Acres reflected in this DRAFT Evaluation Report are current as of October 14

cached 8/14/02 from http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/gwj/lrmp/plandocs/raeval_brush_mtn_east.htm

Acres reflected in this DRAFT Evaluation Report are current as of October 14, 1999.

NAME: BRUSH MOUNTAIN EAST ROADLESS AREA ID NUMBER: 14109

(Audie Murphy Monument)

1. OVERVIEW

a. ACRES:

Forest Service 4,912
Private 32
Total 4,944

b. LOCATION, VICINITY, AND ACCESS: The Brush Mountain East roadless area is located on the Jefferson National Forest, Blacksburg Ranger District, Craig, Roanoke, and Montgomery Counties, Virginia. The area is situated on the north and south slopes of Brush Mountain and is found within portions of U.S.G.S. Virginia Quadrangles McDonalds Mill, Glenvar, and Looney. The area is generally bounded by private land to the north, east and south. An electric utility line corridor, to the west, separates this roadless area from the Brush Mountain roadless area. A short segment of another utility line corridor delineates a portion of the eastern boundary of the area near VA 620. Major vehicle access is provided by VA 621 from the west and north, VA 624 to Forest Development Road (FDR) 188.1 from the west and south and VA 620 from the east. FDR 188.1, an improved road, serves as a portion of the southwestern boundary of the area.

There is one improved road within the area. FDR 188.3 intersects with FDR 188.1 on the crest of Brush Mountain and runs east for 0.91 miles to where the road is gated just beyond the end of a private 32 acre inholding. A small parking lot is located on the west side of the gate. Total improved road mileage is 0.91 miles.

FDR 188.3 becomes an unimproved road, east of the gated area, and runs 0.77 miles further along the crest of Brush Mountain before it terminates. Total unimproved road mileage is 0.77 miles.

There is one Forest Development Trail (FDT) within the area. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (FDT 1) traverses the area for approximately 7.5 miles. The trail enters the area from VA 621, climbs to the crest of Brush Mountain, and runs eastward before exiting the area at VA 620. A short, 300 foot long, side trail off the Appalachain National Scenic Trail, leads to the Audie Murphy Monument on Brush Mountain. There are numerous old access and logging roads throughout the area. Some have become overgrown and impassable to anything but foot traffic. Others are keep open by hikers and hunters. Total maintained trail mileage is 7.5 miles.

c-e. GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, AND VEGETATION (including ECOSYSTEM TYPE): According to ecological mapping, the Brush Mountain East roadless area lies in the Ridge and Valley Subsection of the Northern Ridge and Valley Section within the Central Appalachian Broadleaf-Coniferous Forest-Meadow Province. This Section is characterized by northeast/southwest trending ridges of sandstone and shale with parallel drainages interspersed with broad limestone and shale valleys. Included in this area are Brush Mountain and, outside the area to the north, Sinking Creek Mountain. Slopes vary from very steep on sideslopes to gentle along some of the drainages. Drainage density is high. The area contains the headwaters of many tributaries that feed into Craig Creek to the north and Trout Creek to the east and south. Elevation ranges from approximately 1520 feet adjacent to where the Appalachian National Scenic Trail crosses over Craig Creek to 3070 feet at a point along the crest of Brush Mountain.

The roadless area is forested by eastern deciduous and coniferous species. Approximately three percent of the area has a site index of 70 or greater, indicating moderate to high productivity for tree growth. These areas occur in colluvial drainages or toeslopes or along alluvial floodplains of small to medium sized streams where yellow poplar, northern red oak, white oak, basswood, cucumbertree, white ash, eastern hemlock, white pine, and red maple dominate the overstory. The remaining 97 percent of the area has a site index of 60 or less, indicating a moderate to low productivity for tree growth. White oak, northern red oak, and hickory generally occur on north and west aspects. Chestnut oak, scarlet oak, and yellow pine occur on ridgetops and exposed south and east midslope aspects with yellow pine occurring on the driest sites. The area also contains several of Virginia's few remaining pure stands of table mountain pine. This species requires fire to reproduce and is becoming increasingly uncommon within its natural range due to fire exclusion. A population of box huckleberry is located within the area. This species also requires fire to ensure its longterm survival and vigor.

