View into Highland County from the crest of Shenandoah Mountain at Confederate Breastworks on Rt. 250. Photo © Han Park On Thursday, Jan. 9, the Highland County Chamber of Commerce endorsed the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (SMNSA) proposal following a presentation by Friends Co-Chair Lynn Cameron.
Of the 90,000-acre proposal, 6,000 acres on the western flank of Shenandoah Mountain is in Highland County. Designation of the SMNSA will help draw tourists to the western part of the Shenandoah Valley and into Highland County, which will help the county's tourism economy. The permanent designation will protect clean water, outdoor recreational resources, and wildlife habitat.
Once enacted, the SMNSA will be off limits to industrial development, like fracking for natural gas, mining, and other development that would mar the natural character of the area and threaten crucial resources it supplies to the surrounding counties and cities.
Visitors to the SMNSA will continue to enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, horseback riding, and scenic driving, just as they do now.
The proposal is entirely on National Forest land and will not affect any private property.
Of the 90,000-acre proposal, 6,000 acres on the western flank of Shenandoah Mountain is in Highland County. Designation of the SMNSA will help draw tourists to the western part of the Shenandoah Valley and into Highland County, which will help the county's tourism economy. The permanent designation will protect clean water, outdoor recreational resources, and wildlife habitat.
Once enacted, the SMNSA will be off limits to industrial development, like fracking for natural gas, mining, and other development that would mar the natural character of the area and threaten crucial resources it supplies to the surrounding counties and cities.
Visitors to the SMNSA will continue to enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, horseback riding, and scenic driving, just as they do now.
The proposal is entirely on National Forest land and will not affect any private property.
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