“The Monongahela, because it offers such a dramatic contrast to the sprawl development that we're seeing all across the east coast, is probably one of the most economically valuable assets the state has.” - Rick Landenberger, Morgantown, West Virginia.
The Monongahela National Forest (referred to locally as, the Mon) contains some of the wildest and most beautiful mountain forests in the Eastern United States. These special wild forests give life to a wide range of plant and animal species, including black cherry trees, black bears, and hundreds of species of birds.
This beautiful national forest is within a one-day drive of at least a third of the population of the United States and contains some of the wildest remaining forestlands in the entire eastern United States. Yet, incredibly, less than 9 percent of the forest is designated wilderness, which provides the highest level of protection for native ecosystems.
At the same time, West Virginia has the dubious distinction of being number one in the nation for sprawl. Massive highway construction fuels development that threatens both federal and non-federal forests, increases the hazard of serious flooding and worsens air pollution.
The Wilderness Society is working on several levels to protect more of the Mon for today and for future generations. Increasingly, the Mon National Forest is seen by West Virginians as an oasis of quiet, natural forests in a state that is rapidly being affected by road building, growth, and pollution. Nevertheless, the Forest Service is currently developing a new management plan for the Mon that may ignore the strong public support for protection and fail to adequately conserve wilderness, wildlife, old growth and water resources. The Wilderness Society is working with conservation partners in the state to promote the development of a sound management plan for the forest. We are also working as part of The West Virginia Wilderness Coalition to promote congressional Wilderness designations for 15 special wild places on the Mon.
