WVFA Mountain State Forestry Winter 2021-22

F E A T U R E D N E W S 14 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry | Winter 2021–22 www.wvfa.org MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST IS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPING A PROJECT PROPOSAL for the Deer Creek Project on approximately 40,000-acres of National Forest System land around Arbovale, Green Bank and Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County. This project provides opportunities to improve forest health, species composition and age class distribution; restore red oak; prevent “mesophication” (where shade-tolerant species replace shade-intolerant species due to a lack of fire); improve wildlife habitat; enhance stream and riparian habitat; and improve recreational and heritage opportunities on national forest land in this area. The project proposal will contain management actions to move National Forest System land from its existing condition toward its desired conditions, as described in the Monongahela National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The Forest Plan is available online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mnf/ landmanagement/planning. Management Prescription (MP) Acres 3.0 – Vegetation Diversity 13,895 4.1 – Spruce and Spruce-Hardwood Ecosystem Management 1,745 6.1 – Wildlife Habitat Emphasis 24,088 Total 39,728