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36-553: The area is part of the Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster . Hickory Flats is located in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwestern Virginia about 20 miles north of Pembroke, Virginia and 6 miles south of Waiteville, West Virginia . Peters Mountain forms the boundary to the northwest, and Big Stony Creek Rd (VA 635) on the southwest. There are gated forest roads and abandoned Jeep trails passing through

72-728: A buffer for the protected areas. These areas are in the Jefferson National Forest . In addition, there are privately owned lands managed to maintain their wild character or serve as an environment for study, and land operated by a non-profit organization, the Mountain Lake Conservancy. Among the areas included in the Wilderness Cluster are: The Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster is located in southwestern Virginia, near Pembroke, Virginia. The heart of

108-415: A high degree of protection from development. The areas that were found suitable are referred to as inventoried roadless areas . Later a Roadless Rule was adopted that limited road construction in these areas. The rule provided some degree of protection by reducing the negative environmental impact of road construction and thus promoting the conservation of roadless areas . Hickory Flats was not included in

144-496: A lifespan of up to three years. It spawns in April and May. It is an invertivore, feeding on aquatic insect larvae and water mites . E. osburni lives in a system of rivers, streams, and creeks in the central Appalachian Mountains . It can be found in rapid riffles in rocky riverbed habitat. It occurs in cold, cool, and warm waters, as long as the substrate is rocky and the water is clear. It tolerates fast currents. E. osburni has

180-579: A limited geographic range, it has been recorded in more than 10 locations and does not have a severely fragmented distribution, so it has been designated a near-threatened species on the IUCN Red List . In 2018, US Fish and Wildlife Service designated it as a federally protected endangered species. It is probably declining, however, due to threats from human activity. It prefers clear, unsilted waters, and increases in silt and sediment may reduce populations by reducing tolerable habitat. E. osburni

216-540: A tree and returning later to gather them up. The area also provides habitat for ovenbirds , cerulean warblers , hooded warblers , pileated woodpeckers , eastern gray squirrel and eastern wild turkey . Johnson Flats, as well as the Peters Mountain summit, contain old growth forest . These areas serve as optimal habitat for a variety of species, particularly salamanders and other reptiles and amphibians. The valleys contain numerous beaver meadows. The area includes

252-474: A variety of species. The project will also encourage the production of both early and hard mast production to provide food for wildlife. Several objections to the plan were submitted. The Sierra Club was concerned that the area contains substantial old growth forests, recognized conservations sites, and is at the headwaters of stream systems that proved habitat for the endangered candy darter and James River spinymussel . The final objections were published by

288-492: Is a small reddish-coloured peat moss with tongue-shaped stem leaves. And northern bog club moss ( Lycopodiella inundata ) has branches up to 10 cm high with narrow, pointed leaves 4–8 mm long. Hickory Flats provides a secluded habitat for a population of black bear ( Ursus americanus ). Since bears are shy and secretive, they are rarely seen. When encountered, they will usually run away except in spring when females will protect their cubs, generally by sending them up

324-439: Is covered by USGS topographic maps Waiteville , and Interior . A great variety of information, including topographic maps, aerial views, satellite data and weather information, is obtained by selecting the link with the wild land's coordinates in the upper right of this page. The habitat of the southern Appalachians is rich in its biological diversity with nearly 10,000 species, some not found anywhere else. The great diversity

360-477: Is found in Stony Creek's rubble riffles with fast-flowing currents. The Stony Creek watershed on the west end of this area has been a hotspot for gypsy moth damage, with recurring infestations in various parts of the watershed and vicinity for many years. Gypsy moths have cyclical populations. After peaking in nearby Kelly Flats around 2005, populations crashed in 2009, but are expected to return. Hickory Flats

396-461: Is in the Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains . The province consists of a thick layer of sedimentary rock that has undergone folding and/or faulting to create a series of ridges and valleys. During the sedimentation process fossils were formed leaving evidence of life existing millions of years ago. The fossils can be seen in rock exposures throughout the mountains. The topography

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432-814: Is now best used by high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles, hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. The Appalachian Trail and the Allegheny Trail pass through the cluster. Access to the Appalachian Trail is gained at road crossings in Johns Creek Road (Va 632), Mountain Lake Road (Va 613), and Big Stony Creek Rd (Va 635). There are no road crossing of the Allegheny Trail, but it can be reached by parking on North Fork Mountain Road (Va 613), then hiking along

468-425: Is related to the many ridges and valleys which form isolated communities in which species evolve separately from one another. The region lies south of the glaciers that covered North America 11,000 years go. To escape the glaciers, northern species retreated south to find refuge in the southern Appalachians. When the glaciers retreated, many of these species remained along with the southern species that were native to

