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42-652: The Gauley rises in the Monongahela National Forest on Gauley Mountain in Pocahontas County as three streams, the North, Middle, and South Forks, each of which flows across the southern extremity of Randolph County ; they converge in Webster County . The river then flows generally west-southwestwardly through Webster, Nicholas and Fayette counties, past the towns of Camden-on-Gauley and Summersville , to

84-988: A narrow ecological niche, meaning the tree is easily susceptible to changes within its environment. The Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (CASRI) seeks to unite diverse partners with the goal of restoring historic red spruce ecosystems across the high-elevation landscapes of central Appalachians. The partners that make up this diverse group are Appalachian Mountain Joint Venture, Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Mountain Institute , The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, West Virginia Division of Forestry, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, West Virginia State Parks, and West Virginia University. Prior to

126-565: A new timber stand) occur on approximately 1,300 acres (5.3 km ) yearly out of the more than 909,000 acres (3,680 km ) forest total. Mineral resources located in the Monongahela National Forest include coal, gas, limestone , and gravel . Sheep and cattle grazing occurs on about 7,000 acres (28 km ). Receipts for timber, grazing, land uses, minerals, and recreation use averaged $ 4,840,466 annually between FY92 and FY96, and 25% of that (an average of $ 1,210,116 per year)

168-475: A rather substantial recovery. It is closely related to black spruce , and hybrids between the two are frequent where their ranges meet. Genetic data suggests that the red spruce peripatrically speciated from the black spruce during the Pleistocene due to glaciation . Red spruce is used for Christmas trees and is an important wood used in making paper pulp . It is also an excellent tonewood , and

210-400: A sharp point, and extend from all sides of the twig. The bark is gray-brown on the surface and red-brown on the inside, thin, and scaly. The wood is light, soft, has narrow rings, and has a slight red tinge. The cones are cylindrical, 3–5 cm ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 –2 in) long, with a glossy red-brown color and stiff scales. The cones hang down from branches. Red spruce grows at

252-505: A slow to moderate rate, lives for 250 to 450+ years, and is very shade-tolerant when young. It is often found in pure stands or forests mixed with eastern white pine , balsam fir , or black spruce . Along with Fraser fir , red spruce is one of two primary tree types in the southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest , a distinct ecosystem found only in the highest elevations of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Its habitat

294-408: Is 23 miles (37 km) long.) Recreation ranges from self-reliant treks in the wildernesses and backcountry areas, to rock climbing challenges, to traditional developed-site camping. Canoeing , hunting , trapping , fishing, and wildlife viewing are also common uses. The following are developed campgrounds in the forest: The forest administration maintains wildlife and timber programs aimed at

336-566: Is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia , US. It protects over 921,000 acres (3,727 km ; 1,439 sq mi) of federally managed land within a 1,700,000 acres (6,880 km ; 2,656 sq mi) proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties. The Monongahela National Forest includes some major landform features such as

378-475: Is a perennial, shade-tolerant, late successional coniferous tree that under optimal conditions grows to 18–40 m (59–131 ft) tall with a trunk diameter of about 60 cm (24 in), though exceptional specimens can reach 46 m (151 ft) tall and 100 cm (39 inches) in diameter. It has a narrow conical crown. The leaves are needle-like, yellow-green, 12–15 mm ( 15 ⁄ 32 – 19 ⁄ 32  in) long, four-sided, curved, with

420-544: Is a species of spruce native to eastern North America , ranging from eastern Quebec and Nova Scotia , west to the Adirondack Mountains and south through New England along the Appalachians to western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee . This species is also known as yellow spruce, West Virginia spruce, eastern spruce, and he-balsam . Red spruce is the provincial tree of Nova Scotia . Red spruce

462-496: Is currently divided into four ranger districts. The Cheat-Potomac and Marlinton-White Sulphur Springs were formed by combining their namesake districts; in the merged districts, the offices for both original districts were retained. The Monongahela National Forest was established following the Weeks Act passage in 1911. This act authorized the purchase of land for long-term watershed protection and natural resource management following

