Timber Management And Prescribed Fire In The National Forest

Warm Springs, VA – Gilbert Lumber Company was the high bidder in late August for the Humpback Timber Sale. The objective of the Humpback project, located in Alleghany County, is to capture timber mortality caused by gypsy moth defoliation in 2009 and to regenerate red oak on 221 acres of National Forest. The timber sale terminates December 15, 2013.

The scoping document soliciting public comment for the Central Alleghany project was released in early September. This project proposes 155 acres of shelterwood timber harvest, 829 acres of prescribed fire, 61 acres of timber stand improvement, 3 wildlife clearings, and 4 dispersed campsites. The Central Alleghany Timber Sale is located in western Alleghany. We will accept public comment through the end of September into the first week of October.

Fire personnel on the Warm Springs and James River Ranger Districts are evaluating new areas for prescribed fire treatments. Considerable time is being spent looking at National Forest lands along the Virginia West Virginia border from I-64 north to State Route 250. A proposal is expected to be released for public comment in 2011.

A new eastern black walnut disease has been found in Tennessee. Tennessee has confirmed the presence of a disease called Thousand Cankers Disease’ in the Knoxville area. This is the first detection of this disease east of Colorado. Previously, this problem had only been found in the western states where eastern black walnut is a planted, but not native species.

Now that it is in the established center of its native distribution in the east, there are no geographic or ecological barriers to prevent the ultimate spread through the East. While the potential for great harm exists, the behavior of this disease under eastern conditions is not yet known. Management options are currently being studied and developed.