NatureWV: Exploring wild, wonderful wilderness
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Getting out into nature in West Virginia is actually pretty simple as most of us live in rural areas and smaller towns, but even in our larger cities, we are at most 30 minutes away from a pleasurable walk, hike or ride. And while many of our favorite places may seem wild and wonderful, what does it take to get into the wilderness of West Virginia?
It turns out West Virginia has eight federally designated Wilderness Areas, all within Monongahela National Forest, totaling about 116,000 acres of wilderness within the 921,000-acre forest. The difference in these designations is in the core mission of these natural areas. In a National Forest, the core mission is "multiple use" and includes not only recreational access, but also timber harvesting, mineral extraction and livestock grazing. In a Wilderness Area, the core mission is most restrictive and includes: preserving the natural character of the area, solitude for visitors and leaving the ecosystem untamed.
Having designated Wilderness Areas in any state or region is a commitment to nature and ourselves, in finding beauty in our lives that is not marred by the unintended consequences of our human activity. Our first three Wilderness Areas – Dolly Sods, Otter Creek and the Cranberry Wilderness, were a real struggle to get established, and we have many to thank for the hard work that led to the designation.
Congress passed the "Wilderness Act" in 1964 to protect these most special areas. However, the U.S. Forest Service took a purist approach to implementation and ruled that the law applied to only pristine land, land untouched by human activity. This led to virtually all land east of the Mississippi to be out of reach as it was logged prior to the act's date.
It took concerted efforts of politicians, scientists, landowners and environmental groups to collaborate on developing a second act, the Eastern Wilderness Areas Act of 1975, signed by Gerald Ford. In this act, lands in the Eastern U.S. could now be granted this added protection as long as they had regenerated or had the potential to regenerate from past human activity. The act created 16 new wilderness areas, including Dolly Sods and Otter Creek wilderness areas. Cranberry Wilderness was established in 1983 after subsurface coal and mineral rights were addressed. In 2009, the Wild Monongahela Act created three brand-new Wilderness Areas and expanded others. The new Wilderness Areas are: Roaring Plains West, Big Draft and Spice Run. In 1983, Laurel Fork North Wilderness Area and Laurel Fork South Wilderness Area were established by a law referred to as "The Monongahela National Forest, WV, Lands Designation Act."
It takes people to come together to preserve nature in West Virginia, and the Eastern Wilderness Act is a prime example. Key individuals include: Ernie Dickerman, who was instrumental in drafting the legislation by demonstrating that eastern hardwood forests can recover; Helen McGinnis, who was a field researcher and founder of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WVHC) and documented the ecology of Dolly Sods and Otter Creek to justify Wilderness Area classification; Ron Hardway and other early WVHC leaders who toiled through years of work to get the law passed; and Bruce Sandquist, who compiled extensive legal documentation to overcome opposition to the bill. Key organizations included groups like Brooks Bird Club, Sierra Club and West Virginia University scientists. Key members of the West Virginia Congressional Delegation included Rep. Ken Heckler and Sens. Jennings Randolph and Robert C. Byrd. This is what an environmental coalition looks like.
West Virginia would not be "Wild" and "Wonderful" without "Wilderness." It's nice to realize that there were concerned citizens over 50 years ago that were thinking about folks in the 21st century and setting aside some wilderness for us to find.
From "Dolly Sods and the Legacy of Helen McGinnis" on YouTube:
"People, if you want to do something and you care a lot about it and you put a lot of time and effort in it, you might just get what you want or a good part of it" with a closing thought ... "We did it!" – Helen McGinnis (1938-2026)
For more about protecting the West Virginia Wilderness, go to wvhighlands.org.
David P. Davis is the voice and face of NatureWV. A nature lover, conservationist, insect and plant expert, lecturer and volunteer, David is a human dedicated to sharing his knowledge and discovery about the natural world of West Virginia. The creator of the What’s Blooming at the Botanic Garden? series, David is going in a broader direction to incorporate more of West Virginia’s beauty in his message.