Gaudineer Scenic Area
| Gaudineer Scenic Area | |
|---|---|
 Hiking trail in Gaudineer Scenic Area. | |
  Location of Gaudineer Scenic Area in West Virginia | |
| Location | West Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°37′41″N 79°50′33″W / 38.62806°N 79.84250°W |
| Area | 140 acres (57 ha)[1] |
| Elevation | 3,996 ft (1,218 m) |
| Established | October 1964[1] |
| Operator | Monongahela National Forest |
| Website | Gaudineer Scenic Area |
The Gaudineer Scenic Area (GSA) is a scenic area and National Natural Landmark in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). It is situated just north of Gaudineer Knob of Shavers Mountain on the border of Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia, USA, about 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of the town of Durbin.
Description
The GSA is located in the Greenbrier Ranger District of the MNF. It lies near the crest of Shavers Mountain immediately north of Gaudineer Knob, the mountain's highest peak at 4,432 feet (1,351 m). The Scenic Area itself is at about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Its total land area is 140 acres (570,000 m2) and approximately 50 acres (200,000 m2) of the area is classified as
Forest Service authorities estimate the total wood volume of the 140-acre (570,000 m2) tract at 1,500,000 board feet (3,500 m3).History
The area surrounding the GSA was thoroughly
Some years before the
magnetic, not true north. In this area the angle of declination is about four degrees, a significant source of error on a seven-mile [11 km] front ... An experienced Virginia surveyor, in checking the data, discovered the error but said nothing about it. Presently, however, when the sale was being concluded and the deeds recorded, he brought the error to light, and under a sort of "doctrine of vacancy" claimed the wedge of land left by a corrected survey. His title was established, and he and his heirs found themselves owner of a seven-mile strip of forest, aggregating almost 900 acres [3.6 km2]. While timber above and below the wedge was cut, this narrow holding was undisturbed. Its thickest end, a fringe of tall spruces on the near horizon, is just east of Gaudineer Tower. From these trees came seed to produce a new forest, a happy result of a hundred-year-old mistake.[3]
The tract was eventually purchased by the Forest Service at the insistence of former MNF Supervisor Arthur A. Wood, who believed that future generations should know what an Appalachian spruce stand was like.
In October 1964 the Regional Forester designated this area as a Scenic Area and the Forest Service began to manage it as such. In December 1974 the GSA was designated a National Natural Landmark for its exceptional value.[4] In May 1983 it was registered by the Society of American Foresters as an outstanding example of a vegetative community in a near natural condition dedicated for scientific and educational purposes.
See also
- Shavers Fork Mountain Complex
- List of old growth forests
- List of National Natural Landmarks in West Virginia
References
- ^ a b c Monongahela National Forest: Gaudineer Scenic Area, accessed April 1, 2008
- ^ "Randolph County Convention & Visitors Bureau Webpage on GSA". Archived from the original on 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
- Houghton Mifflin Company, pp 71-72.
- ^ "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
Year designated: 1974