March 2007 - Friends of Blackwater Canyon

March 2007
Address Service Requested
NON-PROFIT ORG
U. S. POSTAGE
P A I D
PERMIT NO. 1409
CHAS WV 25301
Friends of Blackwater
Save Our Squirrel Campaign Coalition Wins Extension of Squirrel
Comment Period -- April 23 rd is new deadline.
More than twenty-five groups have joined
the “SOS - Save Our Squirrel” Coalition to keep
federal protection for “Ginny”, the endangered
West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel, a beloved
resident of the Blackwater region.
The SOS Coalition now includes Heartwood,
The Wilderness Society, the Ohio Valley
Environmental Coalition, the West Virginia E-
Council, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy,
Appalachian Voices, the Southern Appalachian
Biodiversity Project, the Southern Environmental
Law Center, the Southern Appalachian Forest
Coalition, WildLaw, the Sierra Club Appalachian
Region, Virginia Forest Watch, National Wildlife
Federation, Blue Heron Environmental Network,
and the Endangered Species Coalition.
Additional members are American Lands,
Potomac Valley Audubon Society, Sustainable
L i v i n g f o r
West Virginia,
M i s s o u r i
F o r e s t
A l l i a n c e ,
Stewards of
the Potomac
H i g h l a n d s ,
K e n t u c k y
H e a r t w o o d , T h e M a r y l a n d
Conservation Council, the West Virginia
Rivers Coalition, The Center for Biological
Diversity, La Paix Herb Farm, and The West
Virginia Wildlife Federation.
Whew -- what a team!
West Virginia Congressmen Nick Rahall and
Alan Mollohan have already helped us get the
comment period on the “delisting” proposal
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Declines
to Sign Forest Service Plan to Destroy Canyon Trail;
Congressman Mollohan Weighs In for Trail
The Blackwater Canyon Trail Protection
Campaign received a boost when the West Virginia
State Historic Protection Office (SHPO) refused
to sign on to a Forest Service “Programmatic
Agreement” -- that would allow Allegheny Wood
Products (“AWP”) to destroy cut-stone archways
and other remains of the 1890’s railroading era in
Blackwater Canyon.
Protection of historic resources along the
Blackwater Canyon Trail was raised in comments
challenging the Forest Service’s Draft Environmental
Impact Statement and Preferred Alternative, which
would allow AWP to turn the public Trail into a
Inside this Edition
Director’s Letter - Page 2
Save Cheat Canyon - Page 3
Keep Dolly Sods Wild - Page 4
SOS! Save Our Squirrel - Page 5
Images of Blackwater - Page 6 & 7
2006 Membership and Supporters - Page 8
Nature Notes: Allegheny Owls - Page 9
Blackwater Heritage:
Treasured Mountain Memories - Page 10
In Memory & Honor - George Breiding - Page 11
Membership Form - Page 12
SOS! Comment Letter - Page 12
extended to April 23, 2007.
Our coalition says that the Fish and Wildlife
Service has failed to establish squirrel population
numbers or trends, and has ignored known threats
to the squirrel. They want to give the timber
industry unfettered access to the most important
part of Ginny’s habitat – the older growth northern
continued See SOS! Page 2
BLACKWATER CANYON TRAIL PROTECTION CAMPAIGN GETS A BOOST
logging haul road. The Forest Service did not
include the public in a historical resources review.
In March of 2006, Friends of Blackwater and
the Wilderness Society asked to be part of this
review, followed by the National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
The review, under Section 106 of the Historic
Preservation Act, is called a consultation, and
involves the SHPO, the Forest Service, AWP and
the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
-- plus advocacy groups that ask to be parties. It
has been a difficult process, so far, with the Forest
Service and the timber company refusing to share
the document that describes the proposed land deal
or the survey of the property line, or to rule out
continued See Trail Page 2
Working to protect West Virginia’s Highlands, including the Blackwater River watershed and the Blackwater Canyon.
