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Friends of Shenandoah Mountain Opposes Dominion Pipeline

8/15/2014

2 Comments

 
Dominion Resources has proposed a 42" interstate natural gas pipeline through the Monongahela and George Washington National Forests to connect gasfields in West Virginia to markets in North Carolina.  This would be the largest pipeline Dominion has ever proposed in Virginia.   The proposed route crosses through the southeastern portion of our Shenandoah Mountain  National Scenic Area proposal.  This is just the type of high impact heavy industrial development that scenic area and wilderness designation prevents.  The proposed route would:
  • cross Ramseys Draft stream outside the Wilderness area;
  • cross Braley Pond access road;
  • obliterate the Dowells Draft forest road;
  • pass through the Chestnut Oak Knob Ruffed Grouse Habitat Project; and 
  • pass very close to the east end of the Staunton Dam tunnel through Hankey Mountain, potentially threatening Staunton's municipal water supply.

If approved, the pipeline would create a permanent linear clearing across Shenandoah Mountain and Hankey Mountain that would be a pathway for invasives.   The 150' construction swath and permanent 75' swath would degrade habitat for the Cow Knob Salamander (found in the direct path of the pipeline) and would fragment the national forest, creating "edge effect", which favors nest predators like the cowbird over the wide variety of birds, like warblers and many songbirds that need unfragmented mature forest habitat.  It would also permanently degrade Braley Pond recreation area, which is popular for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, camping, and picnicking.  

Based on these impacts to the Shenandoah Mountain area, Friends of Shenandoah Mountain opposes the Dominion pipeline and has written to GWNF Supervisor Tom Speaks, asking him to deny Dominion a special use permit to build the pipeline.
2 Comments
Robin Fife
8/15/2014 11:26:00 am

Here is Tom Speaks contact info.
http://www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/contact-us/employee-search?first_name=tom&last_name=speaks&office=&=Search&tag=

Reply
David Patteson
8/15/2014 02:51:11 pm

My family and I live in Richmond and travel several times a year to Shenandoah Park and the GW Forest. Please do not permit Dominion to destroy one of the most pristine wildernesses in Virginia. We have plenty of Gas already (as we are now exporting it); we have so little pristine wilderness left!

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Contact Friends of Shenandoah Mountain
info@friendsofshenandoahmountain.org
5653 Beards Ford Rd.
Mt. Crawford, VA 22841
(540) 234-6273