Rally to Protect Upper Cheat River

On November 14th, community members, friends of wildlife, climate activists, outdoor enthusiasts, and more will gather at Elkins US Forest Service Office at 1pm to call for a lasting, durable rule that protects mature and old-growth forests on federal lands as a cornerstone of US climate policy.

Event Details

Date: November 14

Time: 1pm

Location: Elkins US Forest Service Office: 200 Sycamore St

Link to RSVP:

Rally to Protect Upper Cheat Old-Growth – Action Network

Organizer Contact: Jim Kotcon jkotcon@gmail.com

Background

The Climate Forests Campaign, and more than 140,000 activists from across the country, are calling on the Biden Administration to enact a strong, lasting rule across federal public lands that protects mature and old-growth trees and forests from logging, allowing the recovery of old-growth forests that have been lost. These forests are essential to protecting communities from erosion and flooding, filtering clean drinking water, safeguarding wildlife, and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. 

The Upper Cheat River logging project in the Monongahela National Forest has been identified by the Climate Forests campaign as one of the most egregious examples of mature and old-growth logging proposed to take place on US federal lands. This project would log forests on very steep slopes, leading to increased risk of flooding and sediment deposition in the rivers and streams. In addition, opening the canopy will increase temperatures in cold-water streams that native brook trout require for their survival. It would also adversely impact important habitat for other species like northern long-eared bats and hellbender salamanders.