Roanoke County opposes proposed sale of National Forest land

March 16, 2006 · Filed Under Uncategorized 

As I reported before, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors met to consider the proposed sale of National Forest land by the Bush Administration.

The Board unanimously voted to oppose the sale of the National Forest land within the boundaries of Roanoke County.

From The Roanoke Times-

“If we were talking about land that could be returned to some useful purpose, that would be one thing,” said Hollins District Supervisor Richard Flora of the Catawba site, “but this is rattlesnake country. It’s all ridge tops and steep slopes. … This is the kind of land the forest service should own.”

The resolution said “this proposal would reverse decades of hard work to protect through public stewardship and management the vulnerable ridgelines and mountainsides, and would eliminate public open space and recreational uses.

“The resolution also asserts that “if this property were sold and developed it would have the following harmful effects upon the County: harm to the viewsheds from the Catawba community and the Appalachian Trail, and potential for soil erosion, soil loss, water runoff, flooding and loss of forested lands.”

The resolution will be forwarded to U.S. Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, who chairs the powerful House Agriculture Committee that oversees the Forest Service, and Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, and Virginia Sens. John Warner and George Allen.

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