501 Elizabeth Street - Charleston, WV 25311 H 1-877-WVA-LAND H fax 304-345-3240 H www.saveblackwater.org H info@saveblackwater.org

March 2007 March 2007
Board of Directors
Judy Rodd - President
Paul Hill - Vice-President
Jeannie Dalporto -
Secretary
Linda Cooper - Treasurer
Sandy Fisher
Sheila McEntee
Advisory Board
Annie Dillard - Author
Larry Groce - Director, Mountain
Stage
Jason Halbert
David Hammer, Esq.
Alan Karlin, Esq.
Patrick McGinley -
Professor of Law
Deborah McHenry, Esq.
Rafe Pomerance -
former US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of
State for Environment
Joe Riffenberger -
Wildlife Biologist
J. Lawrence Smith -
Author
Steve White, Esq.
Christopher Wood -
former Senior Advisor
to US Forest Service
Titles for identification purposes only.
Page 2
Staff
Judy Rodd, Director
John Brown
Brandae Mullins
Nancy Spencer
Notes from the Director
Dear Friend of Blackwater,
It was up to us.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, charged with enforcing the
Endangered Species Act, wouldn’t do their job.
So, it was “up to us” to protect the Cheat snail and its habitat – and we
did it!
We are working hard to make the same kind of real and lasting
difference -- in protecting the Blackwater Canyon region, and its mascot
species, “Ginny”, the endangered West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel.
The agencies that should be protecting Blackwater and Ginny are not
doing their job. National Forest officials won’t protect the historic Canyon
Trail, and rollbacks are practically the norm at the Fish and Wildlife Service.
So it’s “up to us” to protect these special West Virginia high mountain
places and creatures for all of us -- and for our children and grandchildren.
We love to hear from you. We try to earn your ongoing support and
confidence every day. Thank you ,especially for writing letters and e-mails
and making calls to public officials.
It’s up to us -- and we are doing it!
Trail (continued from page 1)
destruction of historic sites.
West Virginia Congressman
Alan Mollohan has been
supportive of Trail protection,
and has challenged the Forest
Service’s approach to the issue.
In a letter of January 19, 2007
Mollohan said,
“I continue to be deeply
concerned about the impacts
that grant of an easement would
have on the trail, which, as the
Forest Service has recognized,
has tremendous value because
of its scenic views and the
recreational opportunities
it offers. I am particularly
concerned about the possibility
of such a grant in effect
converting the trail
i n t o a n
industrial haul road.”
On February 13 th , 2007
Mollohan questioned Mark
Rey, the head of the Forest
Service, about the Blackwater
Trail at a meeting of the House
Appropriations Committee
on Capitol Hill. We deeply
appreciate the Congressman
taking our issue to the highest
levels of government! We’ll
keep you posted with the latest
developments on this breaking
issue.
*You can help protect the
Blackwater Canyon Trail by
signing our on-line petition
asking West Virginia’s
Governor Joe Manchin to
protect this special place! Go
to www.saveblackwater.org
or mail in the coupon on page
12.
Sincerely,
Judy Rodd
SOS! Continued from Page 1
hardwood forest. There is
already a “cover-up” brewing
-- Fish and Wildlife has refused
to release 2,325 pages of public
documents about their proposal.
We are appealing this action,
and asking that the comment
period remain open until we get
all the documents and are able
to review them. Congressman
Rahall supports us in this
request.
You can help protect Ginny
and her mountain home. Logon
to www.saveblackwater.
org and click on the picture
of the flying squirrel to get to
a comment form and sample
letter. Please get friends and
family to comment as well! And
thank you for your generous
donations, which support this
campaign to protect the integrity
of the Endangered Species
Act.
LINKS OF INTEREST
The following links come to us from Dave Watson. He
provides great information on biking the Blackwater
Canyon. Thanks Dave!
http://www.wvbike.org/~trails/blackwater_circle/index.html
http://www.wvbike.org/~trails/west_fork_trail/index.html
USA Today Highlights
Blackwater on
Valentine’s Day!
