BRIEFS
WV HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY PREPARES TO LAUNCH VOLUNTEER STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM IN DOLLY SODS By HO Staff
Throughout the outdoor literature canon, there are seemingly endless accounts of treasured places being loved to death. Many would argue that, in West Virginia, the Dolly Sods Wilderness is at the top of that list. This 17,776-acre wilderness area is no stranger to steady use throughout the year by throngs of in and out of state visitors. While public land is open to all, and folks should always feel welcome to enjoy their public lands, wild places like Dolly Sods have a carrying capacity. Increased and consistent visitation can show visible impacts to overused areas like parking lots, roads, backcountry campsites, and trails. Last year’s explosion in tourism to the Sods, no doubt brought on by folks looking to head to the hills during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in traffic jams, trampled plants, cutting of standing trees, trashing of campsites, and plenty of
TP-topped poop bombs right off the trails (gross, folks). David Johnston, lead contact for the program and member of the WVHC Public Lands Committee (PLC), said the project grew organically from discussions within the committee about the need to respond to rapidly increased visitation and pressures from the growing impacts on the landscape. “We all saw what was happening at Dolly Sods and all over the country last year, and we thought we ought to do something about it,” Johnston said. “WVHC was instrumental in the designation of the Dolly Sods Wilderness, and we have a special sense of stewardship for the area.” The PLC worked with the MNF to discuss primary areas of need and developed the program to “chip away” at some of the urgent issues affecting the Sods. According to Johnston, the initial push will focus on the Wilderness Stewards Program, which will station trained volunteers at popular trailheads on weekends to educate visitors about wilderness etiquette and Leave No Trace ethics. Volunteers will discuss the special characteristics of a designated wilderness, how to prepare for navigation and weather challenges, how to choose a campsite, how to find wood for and build a proper camp-
fire, the importance of packing out food scraps and trash, and how to properly pee and poo in nature. The MNF will also construct voluntary sign-in boxes at trailheads using materials donated by WVHC, and volunteers will keep them supplied and maintained, forwarding the information to the Forest Service. Johnston said the first step in being able to make needed change in the Sods involves having information, and these voluntary hiker check-in ledgers are a great way to collect and supply data to the MNF. “It’s one thing to say we know a whole lot of people are going back there, but to make a case for increasing resources, we need hard numbers to help with that,” Johnston said. Latter stages of the project will involve yearly inventory and assessment of backcountry campsites, as well as trail crews to do rehabilitation and maintenance work guided by the MNF. Johnston, along with fellow WVHC volunteers, staged a dry run of the messaging for the trailhead stewardship aspect of the program over the rainy Memorial Day weekend, and said the team was pleased with the result. “We were pleasantly surprised with how open people were in talking with us and asking questions,” Johnston said. “We came away with a good feeling that this is something of value and would help in the long-term to preserve the area.” No special skills or background is required to participate as a Wilderness Steward. Interested folks are encouraged to complete two self-guided online courses on the principles of wilderness and Leave No Trace ethics. The MNF plans to provide training on effective trailhead messaging. The program is not ready to kick off yet, but if you’d like to learn more or sign up to become a wilderness steward when available, follow the WVHC Facebook page for updates on news and trainings: facebook. com/WVHighlandsConservancy/ w
Illegal cutting of standing trees in Dolly Sods Wilderness.
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HIGHLAND OUTDOORS
SUMMER 2021
Jimmy Christhilf
Wilderness lovers, rejoice! The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WVHC) and some of its dedicated volunteers are working on a partnership with the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) to launch a stewardship program in the Dolly Sods Wilderness. The program seeks to address negative impacts to the landscape brought on by increased visitation and poor backcountry etiquette.
