The Supervisor of the Jefferson National Forest, Joby Timm, announced late Wednesday (2/28) that tree cutting associated with the Mountain Valley Pipeline can commence. While a Special Use Permit for the MVP had been issued earlier, the authority to cut trees required a separate approval process. Supervisor’s Timm’s announcement states:
This week, the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project will begin cutting trees in their right-of-way on National Forest Service lands. Cutting is anticipated to take approximately two weeks. To protect soil stability, the trees will then be left on the right-of-way until the project is ready to begin construction in May 2018.
The pipeline right-of-way crosses 3.6 miles of the JNF in Monroe County, West Virginia and Giles and Montgomery Counties in Virginia. The Forest Service anticipates a minimal disruption to the public during tree cutting on the right-of-way. The roads that will be utilized are primarily closed year-round to public motorized use or closed when work is anticipated.
This project supports federal policies emphasizing energy infrastructure, jobs, economic growth, and our agency’s efforts to provide for multiple use. The Forest Service authorization also continues to provide for social, economic, and ecological sustainability of the JNF.
For more information, please visit the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests website.
Tree cutting for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in the Monongahela and George Washington National Forests has not begun, as of this writing.