness candidates that you support the concept of both large Wilderness candidates as well as small Wilderness. Brush Mountain East is the poster child of small Wilderness designations and reminds us that small is indeed beautiful.

By Mark Shelley, SAFC Director

Tucked away in the extreme southwest corner of North Carolina amid some of the most remote and pristine scenery in the eastern United States, the Fires Creek area offers varied opportunities for superb interaction with the natural world.

Tusquittee Roadless Area, is the largest inventoried roadless area in the state of North Carolina. Its 13,000 acres was once part of a larger 17,000 acre roadless area, but was carved down to its current size by two decades of Forest Service road building and logging.

The premier trail in the area is the 26 mile long Fires Creek Rim Trail, which traverses the unusual horseshoe shaped bowl of mountains, crossing over Tusquitee Bald, which lies at 5,240 feet. It is part of an extensive trail system that is heavily used by hunters, fishers, backpackers, and horseback riders, and which highlights the area’s important recreational values.

SAFC partners with the High Mountain Hikers whose mission it is to promote and facilitate hiking activities in the Southern Appalachians and to encourage involvement in the maintenance of trails and conservation of forest environments. Each month, this hiking club schedules work trips in both NC and GA. The club has been instrumental in reopening Chunky Gal Trail, opening and blazing a new trail to Boteler Peak, and is working presently to get the entire Fires Creek trail system upgraded.

SAFC, partially through a grant from Nature Valley, has contributed funds for the purchase of much-needed equipment for use by Mountain High Hikers.

Recreational values in this exemplary area are threatened by a 50 acre parcel of private property which is completely surrounded by publicly owned land. The owners of the property have indicated their intent to develop the land. This would be the only development inside of the basin and the area is high on steep slopes in the headwaters of a stream feeding Fires Creek. This will impair the pristine water quality in the area, severing the Rim Trail near its midpoint and ultimately disturbing the peaceful backcountry setting of this remote area.

SAFC encourages community involvement in the maintenance of the trails through this magnificent area and requests that the Forest Service purchase the private in-holding, protecting this conservation priority.

Partners: High Mountain Hikers, Wildlands CPR, WNCA, SELC, WildLaw,
Web link: mountainhighhikers.org
Funding Partner: Nature’s Valley, Z. Smith Reynolds, individual members