f. CURRENT USE: The area is primarily used for dispersed recreation activities such as hiking, hunting, and primitive camping. FDR 188.1 to FDR 188.3 is a popular access point to the area for hikers, hunters, and persons interested in visiting the Audie Murphy Monument. Approximately nine percent, or 439 acres, of the area are classified as suitable for timber production. Inventory data indicate that this area has 144 acres of outstanding privately owned mineral rights underlying Federal surface ownership.

g-h. APPEARANCE OF THE AREA AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SURROUNDING CONTIGUOUS AREAS: The 0.91 miles of improved road, 0.77 miles of unimproved road, 7.5 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Audie Murphy Monument, and some of the old access and logging roads are visually evident and influence ecoprocesses, as a minimum, in the vicinity of thse facilities. Some old roads are becoming overgrown and regaining a more natural appearance.

Most of the area was cut over and frequently burned in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Approximately 86 percent of the timber is in the 21-100 year old age class, three percent is in the 101 plus years class, and less than one percent in the 11-20 year old class. The area has 15 acres of possible inventoried old growth.

Featured species for the area is turkey. There are two maintained wildlife openings, totaling approximately five acres, within the roadless area boundary.

The northern, eastern, and southern portions of the area are bounded primarily by private property boundaries, with inclusions of National Forest land or VA 621 and 620. Private land is generally a combination of forest land, woodlots, farms, and residences. An electric utility line corridor forms the western boundary of the area. This corridor also separates this roadless area from the Brush Mountain roadless area, to the west. A short section of another electric utility line corridor forms a portion of the eastern boundary of the area.

VA 621 was recently widened and paved by the Virginia Department of Transportation in order to accommodate increased traffic and development on private lands adjacent to this road.

Mountain Lake Wilderness is the nearest existing wilderness to the area and is located approximately 10.5 airmiles northwest of the roadless area.

i. KEY ATTRACTIONS: Activities associated with hiking the Appalachain National Scenic Trail, hunting, and the Audie Murphy Monument are key attractions to the area. The 20 acre Brush Mountain Special Biological Area is located along the crest of Brush Mountain. A population of piratebush is located in this area. The occurrence of piratebush, in Virginia, is listed as rare by the Virginia Division of Natural Heritage and is considered a species of concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The area also contains a population of the sensitive species, box huckleberry, which is also listed by the Virginia Division of Natural Heritage as a very rare species in the state. There are no other known Federally proposed, endangered, threatened, or sensitive (PETS) species within the area.

2. WILDERNESS CAPABILITY

a-b. NATURAL INTEGRITY AND APPEARANCE: Natural processes are operating within the area and the area is somewhat affected by outside forces. Much of the Brush Mountain East roadless area appears to be natural but there are signs of disturbance. The improved and unimproved roads, maintained trail, and numerous old access and logging roads within the area are readily evident. If this roadless area becomes wilderness, improved road FDR 188.3 would be in wilderness and closed to all motorized traffic except for that traffic needed by the private landowner to access his inholding. The unimproved portion of FDR 188.3 would be closed and removed from the Forest's transportation system. Some of the old access and logging roads have become overgrown and impassable, causing minimal impact on the area's natural ecological processes. Other old roads are keep open by hikers and hunters and are evident. FDR 188.1 and the electric utility corridors, though outside the roadless area boundary, influence ecological processes around the periphery of the area. A small granite monument that commemorates the location of where Audie Murphy died in an airplane crash is located several hundred feet off the Appalachain National Scenic Trail near the crest of Brush Mountain. There are no acres of 0-10 year old age class timber within the area. The overall influence of human activities to the area is minimal, primarily due to the area's challenging topography. The influence of the wildland-urban interface continues to expand around the perimeter of the area. Traffic and development are increasing on adjacent private land.