50 Dates in
50 States
Roses and chocolates
are fine, but there’s nothing
like wanderlust to make a
traveler’s heart beat faster.
With Valentine’s Day as
inspiration, USA TODAY’s travel
staff asked local experts for
each state and the District
of Columbia to pick a favorite
romantic experience that
can be enjoyed on Feb. 14 or
beyond. From hobnobbing with
butterflies in Sioux Falls, S.D.,
to hot-tubbing on Orcas Island,
Wash., here’s what put stars in
their eyes.
WEST VIRGINIA
Watch the flames in a stone
fireplace in a cabin at
Blackwater Falls State Park
in the Allegheny Mountains,
after a day of cross-country
skiing or hiking to the Lindy
Point Overlook and sharing
the kiss-me-quick view of
Blackwater Canyon.
*Recommended by Sheila
McEntee, editor, Wonderful
West Virginia.
Article excerpted from USA Today,
originally printed on February 9, 2007.
CHEAT CANYON VICTORY!!
Congratulations -- we won a big one!
The supporters of Friends of Blackwater have put in place the first ever court-approved endangered species protection plan in West Virginia. The
detailed, multi-year plan protects critical habitat for the rare Cheat three-tooth snail (triodopsis platysayoides), which lives in rock crevices in the heart of
the Cheat Canyon near Morgantown, West Virginia. Scientists will call the shots in defining protected areas.
Here’s a brief run-down on this campaign -- and how we won it:
Three years ago, the news leaked out that the timber company Allegheny Wood Products was preparing
to build logging roads and timber in the Cheat Canyon – right in the middle of the steep, rocky
woodland habitat of the rare Cheat snail. This tiny creature, on the Endangered Species list since July
3, 1978, is cute, delicate, and dangerously slow-moving – no match for a bulldozer.
Scientists and outdoor lovers who care about the snail and the Cheat Canyon contacted Friends of
Blackwater. “We have to do something!” they said. “The federal and state authorities say their hands are tied.”
OK, we said – what’s at stake here? Our members want us to defend the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) in the West Virginia Highlands -- the “ESA”
is crucial to protecting the Blackwater Canyon. Shall we jump in and fight -- or shall we let the bulldozers crush the snails to smithereens?
It was a no-brainer. “It will take a big effort,” we resolved, “but we will try to protect this tiny snail and the Endangered Species Act!”
We got to work. Attorney Josh Barrett of DiTrapano, Barrett and DiPiero filed a groundbreaking lawsuit and spent hundreds of hours on the case -- including
flying to Washington, DC for high-level negotiations. Josh teamed up with ESA specialists Eric Glitzenstein and Erin Tobin at Myer, Glitzenstein,
and Crystal in Washington, DC. We owe these three dedicated professionals so much.
We alerted our members and supporters, who donated generously to pay campaign expenses. We worked with organizational partners, including
CLEAR(Cheat Lake Environment and Recreation Association) and the West Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. We mobilized scientists, and did mailings
and newsletters. Research scientists evaluated the snail’s critical needs and habitat with financial support from the Coopers Rock Foundation,
Defenders of Wildlife and the World Wildlife Fund. Duane Nichols, Paul Wilson, and Ann Chester did huge amounts of organizing work. Ken Hotopp,
field biologist and snail man extraordinare, shared his expert knowledge of the Cheat snail every step of the way. Thanks and congratulations to these
valiant warriors!
Finally, in January 2007, the timber company agreed to a settlement. On February 5, 2007 the federal court approved a comprehensive environmental
protection plan for the Cheat snail that includes the ongoing involvement of environmental representatives and their experts. A link to the entire plan
document is on our website, www.saveblackwater.org. If you want a copy by mail, call or write us.
Today, the Cheat snail and its Cheat Canyon habitat enjoy a much higher degree of legal protection than before. Friends of Blackwater will be alert and
involved -- to turn that legal protection into a strong reality.
Meanwhile, we can all pat ourselves on the back, and celebrate a real accomplishment. Congratulations!