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504-507: Is derived from Gaul (literally "river of the Gauls "), a historical region of Europe including most of current day France, from the time when West Virginia was part of New France before the French and Indian War . Historically, the river has had various Indian names, variant spellings of Gaul/Gauley as well as Falling/Falls Creek. Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest

546-532: Is downstream of the dam. The Gauley is run year-round by recreational whitewater rafters and from spring to fall by commercial rafting companies. During the majority of the year, boating is dependent on water level, which fluctuates dramatically depending on rainfall and the level of Summersville Lake. However, starting the Friday after Labor Day, the Army Corps of Engineers provides a series of 22 controlled releases for

588-775: Is moist but well-drained sandy loam, often at high altitudes. Red spruce can be easily damaged by windthrow and acid rain . Notable red spruce forests can be seen at Gaudineer Scenic Area , a virgin red spruce forest located in West Virginia , the Canaan Valley , Roaring Plains West Wilderness , Dolly Sods Wilderness , Spruce Mountain and Spruce Knob all also in West Virginia and all sites of former extensive red spruce forest. Some areas of this forest, particularly in Roaring Plains West Wilderness, Dolly Sods Wilderness as well as areas of Spruce Mountain are making

630-512: Is the spruce budworm , although it is a bigger problem for white spruce and balsam fir. Other issues that have been damaging red spruce have included the increase in acid rain and current climate change. One of the consequences of acid rain deposition is the decrease of soil exchangeable calcium and increase of aluminum .  This is because acid precipitation disrupts cation and nutrition cycling in forest ecosystems. Components of acid rain such as H , NO 3 , and SO 4 limit

672-424: Is used in many higher-end acoustic guitars and violins, as well as musical soundboard. The sap can be used to make spruce gum . Leafy red spruce twigs are boiled with sugar and flavoring to make spruce beer . Also it can be made into spruce pudding. It can also be used as construction lumber and is good for millwork and for crates. Like most trees, red spruce is subject to insect parasitism. Their insect enemy

714-603: The Allegheny Front and the western portion of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians . Within the forest boundaries lie some of the highest mountain peaks in the state, including the highest, Spruce Knob (4,863 ft). Spruce Knob is also the highest point in the Allegheny Mountains. Approximately 75 tree species are found in the forest. Almost all of the trees are a second growth forest , grown back after

756-540: The National Park Service announced a Reconnaissance Survey, to be conducted from January to September 2012, to "determine whether the historic, natural, and recreational resources in the project area are 'likely' or 'unlikely' to meet congressionally required criteria for the designation of potential units of the National Park System". Historic Civil War sites within the proposed park and preserve include

798-560: The Rich Mountain Battlefield , Beverly Historic District , Cheat Summit Fort , Camp Bartow , and Camp Allegheny . The historic Blackwater Industrial Complex in Tucker County —preserving artifacts of the coal, coke and timber empire of early West Virginia entrepreneur and Senator Henry Gassaway Davis —would also be included. In early 2012 Senator Manchin dropped his request for the study. Commentators on Manchin's approach to

840-600: The U.S. Congress , the first law passed in the U.S. to specifically mandate recreational whitewater dam releases. The releases bring millions of dollars annually to the local economy, as paddlers travel from all over the United States and overseas for this event. The Gauley area was the site of the Battle of Carnifex Ferry on September 10, 1861, a Union victory in the American Civil War . The Gauley River's name most likely

882-458: The ecosystem and community levels, Calcium availability is associated with community composition, mature tree growth, and ecosystem productivity. One study testing the effects of added aluminum to soil, found that P. rubens mortality rate increased under these conditions. During the 1980s, increased acid deposition contributed to a loss of high-elevation red spruce trees, due to leached calcium and decreased freezing tolerance. Additionally,

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924-642: The Monongahela National Forest was the venue for the annual counterculture Rainbow Gathering . In 1993, the Craig Run East Fork Rockshelter and Laurel Run Rockshelter in the Gauley Ranger District were listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In 2011 West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin requested the National Park Service study the feasibility of transferring the northern portions of Monongahela National Forest to

