Monongahela National Forest Acquires Significant Habitat on North Fork Mountain

August 9, 2007 — The Monongahela National Forest has purchased one of the most ecologically significant remaining private parcels of land along the summit of North Fork Mountain, in the eastern portion of the Forest. The property, consisting of 175 acres, includes forests, high cliffs, and rocky summits that support a rich mixture of northern and Appalachian plants of high conservation interest both nationally and within West Virginia.

The Nature Conservancy played a key role in the acquisition process, by purchasing the property and holding it until the Forest Service had funds available to buy it. The owner wanted the tract to be kept in its wooded and undeveloped state, but needed to sell the land. The Conservancy, with its ability to work quickly with landowners, was able to step in, negotiate acceptable terms, and close the project to meet the landowner’s time frame.

The rocky summits of the property support one of the highest quality high elevation plant communities of its type in the Monongahela National Forest. Northern species found there include one of the few southern populations of highland rush; a plant typically found in the High Arctic; and the pink-edged sulphur butterfly. Other rare species include white alumroot, a wildflower restricted to a handful of mountains in Virginia and West Virginia.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. “There are few places in the Appalachians as biologically distinct as North Fork Mountain,” commented the Conservancy’s West Virginia director Rodney Bartgis. “In a world that is becoming more and more alike, it is rewarding to be involved in sustaining what is uniquely West Virginia’s natural legacy.”

The property, near Seneca Rocks in Pendleton County, will be managed as part of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest. “The towering white sandstone cliffs and unbroken forests along the western summit of North Fork Mountain are iconic symbols of the rugged beauty of West Virginia’s mountains,” said Clyde Thompson, Forest Supervisor. “With this acquisition, one of our most spectacular vistas can continue to be enjoyed by all.”

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.