504-549: Is typical of the Central Appalachian Province , with long ridges dissected by steep draws and limited flat areas along streams. Elevations range between 2600 feet above sea level along Stony Creek and North Potts Creek to 3900 feet on the top of Fork Mountain and 4,000 feet on Peters Mountain on the north boundary of the area. The Forest Service has conducted a survey of their lands to determine their potential for wilderness designation. Wilderness designation provides

540-729: The Weeks Act was passed in 1911 for the purchase of lands to create an eastern national forest. In 1937 the Jefferson National Forest was dedicated. The Forest Service has managed the land to minimize the effects of commercial operations, such as logging and mining, that would lead to environmental degradation . Other clusters of the Wilderness Society's "Mountain Treasures" in the Jefferson National Forest (north to south): Etheostoma osburni Etheostoma osburni ,

576-492: The candy darter or finescale saddled darter , is a species of fish in the family Percidae , a member of the group known as darters . This species is endemic to the eastern United States where it is known only from the Kanawha River system in the states of Virginia and West Virginia . E. osburni can reach a length of 10 cm (3.9 in), though most only reach about 7.3 cm (2.9 in). This species has

612-741: The Forest Service on September 18, 2015. The project is now (December 18, 2015) under review by the Forest Service. Hickory Flats is in the Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster Nearby wildlands recognized as one of Virginia's "Mountain Treasures" by the Wilderness Society are: Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster The Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster is a region recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique waterfalls, vistas, trout stream and wildlife habitat. The heart of

648-706: The Mountain Lake area was a high valley draining to the southwest. A landslide formed a dam blocking the outlet and creating a lake behind the dam. Native Americans, early users of the area as a reserve for hunting and fishing, did not intensely occupy the area, but lived in surrounding lands. The first known settler in the area was recorded on a tombstone, "Mary Porter killed by Indians in 1742". Forts were constructed for protection from Indian raids, but massacres by Indians continued to devastate many Giles county families from 1774 to 1778. The families of early settlers were mostly independent of one another. They lived off

684-608: The Potts Valley Branch of the Norfolk and Western arrived. Full service to Waiteville started in 1909. Logging began and most of the trees were removed. Inclined rail technology was used to gain access to steeper slopes. The railroad is now gone and the tracks have been removed, but a remnant of the rail line can be explored by bike or foot on the Potts Mountain Rail Trail. In order to create watershed protection,

720-683: The area is Mountain Lake , the only natural body of water in western Virginia. The original route to Mountain Lake was a turnpike completed in 1859 that followed the present VA 700 to the lake. The turnpike continued past the lake, along present VA 613 , on the western side of Salt Pond Mountain , crossed Potts Mountain dropping down into the Big Stony Creek watershed, continued to cross over Peters Mountain , passed by Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and finally ended at Union, West Virginia. From there stage coaches took travelers to various springs in

756-489: The area. Route 700 still serves as a good means to reach the lake. A tour through the cluster is obtained by continuing along Va 613 to the point where it begins to ascend Peters Mountain. At this point, the road, called the Salt Sulphur Turnpike, deteriorates as it ascends Peters Mountain. The present condition of the Peters Mountain section is probably similar to the days when it was traveled by stage. The road

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792-468: The area. Good access is gained from State Route 613 (North Fork Mountain Road) that intersects State Route 635 (Big Stony Creek Road). Thick rhododendrons and bogs limit access to the wetlands. The Allegheny Trail passes along the north side of the area on Peters Mountain. The boundary of the wildland as determined by the Wilderness Society is shown in the adjacent map. National Geographic Trail Map 788 gives

828-410: The area. The diversity includes trees, mosses, millipedes and salamanders. Unusual plants are the five-rowed peat moss, red peat moss and northern bog club moss. The five-rowed peat moss ( Sphagnum quinquefanum) can be recognized by its rather short and stiff branches which appear angular because of the arrangement of its closely set leaves widely angled in 5 ranks. Red peat moss ( Sphagnum rubellum)

864-500: The blight. A large number of hemlock trees are threatened by the woolly adelgid that arrived in 2000. Efforts are underway to introduce beetle predators known to feed on the woolly adelgid. The tawny crescent is a butterfly that is considered endangered and has disappeared from much of its former range in the Appalachians. One of the best known populations was at Mountain Lake. It is severely threatened by spraying intended for

900-525: The control of gypsy moths . Its habitat is not well known, but is considered to prefer steep, dry, sparsely wooded hillsides. The region is in the Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains . The province consists of a thick layer of sedimentary rock that has undergone folding and/or faulting to create a series of ridges and valleys. During the sedimentation process fossils were formed leaving evidence of life existing millions of years ago. The fossils can be seen in rock exposures throughout

