“There are a number of issues that are important in the planning stages,” says Sarah Francisco, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. “For instance, where and how much logging will be available in the forest is a big issue that affects recreation for people all over the Shenandoah Valley. The George Washington National Forest has more roadless acreage than any other area in the Eastern U.S.”
For Central Virginians, the GWNF is accessible mainly along Route 81 from the Harrisonburg area south to Roanoke, the bulk of the park being in the Western part of the state, as well as small areas in West Virginia and Kentucky. Besides managing watersheds, which supply drinking water into the homes of about 250,000 residents, the Forest Service is also considering proposals for additional timber harvesting, newly created roads, development of wind energy and oil drilling—all of which has divided big industry and conservationists.
The GWNF hit the news cycle more recently for another reason: Firefighters in Page County have been trying since the morning of October 24 to put out a raging brushfire. Thus far, 300 acres have reportedly burned.
With the heat squarely on the Forest Service to make the right decision, the biggest issue to emerge from all of this surrounds the natural gas drilling that could be coming to the GWNF’s valley. Also know as “hydraulic fracturing” or “hydrofracking,” the process calls for fractures in the bedrock to be expanded, allowing for heavier water flow in the wells, which increases drilling production.
“They have tried hydrofracking in other states,” says David Hannah, the conservation director of Wild Virginia, an outreach and education group in Charlottesville. “First of all, it uses a tremendous amount of water in the process. Secondly, unknown chemicals are used in the water during the drilling process, creating potential harm in the quality of drinking water.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently conducting a study on the impacts of hydrofracking. After the study, Forest Service officials say they will have definitive standards by which to make decisions regarding companies that want to drill.
“So far, none of the six alternatives proposed for the George Washington Forest have addressed the key conservation measures in a balanced way,” insists Francisco. “It’s not just hydrofracking or potential drilling either. They fall short in protecting old growth areas, roadless areas with unique species of plants and wildlife.”
Thus far, no definitive plans have been approved. But the Forest Service says it hopes to have a draft in place by January, with the final plan in place by September, 2011. A public comment period begins in December and runs through February.