hburgnews.com

While Rockingham County begins to rewrite its zoning ordinance, George Washington National Forest officials announced they will resume their land and resource management plan revision.

Roughly a quarter of Rockingham County is within the boundaries of the National Forest.

A coalition of environmental groups (including the Southern Environmental Law Center and Sierra Club) recently released guidelines for the revisions. These groups are urging GWNF officials to:

Ensure that all watersheds, sources of clean water and native brook trout streams are fully protected.

Fully protect all “inventoried” roadless areas, as petitioned by the Governor of Virginia. Identify and fully protect all other remaining roadless tracts.

Emphasize backcountry recreation such as hiking, camping, bird-watching, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting and fishing.

Fully protect all areas recommended by the Virginia Division of Natural Heritage for designation as Special Biological Areas.

Fully protect all rare, threatened and endangered species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Division of Natural Heritage.

Identify and recommend all areas that qualify for Wilderness Study Area and Wild and Scenic River designation.

Fully protect all areas identified in “Virginia’s Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wildlands of the George Washington National Forest.”

According to the coalition, there are currently no official Wilderness Areas in Rockingham County.

National Forest officials are seeking public comment about the revisions this week. Oddly, there are no public meetings being held in Rockingham County or Harrisonburg. There’s a public hearing this evening in Woodstock from 7 to 9 pm at Muhlenburg Middle School, and another meeting in Verona July 18, from 7 to 9 pm at the Augusta County Government Center.