Soar On Legal Eagles
It was crucial, in protecting
the Cheat snail, to have a
powerful legal team.
We celebrate that team --
Josh, Eric, and Erin – and
we also celebrate the many
other wonderful lawyers
who over the past ten
years have helped the Save
Blackwater campaign. For
example:
In 1999, Jason Huber went
to federal court to protect
“Ginny”, the West Virginia
Northern Flying Squirrel,
and her habitat in the Canyon
– and as a result, hundreds
of acres were protected. In
2000, William dePollo
appeared before the Public
Service Commission, and
succeeded in keeping
industrial wind turbines away
from the Canyon. Today,
SAVE CHEAT CANYON!
Through partnerships, working to protect the endangered species of the Cheat Canyon by limiting logging and road building.
Dierdre Purdy of the Bailey
and Glasser firm is
providing top-drawer legal
counsel to our Trail
Protection campaign.
The power and value of the
highly specialized,
absolutely necessary work
that has been done by these
seasoned advocates is
huge. Their providing large
amounts of their time and
WE LOVE THOSE
LAWYERS!
labor and ability in the
service of this public effort is
noble.
Jason Huber, Pat
McGinley, Dave Hammer,
Deborah McHenry, Jim
Zimarowski, John Wiley, and
Pat Maroney are some more
“Esquires” who have strongly
supported the Blackwater
protection effort.
We
appreciate the heck out of
each and every one of our
legal friends!
Page 3

March 2007 March 2007
WV DNR Confirms
Nesting Pair of Bald Eagles on the
Allegheny Front Near the
NedPower Industrial Wind Project*
Eagles have been killed by industrial wind
turbines around the world.
Dead sea eagle at an industrial wind farm in Smola, Norway
Dead eagle at an industrial wind farm in Aragon, Spain.
Working in coalition to achieve siting regulations for industrial wind projects in WV, while challenging those projects
that degrade special places, like Dolly Sods.
Mollohan pushing PSC on wind farm studies
By Paul J. Nyden
Staff writer Charleston Daily Mail
Rep. Alan Mollohan says he wants the state
Public Service Commission to look more
carefully into the potential environmental impact of
windmills proposed by companies like NedPower
Mount Storm and Shell WindEnergy Inc.
“The whole issue of industrial windmill
siting is an important public policy question,” said
Mollohan, D-W.Va., on Friday. “It cries out for public
debate and legislative action to put some real siting
criteria into place.”
In a Jan. 31 letter, Mollohan urged the PSC to
work more closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service about the impact huge windmills have on
animals such as birds and bats.
The PSC, Mollohan wrote, has “no basis to
conclude that the service has approved the
studies conducted by NedPower” about risks
posed to migratory birds, including rare species.
NedPower told the PSC it had “not received
comments from the [Fish and Wildlife] Service
indicating a disagreement with the findings
that the company has made,” Mollohan wrote.
“Quite clearly, the commission cannot base any
finding regarding the position of the Fish and
Wildlife Service on testimony such as that.”
Christopher I. Callas, a lawyer with Jackson &
Kelly PLLC who represents NedPower, wrote to
the PSC on Feb. 8 criticizing the “untimeliness” of
Mollohan’s letter.
Mollohan, Callas wrote, asked for “certain actions
and opinions from the [Fish and Wildlife Service]
that it is not required under statutory authority to
*Help Protect this nesting
pair of eagles. Write to the
United States Fish and
Wildlife Service with your
concerns.
US Fish and Wildlife Service
684 Beverly Pike
Elkins, WV 26241
issue” and that the PSC “lacks authority to require
the [Fish and Wildlife Service] to issue.”
The letter from Mollohan “adds nothing to the
evidence adduced at hearing or the parties’
subsequent briefing,” Callas also wrote.
In a second letter sent Thursday, Mollohan wrote
that the PSC “clearly does have the authority to ...
require NedPower to seek the judgments of the
service regarding the studies it conducted and to
submit those judgments to the commission.”
