Features
The public is invited to participate in one of two virtual meetings, April 13, 6-7:30 p.m. and April 15, 6-7:30 p.m., to discuss rehabilitation projects to Lake Sherwood Campground. These projects are a result of funding from the Great American Outdoors Act.
Appalachian Conservation Corps is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization that works on public lands throughout the greater Shenandoah Valley region. Members are 18-25 years old and work in crews. Each crew is tasked with conservation projects that they complete while camping onsite up to ten days at a time, known as a hitch. The Appalachian Conservation Corps provides members with a hands-on learning experience suitable for a wide range of skill levels, which attracts participants from diverse backgrounds and varied career paths.
Gauley District Youth Conservation Corps and the residential Youth Conservation Crew expected to continue boardwalk repairs at the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area until late September.
Many people have the opinion that the term Rubbleland means a pile of rocks with nothing growing or even able to grow there. After more than 5 years of shovel-breaking, rock- breaking, and back-breaking work, soil scientists in West Virginia know this is just not true. It might appear to be a pile of rocks on the surface, but there are a plethora of soil, plants, and animals found within the nooks and crannies between these rocks!
Green Forests Work, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, and Monongahela National Forest kicked of their new partnership at the Sharp Knob Tree Planting event Saturday, May 19, 2018, in Pocahontas County. Snowshoe’s “Green Team”, made up of employees from the resort, provided most of the labor for planting the trees, although the event attracted volunteers from as far away as Charleston and even one volunteer from New Mexico who was visiting the area for the first time.
Buckle up and get ready for a guided journey through one of the Monongahela National Forest's most iconic landscapes. The Highland Scenic Highway Audio Tour takes you through the history, culture, and science behind many of places on this stretch of road that traverses the mountainous terrain of the Allegheny Highlands and Plateau. Along the way you will hear the spirit of West Virginia through the music and the voices of the residents of this land as they recount their favorites stories and memories of this nationally recognized Scenic Byway.
Monongahela National Forest is working with The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners to protect and enhance WV Northern Flying squirrels and habitat. Additional information at www.restoreredspruce.org
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service are working together in West Virginia to improve the health of forests where public forests and grasslands connect to privately owned lands through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership. Find out more about how these partners work together to restore landscapes, reduce wildfire threats to communities and landowners, protect water quality and enhance wildlife habitat.
To address growing concern amongst the scientific community regarding status of our native orchids, the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) recently partnered with the Monongahela National Forest to collect samples of Showy Lady’s Slipper orchids.
Ice Cream, live snakes and real TV stars were some of the highlights during a special screening of "Travels with Darley" at the Pocahontas County Opera House in Marlinton, August 11. Find out more about this great community event spotlighting Monongahela National Forest and Pocahontas County, and find out how you can view the episodes.
Volunteers of all ages and abilities are needed and valued at the Monongahela National Forest. With nearly a million acres of scenic, natural, and recreational wonders, volunteers are a big part of helping the Forest reach its annual goals. Find out more about this vital component of managing our public lands and see where you fit in.
The Monongahela National Forest Plan was revised in 2006 and updated in 2011. It was developed under the authority of the 1982 Planning Rule. In 2012, the US Forest Service adopted a new planning rule that will direct future forest plan revisions. The 2012 Planning Rule (26 CFR 219) requires us to modify our forest monitoring program by May 9, 2016 to meet the Planning Rule’s monitoring requirements. Forest Service staff are currently reviewing the monitoring program to determine what is needed to comply with the new rule.
White Nose Syndrome is affecting bats at an alarming rate and Monongahela National Forest is protecting and enhancing bat habitat. Click here to learn more about White Nose Syndrome.
The Monongahela National Forest has Cave Closure Order No. 09-21-13-13 in place in order to protect endangered, threatened, and sensitive bat species.
Additional information about immediate habitat protection for bats concerning White Nose Syndrome is available here.
Our partners at the Northern Reaseach Station recently released a podcast on their work studying the resurgence of red spruce on Monongahela National Forest. In the 1970s, red spruce was the forest equivalent of a canary in the coal mine, signaling that acid rain was damaging forests and that some species – especially red spruce – were particularly sensitive to this human induced damage. In the course of studying the lingering effects of acid rain, scientists came up with a surprising result – decades later, the canary is feeling much better. View this feature and listen about this important work.
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