936-628: The home to more salamander species than anywhere else in the world. The area's diverse forests and freshwater ecosystems provide a home to these reptiles that have become adapted to cool highlands. Almost half of all these species are listed as threatened or endangered. In the early 20th century the forest was dominated by chestnut trees to the extent that the forest was characterized as "oak-chestnut", but by 1930 most of these trees had been infected by chestnut blight . The root system of blight-killed trees still produces sprouts but they do not get much larger than an inch in diameter before succumbing to

972-640: The inventoried roadless areas, and therefore subject to possible road construction and timber sales. The Hickory Flats area is managed by the Forest Service to optimize the conditions for black bear habitat. The objectives are to provide a secluded and diverse habitat, ensure adequate den sites, and maintain hard and soft mast production. In June 2015, the Forest Service proposed a revegetation project to create early successional habitat by commercial timber regeneration harvests. The successional habitat will provide food as well as hiding and nesting cover for

1008-545: The lake. He observed that trees and shrubs were seen at considerable depth, attesting to the large fluctuations in lake level. Historically the lake has filled and emptied to as low as 20% of its full size. A second study in 1930 observed that the lake is fed mainly by springs rather than surface input. Later studies surmised that the fluctuations in level were due to a competition between leakage and drought. The low 5:1 watershed-area-to-lake-area would create low inflow compared to outflow in dry spells. Millions of years ago,

1044-541: The land weaving their clothes and using wooden plowshares for crops. Salt and iron could not be had in the backwoods, so families gathered furs and ginseng to carry by horse to town to exchange for salt and iron. At the close of the Indian Wars in 1794, the country filled rapidly. People built houses, opened farms and roads, elected officers and conducted a civil government without fear of Indian raids. Settlers continued to engage in small scale agriculture until 1892 when

1080-531: The location of other trails and forest service roads. Additional foot access can be gained using old logging roads. The Appalachian Mountains were extensively timbered in the early twentieth century leaving logging roads that are becoming overgrown but still passable. Old logging roads and railroad grades can be located by consulting the historical topographic maps available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Hickory Flats wild area

1116-454: The mountains. Mountain Lake has been referred to as "The Silver Gem of the Alleghenies". Many modes of formation have been suggested for the lake. Among the possibilities are the blocking of a stream by talus or slide-rock, a glacial cirque, a depression formed volcanic activity or the result of a meteoric impact. Recent studies have shown that a stream flowing from the Mountain Lake basin

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1152-629: The old turnpike to reach the trail where it passes along the ridge of Peters Mountain. There are 18 trails on the land managed by the Mountain Lake Conservancy. A map of trails and a $ 5 annual permit can be obtained at the Mountain Lake Lodge. Other roads and trails in the area are shown on National Geographic Trail Map 788. The area contains forested ridges, dominated by oaks and other hardwoods, and cove forests on sheltered slopes, hollows and along stream valleys. These forests provide good habitat for salamanders. The Appalachian Mountains are

1188-890: The region is the Mountain Lake Wilderness , the largest wilderness in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests . These public lands are enhanced by the presence of private lands which are preserved to maintain their natural integrity. The region includes the Mountain Lake Biological Station that studies distinctive wildlife and ecology of the area. The Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster contains wildlands under different levels of management. There are wilderness areas protected by Congressional action, inventoried wilderness , areas recognized by Wilderness Society as worthy of protection from timbering and roads, and other forest service land that act as

1224-509: The upper watershed for both Stony Creek, which flows south into the New River, and Potts Creek , which flows north into the James River. The North Fork of Stony Creek has 259 acres designated as Mountains Wetland Rare Community. It includes 50 acres of the 250-acre North Fork Stony Creek Special Biological Area . Stony Creek is eligible for Recreational River status. The colorful candy darter

1260-410: Was blocked creating a lake. The lake is unique with its geology , hydrology , possession of a fault and colluvium , as well as high aquatic species diversity . This combination of features is possessed by few if any other lakes in the world. The first recorded sighting of Mountain Lake by a westerner was by Christopher Gist in 1751. In 1884 W. B. Rogers conducted the first geological study of

1296-651: Was first formally described as Poecilichthys osburni in 1932 by the American ichthyologists Carl Leavitt Hubbs and Milton Bernhard Trautman with the type locality given as Stony Creek which is a tributary of the Greenbrier River in Pocahontas County, West Virginia . The specific name honors the American zoologist Raymond Carroll Osburn (1872–1955). The candy darter is considered to be closely related to

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