966-541: The Monongahela National Forest, from the 1890s to the 1920s their numbers dropped substantially. In January 1930, eight deer procured from Michigan were released into the forest near Parsons . From 1937 to 1939, a total of 17 more deer were released in the Flatrock-Roaring Plains area of the Forest. These releases served as the nucleus for reestablishing the healthy breeding populations of eastern West Virginia. (By

1008-718: The NPS, including the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area , the Dolly Sods Wilderness , and the Otter Creek Wilderness . Advocates had proposed the area be designated as High Allegheny National Park and Preserve. Interconnecting public lands would become Preserve Areas, where hunting would be allowed; and adjacent private working farms and forests would be eligible for voluntary Heritage Area conservation easements. In October 2011,

1050-774: The drier eastern slopes. There are 230 known species of birds inhabiting the Monongahela National Forest: 159 are known to breed there, 89 are Neotropical migrants; 71 transit the forest during migration, but do not breed there, and 17 non-breeding species are Neotropical. The Brooks Bird Club (BBC) conducts an annual bird banding and survey project in the vicinity of Dolly Sods Scenic Area during migration (August – September). The forest provides habitat for 9 federally listed endangered or threatened species: 2 bird species, 2 bat species, 1 subspecies of flying squirrel, 1 salamander species, and 3 plant species. Fifty other species of rare/sensitive plants and animals also occur in

1092-465: The establishment of a national park infeasible". The forest is noted for its rugged landscape, views, blueberry thickets, highland bogs and " sods ", and open areas with exposed rocks. In addition to the second-growth forest trees, the wide range of botanical species found includes rhododendron , laurel on the moist west side of the Allegheny Front, and cactus and endemic shale barren species on

1134-413: The express purpose of downriver recreation. These releases are collectively known as "Gauley Season" and are scheduled on six successive weekends, the first five of which are four-day weekends (Friday through Monday) and the last of which is just Saturday and Sunday. Typical release levels during "Gauley Season" range from 2,400 to 2,800 ft³/s (68 to 79 m³/s). These releases are the result of an act of

1176-561: The forest. Larger animals and game species found in the forest include black bear , wild turkey , white-tailed deer , gray and fox squirrels , rabbits , snowshoe hare , woodcock , and grouse . Limited waterfowl habitat exists in certain places. Furbearers include beaver , red and gray fox , bobcat , fisher , river otter , raccoon and mink . Other hunted species include coyotes , skunks , opossums , woodchucks , crows , and weasels . There are 12 species of game (pan) fish and 60 species of nongame or forage fish . Some 90% of

1218-445: The land was heavily cut over around the start of the 20th century. Species for which the forest is important include red spruce ( Picea rubens ), balsam fir ( Abies balsamea ), and mountain ash ( Sorbus americana ). The Monongahela National Forest includes eight U.S. Wilderness Areas and several special-use areas, notably the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area . The Monongahela National Forest encompasses most of

1260-526: The late 1800s, 600,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) of red spruce were in West Virginia. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a vast amount of logging began in the state and the number of red spruce dwindled to 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres). Silviculture is being used to help restore the population of the lost red spruce. Significant efforts have been made to increase the growth of red spruce trees in western North Carolina. Most notably by Molly Tartt on behalf of

1302-417: The massive cutting of the eastern forests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1915, 7,200 acres (29 km ) were acquired to begin the forest, called the "Monongahela Purchase", and on April 28, 1920, it became the "Monongahela National Forest". By the end of 1924, the Monongahela National Forest had total ownership of some 150,367 acres (609 km ). Although white-tail deer never vanished from

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1344-673: The mid-1940s, deer were so numerous in the area that crop farmers had to patrol their fields by night. ) In 1943 and 1944, as part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area , the U.S. Army used parts of the Monongahela National Forest as a practice artillery and mortar range and maneuver area before troops were sent to Europe to fight in World War II. Artillery and mortar shells shot into the area for practice are still occasionally found there today. Seneca Rocks and other area cliffs were also used for assault climbing instruction. This