Mollohan added that unless the PSC “directs
NedPower to do so, the company is not going
to seek the service’s judgments regarding its
studies.”
The PSC’s newest commissioner, meanwhile,
says he will recuse himself from hearing cases
involving NedPower.
Michael A. Albert — appointed by Gov. Joe
Manchin — became a commissioner on
Thursday, joining Chairman Jon W. McKinney and
Commissioner Edward H. Staats.
Before the appointment, Albert was a lawyer for
Jackson & Kelly representing clients including
Allegheny Power.
Reached on Saturday, Albert said he never
represented NedPower himself, but that he planned
to disqualify himself from the NedPower cases
as well as from any involving other companies
Jackson & Kelly worked for while he worked there.
Albert said he believes there will be no potential
conflict in hearing cases that will be filed after he
left the law firm to take his new position.
To contact writer Paul J. Nyden call 348-5164.
The above article orginally published in the Charleston Sunday
Gazette-Mail on February 18, 2007.9
S.O.S! Save Our Squirrel!
The WV Northern Flying Squirrel lives in boreal forests
composed of norhern hardwoods, red spruce and hemlock.
They often nest in cavities of birch trees. Birch
wood is soft and often mined by woodpeckers and
other holemakers.
Left: Pups are usually born in
litters of 2-4, though sometimes
more. Pups weigh between
4 and 6 grams. At birth, their
internal organs are visible
through their skin. Both their
eyes and ears are sealed shut
and they are hairless except
for a few whiskers on their
snout. (Photo courtesy of Steve
Patterson/FlyingSquirrels.com)
Right: An innate response,
spreading the skin flaps (patagia)
is a reflexive action and is
believed to aid in softer landings
for pups that might fall from the
nest. (Photo courtesy of Steve
Patterson/FlyingSquirrels.com)
The WVNFS likes cool, moist high elevation, older forests. This may be because
of the abundance and variety of lichen and fungi available as a food source. The
WVNFS is known to consume many types of fungi, then spread the spores in its
feces and thereby improving tree and forest health.
Right: A researcher records data pertaining to a WVNFS caught and tagged during
the WV Department of Natural Resources annual nest box counts.
The WVNFS is highly adapted to the cooler
climates of the High Allegheny Mountain
regions. So much so that they do not
hibernate and are active year round.
Flying squirrels are nocturnal animals and their
large eyes aid them in travel and foraging at
night.
If you would like to view more pictures
of flying squirrels and learn more about
how they live, please take time to visit
www.flyingsquirrels.com
and
www.saveoursquirrel.org
To send your comments
regarding the proposed
delisting of the WVNFS to the
United States Fish and Wildlife
Service, please fill in the sample
letter provided for you on page
12 and return it to:
Friends of Blackwater
501 Elizabeth Street
Charleston, WV 25311
before April 21, 2007.
Maimed wedge-tailed eagle at Starfish Hill in Australia, with
A very special thank you to Steve Patterson and the staff of Flyingsquirrels.com for so graciously allowing us to utilize their
industrial wind turbine visible in back.
pictures. Thank you for providing a vast amount of educational information about Northern Flying Squirrels!
Page 4 - Projects Projects - Page 5

March 2007 March 2007
Imagesof
Blackwater
Have you ever looked at some of the photographs of the
Blackwater Canyon and Blackwater Falls and wondered just who it
was that captured such amazing beauty?
As one of the most photographed places in West Virginia, you can
find images of Blackwater Falls, Lindy Point and just about every
step along the Blackwater Canyon Trail from Thomas to Hendricks
in places as diverse as Tamarack and your local convenience store.
Friends of Blackwater has been blessed over the years by these
gifted artists, who seemingly possess the ability to find beauty
in things both consistent and evolutionary. Each of these artists,
among countless others, generously donated their works to our
Annual Reception and Charity Auction that was so graciously
hosted by Rafe and Lenore Pomerance at their Washington, D.C.
home on December 7, 2006.
We humbly present six of the talented persons who have captured
the Images of Blackwater!