c. OPPORTUNITY FOR SOLITUDE, CHALLENGE AND PRIMITIVE RECREATION: The Brush Mountain East roadless area is 4,944 acres in size, of which 4,912 acres are located on National Forest land and 32 acres are under private ownership. The area is generally located on the northern and southern sideslopes of Brush Mountain west of the New Castle and Blacksburg Ranger District boundary line along VA 620. Electric utility line corridors form the western and a portion of the eastern boundaries of the area. Private land, with small inclusions of National Forest land, borders the northern, eastern, and southern boundaries. Elevations range from approximately 1520 feet adjacent to Craig Creek to 3070 feet at a point along the crest of Brush Mountain. A solitude core area of 3,388 acres exists in the central and southern portions of the roadless area. A solitude core area refers to the semi-primitive Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) setting identified in the roadless inventory. The ratio of core acres of solitude to the roadless area is approximately 69 percent. Visitor use of the area can be described as moderate to high in the spring and fall and low during summer and winter. Visitor use is concentrated along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and FDR 188.3. The further one gets away from roads, trails, and the periphery of the area, the greater the feeling of being in an unconfined, natural area since the area appears to be relatively free from disturbance. However, some areas may be impacted around the periphery of the area by noises associated with traffic on improved roads, noises from the electric utility corridors, or activities from adjoining private land, which may reduce the feeling of solitude and isolation.

Much of the terrain in this roadless area is steep and rugged, offering the visitor good opportunities for self-reliance and challenge in orienteering and back country primitive camping. It is possible that one may encounter life-threatening situations but one does not expect them. It is possible that one may become lost. Level of personal risk increases as one gets further away from the edge of the roadless area and away from roads and trails. The features of the area require the visitor to use a degree of outdoor skills to traverse the area.

Brush Mountain East roadless area does present a range of dispersed recreational activities which are typically found on the Jefferson National Forest. Activities such as hiking, hunting, and primitive camping are present in the area.

d. SPECIAL FEATURES (ECOLOGICAL, GEOLOGICAL, SCIENTIFIC, EDUCATIONAL, SCENIC, HISTORICAL, AND RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS AND ANIMALS): Brush Mountain East roadless area is within the Ridge and Valley Subsection of the Northern Ridge and Valley Ecosystem Section (4,912 acres). This ecosystem subsection and section is represented by the following wildernesses, totaling 32,312 acres, on the Jefferson National Forest: Beartown, Kimberling Creek, Peters Mountain, Mountain Lake, Barbours Creek, and Shawvers Run. Within the southern Appalachians, 11 wildernesses and 43 roadless areas are classified within this subsection.

Geologic rock types of this area are dominated by shale and sandstone. Sandstone is found on the upper slopes and ridgetops while shale is found on the lower slopes and in the valley.

There are no designated Research Natural Areas or Experimental Forests within the roadless area. The area's large relief and highly dissected topography creates a wide range of ecological types from hot, dry windswept ridgetops to moist, protected coves near Craig Creek.

The Brush Mountain Special Biological Area provides opportunities for scientific study and educational purposes related to piratebush, box huckleberry, and table mountain pine. Both box huckleberry and table mountain pine require fire in their ecosystem to perpetuate the species.

The majority of the area, approximately 88 percent, is in the Dry/Dry-Mesic Oak-Pine ecological community type. The Dry Mesic Oak type represents about nine percent of the area while the Xeric Pine/Pine-Oak type represents three percent of the area. The Conifer/Northern Hardwood, and other minor ecological community types, represent less than one percent of the area.

There are 15 acres of inventoried possible old growth. The ecological community type represented is: 15 acres Dry/Dry-Mesic Oak-Pine (0 acres suitable) which represents 0.3 percent of the Forest's total.

Approximately 89 percent of the area is classified as having high existing scenic integrity.

Mountain Lake Wilderness is the nearest existing wilderness to the area and is located approximately 10.5 airmiles northwest of the roadless area.

e. SIZE, SHAPE AND MANAGEABILITY: The size and shape of Brush Mountain East roadless area makes its preservation as potential wilderness practical. Most of the boundary follows property lines, FDR 188.1, VA 621 and 620, or electric utility corridors. FDR 188.3 accesses the private inholding on the south side of Brush Mountain, and is also a popular access point for hikers, hunters, and those wishing to visit the Audie Murphy Monument. Closing this road to all traffic, except to the owners of the inholding, would likely be controversial. Although surrounding private lands contrast somewhat with the area, the effects are generally limited to the periphery along the boundary and in the vicinity of FDR 188.3 of the roadless area. There are 144 acres of privately owned outstanding mineral rights underlying Federal surface ownership within the roadless area.

