F E A T U R E D N E W S www.wvfa.org Spring 2022 | West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry 9 MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST USES TIMBER harvest as a tool to enhance and restore ecological processes across the forest and stimulate rural economic development while helping to meet the nation’s timber needs. Balancing ecological and economic benefits, timber sales are a part of the Forest Service’s multiple-use forest management plan for providing the greatest good to local communities. The six-month schedule of timber sales for October 2021 through March 2022 is posted on the forest’s public website (link below), and includes details about upcoming sales and sales already awarded. The schedule for April through September will be posted on or after April 1. A new bidder checklist was recently added to the website, along with guidance on converting quantities from CCF to MMBF. In 2019, Monongahela National Forest began implementing a watershed-based order of entry schedule to enhance opportunities for stakeholder input and provide an efficient NEPA review and decision-making process for forest projects. This strategy supports implementation of the 2006 Revised Forest Management Plan in a balanced way across the forest and provides opportunities for aligning projects with the interests of partners and stakeholders. With this strategy, the forest can sustain two large-scale NEPA projects simultaneously, one on each zone. You can track projects on the forest through the schedule of proposed actions database at the link below. This website provides information about opportunities for commenting on planned or proposed projects on Monongahela National Forest. The proposed actions in the plans aim to improve forest health and age class diversity, wildlife habitat, and stream and riparian corridors, through the creation of early successional habitat, timber management, prescribed burning, and stream restoration, and are supported by the Forest Plan. For information about timber sales on Monongahela National Forest, contact Natural Resources Team Leader Kirk Piehler at kirk.piehler@usda.gov. Explore your national forest online at https://www. fs.usda.gov/mnf/ and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MonongahelaNF. Timber Sales Oct ‘21–Mar ‘22: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mnf/home/?cid=FSEPRD542047 Project Progression: www.fs.fed.us/sopa/forest-level.php?110921 “The proposed actions in the plans aim to improve forest health and age class diversity, wildlife habitat, and stream and riparian corridors, through the creation of early successional habitat, timber management, prescribed burning, and stream restoration, and are supported by the Forest Plan.” Logs stacked and ready for transport at the North Cove Heli sale landing site near Dyer, Monongahela National Forest, April 3, 2019. (USDA Forest Service photo by Kelly Bridges) Stacking logs on the North Cove Heli sale near Dyer, Monongahela National Forest, April 3, 2019. (USDA Forest Service photo by Kelly Bridges)
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