By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
A group of residents have raised concerns over a U.S. Forest Service Forest Plan for the Upper Cheat River area north of Parsons, near Leadmine and Horseshoe Run. The project, slated for implementation the beginning of August, will encompass 33,991 acres of National Forest System land in the Upper Cheat River watershed, according to the Forest Service.
Julie Fosbender, a Natural Resource Specialist with the Forest Service, replied to a request from the Parsons Advocate. In her response, Fosbender said, “Before major actions (like wildlife habitat improvement through harvesting timber or constructing a campground) can be undertaken on a National Forest, we must consider the environmental impacts of that action, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, and provide opportunities for the public to comment and review our study.”
The goal of the project, according to the Forest Service, is mostly maintenance, wildlife habitat improvement and expanding public access. “This project aims to move the Upper Cheat watershed closer to the Forest Plan desired conditions by improving forest health & age class diversity, improving wildlife habitat, and improving stream/riparian conditions and habitat,” the Forest Service wrote.
John Coleman of the Horseshoe Community Group spoke to the Parsons Advocate about the concerns within the community in Leadmine and Horseshoe Run. Coleman was also one of the group that recently measured and submitted a Hemlock tree in the area to the state for inclusion on the West Virginia Big Tree Database. Coleman also said the area is home to a Red Oak that is estimated to be 260 years old. The Red Oak, according to Coleman has a circumference of 17 feet. “We’ve been trying to work with the Forest Service to get them to modify their project,” Coleman said. “It involves a bunch of clearcutting right around us.”
According to Coleman, the Hemock tree, located overlooking the Forest Service Horseshoe Campground, is the third largest on record at a height of 131 feet and estimated to be well over 200 years old. “There are now two state listed champion trees in or next to the areas proposed to be clearcut in a Forest Service project in Tucker and Preston counties,” Coleman said.
According to Coleman, the Forest Service plan will clearcut 3,500 acres of forest stands in the Upper Cheat River Project, including where the recently found Hemlock tree is located. Coleman said the majority of the clearcut will be conducted on steeply sloped areas. “Most of the stands proposed to be clearcut are on what the Forest Service considers steep or very steep sloped raising concerns among local residents about the amount of flooding in the Horseshoe watershed,” Coleman said.
Coleman said residents are concerned about flooding the area and the impact that the clearcutting would have on the area. “People are pretty concerned about flooding,” Coleman said. “We got flooding in Leadmine and Shafer Town from Horseshoe Run.”
Coleman said the community group would like the Forest Service to reconsider the amount of clearcutting on the slopes. Coleman said that he has been in contact with the Forest Service on the issue. “We would like the Forest Service to reduce the clearcutting on these steep slopes,” Coleman said. “So, I’ve been talking to them about that and haven’t gotten much traction.”
The Forest Service timeline showed that a public comment period was scheduled for March 1st of 2022 with an objection period beginning September 13th of that year. A final decision on the project is estimated for August 1st of this year to coincide with implementation, according to the timeline.
A number of comment letters had been received by the Forest Service during the 30-day comment period in March of 2022, according to the Forest Service. Objections given in the letters ranged from the impact on tourism, objections to logging, concerns over soil erosion in the rivers, protection of the largest trees and concerns over flooding from clear cutting including the impact on homes in the area, among others. Several letters in support of the project were also received, according to the Forest Service.
Within Tucker County, according to the West Virginia Big Tree Database (revised 6/2/23), there are currently five trees registered: a 77 foot tall Butternut tree in Parsons, a 97 foot tall Mountain Magnolia near Parsons, a 105 foot tall Mountain Magnolia near Parsons, a 86 foot tall Quaking Aspen near Davis and a 102 foot tall Northern Red Oak near St. George.
For more information on the Forest Service’s plan go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/mnf/?project=58364