f. BOUNDARY CONDITIONS, NEEDS AND MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS: Forest Service boundary lines, FDR 188.1, VA 621 and 620, and electric utility corridors delineate the entire area. An offset from FDR 188.1, VA 621 and 620, and the utility corridors would enhance wilderness characteristics of the area by avoiding impacts that are a result of engineering work to the roads (brush clearing, grading, culvert installation and cleaning, paving, gravel placement, etc.) or utility line corridor maintenance. An offset of 100 feet from the centerline of FDR 188.1 and the edge of utility corridors is recommended while a 300 foot offset from the centerline of State roads is recommended. A possible management solution concerning established access to the area via FDR 188.3 would be to eliminate the area south of this road up to the gate just beyond the private inholding, then running an area boundary line south along the eastern end of the inholding to the National Forest boundary. This would reduce the roadless area size from 4,912 acres to approximately 4,772 acres.

3. AVAILABILITY FOR WILDERNESS

a. RECREATION, INCLUDING TOURISM: There are no developed recreation sites within this roadless area. Hiking, hunting, and primitive camping are key recreation activities within the area. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail traverses about 7.5 miles of the area. The Audie Murphy Monument attracts a number of visitors each year to the site where Murphy died in an airplane crash. Murphy was a well known decorated soldier from World War II that went on to become a popular movie star. The population center of Blacksburg is approximately 30 minutes away from the area. No impacts to current recreation uses would be expected to occur should this area be designated as wilderness.

b. WILDLIFE: The Brush Mountain roadless area provides habitat for a diversity of wildlife species. Featured species of the area is turkey. If this roadless area is designated as wilderness, maintenance of the wildlife openings would be discontinued.

c. WATER AVAILABILITY AND USE: The roadless area contains the headwaters of many tributaries that feed into Craig Creek to the north and Trout Creek to the east and south. There are no known water storage needs or any existing special use water permit authorizations. Water quality is expected to remain at its current level whether or not the area is designated as wilderness.

d-f. LIVESTOCK, TIMBER, AND MINERALS: There are no livestock operations nor potential for such operations. Approximately nine percent of the area, or 439 acres, is classified as suitable for timber production. In the past 20 years, 11 acres of timber has been harvested. Timber harvest, and the associated production of wood products from this area, would be precluded by wilderness designation. The 439 acres of suitable lands within this roadless area represents approximately 0.1 percent of all lands suitable for timber production on the Jefferson National Forest. No Federal oil and gas leases are in effect in this area as of October 1999. The potential for energy minerals, primarily natural gas, is estimated to be low to moderate. The area was leased under a Federal oil and gas lease in the 1980's. No oil or gas wells were drilled and the Federal lease expired. The potential for other leasable minerals, including metallic minerals, is estimated to be low.

g. CULTURAL RESOURCES: Approximately 74 acres have been surveyed for cultural resources, as of March 1998, within the roadless area. No cultural resources have been identified. The remaining area exhibits a moderate to high potential for prehistoric and historic resources.

h. LAND USES: No special use permit authorizations have been issued within this roadless area. A 32 acre private inholding is located on the south side of FDR 188.3 in the southwestern portion of the area.

i. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS (FIRE, INSECTS/DISEASE, AND NON-FEDERAL LANDS): Present fire control techniques could be altered if this roadless area was designated wilderness. Mechanized ground-fire suppression is an important management tool that would be lost unless specifically approved in a wilderness resource management plan. The roadless area is bounded primarily by private lands to the north, east, and south. Wilderness designation may limit options for containing fires on private and/or federal lands. The Brush Mountain East roadless area is expected to be in the generally infested area for gypsy moth in the next five to ten years, dependent upon the success of gypsy moth Slow-the-Spread efforts to the north in Virginia and West Virginia, and to the south in North Carolina. Mortality in already stressed stands can be severe (up to 25-30 percent) following a first defoliation and oaks are the preferred hosts. Approximately 97 percent of the area is composed of the Dry Mesic Oak and Dry/Dry-Mesic Oak-Pine ecological community types. Wilderness designation would make control of insect and disease infestations more difficult, thus increasing the chance that they may spread to other National Forest land and/or private land.