Partners Restore Habitat for West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel

Thanks to innovative partnerships and a variety of landscape-scale restoration projects, the Monongahela is seeing a resurgence of the red spruce ecosystem and a thriving population of the once-endangered northern flying squirrel.

Mower Tract Restoration Project

Purchased by the Forest Service in the late 1980s, the 40,000-acre Mower Tract is located on Cheat Mountain and has been the focus of red spruce restoration for over 10 years. The goal of the Mower Tract restoration is to re-establish native red spruce forests, increase the water storage capacity of Cheat Mountain, improve water quality in the Shavers Fork watershed, and provide wildlife corridors for vulnerable and threatened species.

Lake Sherwood Rehabilitation Project

Lake Sherwood Campground will be renovated as a result of funding from the Great American Outdoors Act. The Forest held two virtual meetings in April 2021 to present information about current projects at Lake Sherwood, projects planned for the rest of 2021, and potential projects for 2022. We will continue to keep the public updated on the projects as they progress.

Just like the Jetsons? Not quite.

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s just science. The Forest Service has been using UAS successfully on National Forest System lands across the United States.

Sharp Knob Restoration Partnership

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.

Highland Scenic Highway Audio Tour Now Available

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.

Appalachian Conservation Corps Joins the Effort to Restore Minelands

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.

Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Initiative

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.

Make a Difference as a Volunteer at the Monongahela National Forest

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. 

Bat Habitat Protection and White Nose Syndrome

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.