1386-482: The proposal had noted that "the senator seemed to be in favor of a possible NPS label in the area only if there were no changes in existing land use or management practices". In February 2012, the NPS Director observed that some of Manchin's requests were incompatible with longstanding NPS policy, saying in part that "the continuation of extractive activities such as timber harvesting and oil and gas development would make

1428-610: The responsible management of a mixed-age forest. About 81 percent of the total forest area is closed canopy forest over 60 years of age. The tree species most valuable for timber and wildlife food in the Monongahela National Forest are black cherry and oaks . The forest's commercial timber sale program averages 30 mbf (thousand board feet) of timber sold per year with a yearly average value of $ 7.5 million. Various cutting techniques are used, from cutting single trees to clearcutting blocks up to 25 acres (100,000 m ) in size. Regeneration cuts (clear-cuts or other treatments designed to start

1470-437: The southern third of the Allegheny Mountains range (a section of the vast Appalachian Mountains range) and is entirely within the state of West Virginia. Elevations within the Monongahela National Forest range from about 900 feet (270 m) at Petersburg to 4,863 feet (1,482 m) at Spruce Knob. A rain shadow effect caused by slopes of the Allegheny Front results in 60 inches (1,500 mm) of annual precipitation on

1512-724: The structure of the spruce needle enhances the capture of water and particles, which has been shown to add to soil acidification , nutrient leaching, and forest decline. However, more recently, reductions in acid deposition have contributed to red spruce resurgence in some mountain areas in the northeastern United States. This increase in red spruce growth has been associated with an increase in rainfall pH , which reduces bulk acidic deposition. This suggests that policies aiming to reduce atmospheric pollution in this area have been effective, although other species sensitive to soil acidification, such as sugar maple , are still continuing to decline. The red spruce has low genetic diversity as well as

1554-822: The town of Gauley Bridge , where it joins the New River to form the Kanawha River . Via the Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed . The Gauley's largest tributaries all flow into the main river from the east (flowing in a westerly direction) and are described as follows: In Nicholas County, the Gauley is impounded by the Summersville Dam, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam , to form Summersville Lake . The Gauley River National Recreation Area

1596-553: The trout waters of West Virginia are within the forest. The Monongahela National Forest is a recreation destination and tourist attraction, hosting approximately 3 million visitors annually. The backwoods road and trail system is used for hiking , mountain biking , horse riding . Many miles of railroad grades are a link in the recreation use of the forest. (The longest is the Glady to Durbin West Fork Railroad Trail which

1638-445: The uptake of calcium by trees and can increase aluminum availability. Calcium concentration is important for red spruce for physiological processes such as dark respiration and cold tolerance, as well as disease resistance, signal transduction , membrane and cell wall synthesis and function, and regulation of stomata . Conversely, dissolved aluminum can be toxic or can interfere with root uptake of calcium and other nutrients. At

1680-651: The west side and about half that on the east side. Headwaters of six major river systems are located within the forest: Monongahela , Potomac , Greenbrier , Elk , Tygart , and Gauley . Twelve rivers are currently under study for possible inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System . The main administrative headquarters is located in Elkins, West Virginia . The Monongahela also includes four ranger districts. The forest includes 105 permanent employees, seasonal employees, and volunteers. Monongahela National Forest

1722-423: Was returned to counties that include Monongahela National Forest lands. This money is intended for use by local schools and roads. The remaining 75% each year is returned to the U.S. Treasury. Some 318 acres (1.29 km ) of true old-growth forest have been documented within the Monongahela National Forest. The largest of these areas are: Red spruce Picea rubens , commonly known as red spruce ,

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1764-597: Was the Army's only low-altitude climbing school. The fisher ( Pekania pennanti ), believed to have been exterminated in the state by 1912, was reintroduced during the winter of 1969. At that time 23 fishers were translocated from New Hampshire to two sites within the boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest (at Canaan Mountain in Tucker County and Cranberry Glades in Pocahontas County). In 1980, and again in 2005,

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