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UPDATE: VIRGINIA RIDGE AND VALLEY ACT - The Virginia
Ridge and Valley Act passed the House of Representatives Tuesday,
October 23, 2007. It will protect more than 53,000 acres of
public lands with six new wilderness areas, a wilderness study
area, and two new scenic areas, and expand six existing
wilderness areas in the Jefferson National Forest. The Senate
will now take up the issue.
UPDATE: A major milestone was reached when the U.S. House Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands heard testimony on the
Virginia Ridge and Valley Act (H.R. 1101) on May 10, 2007. The
Act will create seven new Wilderness Areas, two new National
Scenic Areas, and expand six existing Wilderness Areas in
southwest Virginia. Gerald Gray, president of Virginia Forest
Watch, spoke before the committee on behalf of trout fishermen
and horseback enthusiasts. Tom Davenport, business manager of Mt.
Rogers Outfitters, and John Muffo, member of the Board of
Supervisors for Montgomery County, also spoke on behalf of the
bill.
See http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=74
for hearing details.
This bill, which was originally introduced in 2004, was introduced on February 13, 2007 in the 110th Congress.
Senator John Warner introduced the Senate version with Senator Jim Webb co-sponsoring the bill.
S. 570. A bill to designate additional National
Forest System lands in the State of Virginia as
wilderness or a wilderness study area, to designate the
Kimberling Creek Potential Wilderness Area for eventual
incorporation in the Kimberling Creek Wilderness, to
establish the Seng Mountain and Bear Creek Scenic Areas,
to provide for the development of trail plans for the
wilderness areas and scenic areas, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources.
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Congressman Rick Boucher introduced the House version with Representatives Frank Wolf, Jim Moran, Robert Scott, Jo Ann Davis, and Tom Davis co-sponsoring the bill.
H.R. 1011. A bill to designate additional National Forest System lands in the State of Virginia as wilderness or a wilderness study area, to designate the Kimberling Creek Potential Wilderness Area for eventual incorporation in the Kimberling Creek Wilderness, to establish the Seng Mountain and Bear Creek Scenic Areas, to provide for the development of trail plans for the wilderness areas and scenic areas, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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If enacted, the Ridge and Valley Act will create seven new Wilderness Areas, two new National Scenic
Areas, and expand six existing Wilderness Areas in southwest
Virginia.
To learn more:
http://www.safc.org/campaigns/va_wilderness_bill.php
http://www.selcva.org/Cases/va_wilderness/casepage.shtml
Write your Senator and Representative!
Virginia citizens who live in these representatives' districts
should urge their representative to co-sponsor the Virginia Ridge
and Valley Act of 2007 that would provide lasting
protection for some 55,000 acres in portions of Bland, Craig,
Grayson, Giles, Lee, Montgomery and Smyth counties. To write your representative, click http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Bob Goodlatte (6th Congressional District)
U.S. House of Representatives
2240 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-5431
Facsimile: (202) 225-9681
Virgil Goode (5th Congressional District)
U.S. House of Representatives
1520 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-4711
Facsimile: (202) 225-5681
Eric Cantor (7th Congressional District)
U.S. House of Representatives
329 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-2815
Facsimile: (202) 225-0011
Thelma Drake (2nd Congressional District)
U.S. House of Representatives
1208 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-4215
Facsimile: (202) 225-4218
J. Randy Forbes (4th Congressional District)
U.S. House of Representatives
307 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-6365
Facsimile: (202) 226-1170
Please also THANK Senators John Warner and Jim Webb and Representatives Rick
Boucher, Robert Scott, James Moran, Jo Ann Davis, Jim Davis and Frank Wolf for
co-sponsoring the bill (if you live in the appropriate
district). Addresses: Senator Warner, US Senate,
Washington, DC 20510. Representatives: US House of
Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 or click http://www.house.gov/writerep/
.
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