Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 2, 1995 TAG: 9510020097
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Bill Damon's got it all, and then some. The supervisor of the recently merged George Washington and Jefferson National Forests spoke about his new job for 1 1/2 hours to local Sierra Club members at their monthly meeting last week.
Damon left behind the battles over grazing fees and wilderness areas of western national forests, where he was assigned for much of his 20-year career, when he took over the forests here in May. But there's plenty of work awaiting him on the new 1.8 million-acre forest, now one of the largest in the national system.
He decided he needed more time to finalize a long-awaited draft environmental impact statement on Apco's proposed 765,000-volt power line, and delayed the report's release until April. Since it's his name on the dotted line, Damon said, he wants to make sure its thorough.
"It affects a lot of people's lives, and it's a big decision," he said. "If the power line is needed and we don't let it go through the forest, where's it going to go? Over people's heads? Through their communities?"
The Virginia Department of Transportation wants to extend a four-laned U.S. 58 through the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, but the forest is concerned about the impacts on trout streams, a popular campground and the Appalachian Trail. Damon has "made it clear" to VDOT that a comprehensive environmental assessment needs to be done on the entire project, not just one section at a time as VDOT has been doing. He doesn't want VDOT to four-lane 58 right up to the Forest Service boundary, effectively boxing it in.
(He also noted he decided not to merge the Mt. Rogers NRA with the Wythe District, a proposal on his desk when he started in May, because the NRA is a special place that needs special attention. For instance, last year more than 250,000 horseriders passed through the area. Somehow, they must be accommodated while minimizing the impact of so many hooves.)
He's working with the Monongohela National Forest in West Virginia on a gas company's proposal that would bring a pipeline close to Laurel Fork (on the former George Washington forest), an ecologically sensitive area.
There are still some places in Virginia where the final AT route has not been determined, because they are the most tricky, Damon said. Those decisions will have to be made on his watch.
He's overseeing the merger of the two forests, which still have their own management plans. The Jefferson is undergoing a revision, and the George Washington is still under appeal by environmental groups, timber interests and off-road vehicle enthusiasts.
In the meantime, Congress is doing surgery on the Forest Service budget. Congress maintains tight control over what happens in the agency, right down to how much money is spent each year on trail maintenance.
How this year's session will turn out is anyone's guess - it's the strangest one he's seen in his career, Damon said. For instance, the House budget slashed trail maintenance funds by 80 percent. The Senate cut it by only 5 percent.
Damon, 47, is a native of Wise County. A slightly round, balding fellow who continuously smiles as he talks, he could be described as jolly. Wearing jeans and a denim shirt with suspenders, he sat on a table, kicking his feet back and forth, as he spoke to the club members, told them stories, and joked about Congress.
But he closed the meeting with a serious note. He urged them all to send letters to the forest on any issue they're concerned about.
"We listen. We don't always agree," he quickly added, "but we listen. I listen."
Parkway meeting cancelled
A community meeting scheduled for tonight on Len Boone's proposed development, "Wilshire," along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Roanoke County has been indefinitely postponed. County planner Janet Scheid said that architect Carlton Abbott had to cancel at the last minute. Abbott has worked closely with Boone on designing the subdivision to blend in with the rural character of the landscape along the parkway. Scheid said a new community meeting has not been scheduled, but will take place before the project goes before the planning commission at a public hearing. (Watch this space for further information.)
Corporate loggers learn a lesson
This week, 28 Georgia-Pacific Corp. foresters will prowl the woods of Explore Park in search of historical landmarks, rare plants and environmentally sensitive fish.
They will spend two days learning how to identify the resources, then take that skill back to the privately owned forest properties they manage.
Explore Park naturalist Jeanett Lawler developed the training session in response to the forest product company's needs. The short course will take place primarily in the field, at the park's 1,300 acres along the Roanoke River.
The foresters, from throughout Georgia-Pacific offices in Western and Southwestern Virginia, will learn about archeological and historical sites, sensitive aquatic resources, and rare and endangered plants and animals. Instructors will be experts in state government and the private sector.
by CNB