How to Comment to the Jefferson National Forest on the MVP

The  U.S. Forest Service needs to hear from you! Groundwater resources both within the Forest Service lands and in neighboring watersheds in Monroe, Giles, Craig, and Montgomery Counties are at risk (Update February 2017).

What key points should I include?

  1. Urge the Forest Service to follow their own process  in deciding whether to allow the radical changes to the Forest Service Land and Resource Management Plan that would be required in order to permit the MVP. The Forest Service is an independent agency. It should not adopt the FERC’s Environmental Impact Statement concerning amendments to the Land and Resource Management Plan. The Forest Service should not be rushed.
  2. The public interest has not been established to justify this degradation of public lands. Pipeline construction and operation will have significant permanent environmental and economic impacts, affecting an important region that hosts the Appalachian Trail as well as the Peters Mountain and Brush Mountain Wilderness areas.
  3. The Forest Service must consider the impacts of its decision on neighboring lands and water resources. The Kastning Report and a recent supporting comment by Carl Zipper (1/26/17) have established the significant risk associated MVP’s proposed route across the Valley and Ridge region of Virginia and West Virginia.
  4. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is “strongly opposed to the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline project,” which it has called one of the worst proposed crossings it has reviewed, with significant impacts on the scenic landscape of the Appalachian Trail, and which could “potentially lead to millions of dollars in lost revenue for communities that rely on outdoor recreation-based tourism.”

Where do I get more background information about the U.S. Forest Service crossing the Jefferson National Forest?

  • “Send a Comment to the U.S. Forest Service” (pdf – also below on this page) – Why and how to comment about the Four Proposed Amendments to the Forest Plan.
  • Read the “Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) Comment about the DEIS” (pdf).
  • Link to the Jefferson National Forest website MVP pages. http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gwj/landmanagement/projects/?cid=stelprd3827827
  • Dr. Ernst Kastning
    • The Kastning Report and a recent supporting comment by Carl Zipper (1/26/17) have established the significant risk associated MVP’s proposed route across the Valley and Ridge region of Virginia and West Virginia.
    • Kastning concludes that: “the karst and associated hazards [steep slopes, unstable soils prone to landslides, seismic zone] constitute a serious incompatibility with the proposed pipeline.” He says it renders this a ‘no-build’ zone for such a project.
  • The Forest Plan amendment proposal would create a 500-ft “Utility Corridor” across Peters Mountain. This would be disastrous for Monroe County. If you haven’t already sent a comment about the amendments, please send a letter.
    • Amendment 1 would create a 500-foot “Designated Utility Corridor” that could be used to locate gas, electricity or water transmission lines in the This would attract yet more pipelines to cross a region already described as a no-build zone.
    • Amendment 2 would grant waivers from current National Forest standards on soil conditions and riparian corridors
    • Amendment 3 would allow logging of old growth forest habitat currently maintained in a special forest management
    • Amendment 4 would authorize a destructive crossing of the historic Appalachian Scenic Trail, permanently changing the scenic quality from High to Moderate.

Where do I send my comment?

Set up your letter so it goes to both the Forest Service and the FERC.

(Create one letter; send it to all three recipients below.)

RE:  Objections to crossing of U.S. Forest Service Lands by Mountain Valley Pipeline
Docket CP16-10-000

Address information – Send your letter or comment to BOTH the Forest Service and to FERC

1) U.S. Forest Service George Washington and Jefferson National Forest
Send your comment by email or mail to:

Mr. Joby Timm
Forest Supervisor
George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, Virginia 24019
Email: jtimm@fs.fed.us

Ms. Jennifer Adams
Special Project Coordinator
George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, Virginia 24019
Email: jenniferpadams@fs.fed.us

2) The FERC – Submit your comment online or by mail.

Online: To submit a comment to FERC online:

1. Go to https://ferconline.ferc.gov/ and click on “e-Comment.”
2. Fill in the information field and look for an e-mail from FERC.
3. Click on the link in that email and enter the docket number for the pipeline you wish to comment on: Mountain Valley Pipeline CP 16-10-000 (or CP 16-10)
4. You may also click “e-Subscribe” to receive alerts and the content of other comments.

By Mail: Address a hand-written or typed comment to:

Ms. Kimberly Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE, Room 1A
Washington, D.C. 20426#send-comment