Virginia’s Newest State Forest will be Dedicated Next Friday;
The Great Channels of Virginia will be Conserved

Virginia’s newest state forest, the first in the far southwest portion of the state, will be formally dedicated Friday, May 9th, as Channels State Forest.  The 4,836-acre property will be an actively managed forest that will also offer passive recreational opportunities for the citizens of the Commonwealth and protect a unique rock outcropping known as The Great Channels of Virginia.

Long-known regionally as Brumley Mountain, the new state forest is part of the Clinch Mountain Range and spans the counties of Washington and Russell.

The dedication ceremony, which is open to the public, begins at 1 p.m. Friday, May 9th, at the Hayter’s Gap Community Center on Route 80.  Speakers include: Secretary of Forestry and Agriculture Robert Bloxom; State Forester Carl Garrison; Senators William Wampler and Phillip Puckett; Delegates Terry Kilgore and Joseph Johnson; The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Board of Trustees Karl Kindig; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Deputy Director Russ Baxter; Lisa Kestner Quigley, daughter of author Jack Kestner, and Ed Stoots, regional forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF).

(Note to Reporters and Editors: Due to the rough terrain and limited access to The Great Channels, a limited number of slots are available for a private tour Thursday, May 8th at 11 a.m.  Members of the news media interested in seeing, photographing and/or taping the area in and around The Great Channels must call the VDOF office at 276.676.5488 by Wednesday, May 7th, to reserve a slot.  The tour will depart promptly at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 8th, from the Hayter’s Gap Community Center.  If you are unable to participate in the tour, a broadcast-quality DVD featuring b-roll of various features of the state forest and The Great Channels will be available to you at Friday’s dedication ceremony.)

The Virginia Department of Forestry purchased the property from The Nature Conservancy, which bought the land to conserve its contiguous forest and rare natural resources, both of which were threatened with fragmentation and development.  Funding for VDOF’s acquisition was provided directly by the Virginia General Assembly and through grants from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation -- staffed by DCR.

State Forester Carl Garrison said, “The region’s delegation to the Virginia General Assembly championed the purchase of this magnificent property, which gets us closer to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s goal of conserving 400,000 acres of land in Virginia by 2010.”

For the first time in Virginia’s State Forest system history, a portion of the forest has been designated as a Virginia Natural Area Preserve.  The 720-acre preserve encompasses the 400-million-year-old Great Channels of Virginia and will be jointly managed by DCR’s Natural Heritage Program and VDOF.  It is Virginia’s first Natural Area Preserve not owned by DCR.  The preserve contains – and will protect – Carolina saxifrage (Saxifraga caroliniana) and outstanding examples of Southern Appalachian northern hardwood forest, high elevation cove forest, and Mountain/Piedmont Calcareous Cliff natural communities.

DCR Director Joe Maroon said, “The addition of 4,836 acres to the inventory of protected state lands does much to conserve land so that future Virginians can enjoy the same bounty of nature we enjoy.  It’s particularly significant in this case because of the unique natural character of The Great Channels and the potential passive recreational offerings the property affords.”

The property is comprised, predominantly, of mixed-hardwood forests on moderate to steep slopes. This forested landscape conserves the watershed of the West Fork of Wolf Creek and, ultimately, the North Fork of the Holston River.

Access to Channels State Forest will be off of State Route 689 near Hayter’s Gap.  The property, which is located between the Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Area and the Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area, will provide significant travel corridors between these preserves for a variety of wildlife species.

Brad Kreps, TNC’s Clinch Valley Program director, said, “To truly appreciate the tremendous conservation success Virginia has achieved with the protection of Brumley Mountain, you need to stand among the ancient, weathered sandstone boulders and take in the long mountain views.  With the state’s ownership of the mountain comes not just conservation but also public access, recreational opportunities, sustainable forest management, and water quality protection.  Future generations of Virginians and tourists now will be able to experience first hand the beauty of one of the Clinch Valley’s awe-inspiring landmarks.”

Over time, the Channels State Forest will offer various passive recreational opportunities, including hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing.  For those with a current state forest hunting permit, the property is now open for that purpose.  The other recreational offerings will be announced as they are completed.

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The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, there are Forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.

With nearly 16 million acres of forest land and more than 184,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide more than $29 Billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.