Laurel Fork South Wilderness is a U.S.

Wilderness Area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

located in the Greenbrier Ranger District of

Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Regi ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. The Wilderness protects high-elevation lands along

Laurel Fork (Cheat River) Laurel Fork is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 river in eastern West Virginia, USA. It is a tributary of the Dry Fork; via the Dry Fork, the Black Fo ...

and is bordered by

Middle Mountain Middle Mountain is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness The Desolation Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basi ...

to the west. It is a companion to

Laurel Fork North Wilderness Laurel Fork North Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Greenbrier Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The Wilderness protects high-elevation lands along Laurel Fork (Cheat River) and is bordered by Midd ...

, the two being split by Randolph County Route 40. Laurel Fork South contains of hiking trails.

History

The land that now comprises Laurel Fork South Wilderness was once private forestland owned by the Laurel River Lumber Company. The area was first logged by floating the logs down the Laurel Fork, and later by railroad. By 1921, the virgin forestland was fully logged. The

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

acquired the area soon thereafter, adding it to

. Laurel Fork South and Laurel Fork North Wildernesses were designated in 1983 by the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, Land Designations law. Laurel Fork South was reduced by approximately by the

Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (, ) is a land management law passed in the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. The bill designates millions of acres in the US as protected a ...

to allow vehicle travel on Forest Road 424 in the eastern edge of the Wilderness.

References

{{Protected Areas of West Virginia IUCN Category Ib Monongahela National Forest Protected areas of Pocahontas County, West Virginia Protected areas of Randolph County, West Virginia Wilderness areas of West Virginia Protected areas established in 1983 1983 establishments in West Virginia

History

See also

References