ELKINS, W.Va. — The West Virginia Forestry Association is applauding a plan by the U.S. Forest Service to improve the Upper Cheat River within the Monongahela National Forest.
“Unfortunately, we’ve felt very strongly neglected to manage and create a healthy forest in the last several decades and we’re really pleased that they’re taking a much broader approach to this and looking at a 10 year plan for trying to improve the health and quality of the forest that we all benefit from,” WVFA Executive Director Eric Carlson told MetroNews on Tuesday.
While Carlson touted improved recreational access and wildlife habitats, much of the debate has been centered around the logging involved.
On Monday, a rally was held outside the U.S. Forest Service office in Elkins by local conservation advocates who fear the removal of mature, old-growth trees on steep slopes would increase the risk of potential flooding. At the same time, a large group of foresters and loggers held their own demonstration to support the project.
Carlson said logging would help the local workforce.
“In this particular case, you’re looking at the people who are employed in the industry like Kingwood, Petersburg, Elkins and Beverly, manufacturing much of the wood products we love to enjoy like cabinets, floors and building products,” he said.
Opponents said the forest provides clean drinking water and flood protection for communities, but there is a concern those areas will be impacted.
“This year West Virginia has suffered the effects of flooding from extreme weather – a trend that will only get worse as climate change intensifies in the decades ahead. Clear-cuts planned on the Upper Cheat Headwaters would remove trees on steep slopes, which increases the risk of flooding,” said Jim Kotcon of the West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club in a Monday news release after the rally. “Cutting down these trees makes no sense, especially because they are the best at fighting climate change by sequestering carbon. The answer is literally standing right in front of us: We need to preserve these trees.”
Carlson said the logging concentrates on a small footprint of the forest.
“The research for a period of about 1-3 years, you do have a slight increase in a runoff from that area, but you’re looking at a very small harvest, about 40 acres or less on a landscape of tens of thousands of acres,” he said.
A spokesperson with the U.S Forest Service told MetroNews in an email this week, “Forest management focuses on managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards, and maintaining forest health. Old-growth and mature forests are key components to healthy ecosystems.”
Groups who oppose the project include Speak For The Trees Too, the West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club, Friends of Blackwater, West Virginia Environmental Council and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.