Steve Shaluta
304-722-0276 steve@steveshaluta.com
http://www.steveshaluta.com
Andy Altman
1-304-541-7982 AltmanAM@suddenlink.net
http://www.andyaltmanphotography.com
Steve Shaluta became interested in photography in 1978 after borrowing a friend’s 35mm camera to take nature
photographs. Soon after he was bitten by the photography bug and in 1985 after nearly 15 years working as a locomotive
engineer in his hometown of Grafton, WV, he resigned to become a full time photographer. He says it is a decision he has
never regretted.
Steve’s primary photography job is as a staff photographer for
the West Virginia Division of Tourism. This has allowed him the unique
position of traveling and photographing the beauty and recreational
aspects of West Virginia for advertising and promotional purposes. Steve
also has a freelance career and has gained a reputation as a “West
Virginia Specialist”.
Since 1978 he has accumulated an impressive list of publication
credits, through both his WV Tourism position and freelance career. These
credits include numerous magazine covers, calendars and book covers in
addition to countless photographs published in newspapers, magazines,
brochures, billboards and books used for editorial and advertising
purposes. In recent years the exposure from his website has created an
interest for framed and unframed enlarged prints of his photography, for
office and home wall art.
As far back as he can remember, Andy Altman has enjoyed photography. From elementary school days on
family vacations across the US and Canada, he has worked to capture the beauty and majesty of nature on
film. An avid hiker, whitewater paddler and mountain biker, his joy in exploring nature continues. Now that
family vacations include his wife and two boys, he also enjoys the challenge of squeezing quality photography
time into quality family time.
With experience, the encouragement of friends and
evolving equipment, Andy reached the decision to start offering
his photography for sale in 2004. His work can be found at arts and
craft shows in the Charleston area, at Showcase West Virginia,
Tamarack, Bears and Hares and other shops.
“On my first visits, I
marveled at the falls from
an overlook. Then I come
across Elakala Falls.
Next it was the three other
Elakala Falls. After that
came the
perspective of the falls
from the river.
Somewhere in there were
kayakers and a carpet of
shamrock-like wood sorrel.
Now I marvel at the
beauty and variety of the
Blackwater area and look
forward to what I will discover
on my next visit.”
-- Andy Altman
Betty Rivard
Bruce K. Haley
bettyrivard@yahoo.com
http://bettyrivard.smugmug.com/
1-304-346-9360 b.k.haley@verizon.net
http://www.bkhaleyphotography.com “I present nature not as the lens
Bruce K. Haley, Jr., a Charleston, WV native and Vietnam
veteran has always had a need to create. He experimented with writing,
music, painting and crafts. While finding all these expressions somewhat
satisfying, it wasn’t until he found photography that he knew he had
found what he had been searching for all his life.
Bruce uses the camera lens as his paint brush. His bold and colorful
presentation of nature has made his work much sought after throughout
the United States. Since November of 2002, Bruce’s award winning art
has appeared in over seventy shows in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky,
Colorado. North Carolina and California. His work is included in many
corporate and private collections including six pieces recently purchased
by the state of West Virginia for their permanent collection.
In Bruce’s words, “Photography isn’t about f/stops, shutter speeds or
equipment. It’s about living, feeling, seeing. It’s about opening my mind
to learning, not only about the people, places and things around me,
but also, about myself. Photography, for me, is life living, life giving.”
captures it, but as I see, feel and
experience it - an endless array of
exciting colors, shapes and designs.
I’ve traveled all over the world
but it wasn’t until I began started
photography that I discovered the
natural beauty that is West
Virginia. The time I spend
exploring that beauty are precious
and magical moments where time
stands still and I become one with
the treasures here. It saddens me to
see the beauty of our state slowly
being destroyed in the name of
commerce. We must do all that we
can to make sure that history isn’t
repeated.” -- Bruce K. Haley
Betty Rivard uses photographs to share her vision with
others. In West Virginia she photographs to show the beauty
and individuality of the landscape. Outside of the state she
likes to show the diversity of people and places. She uses film
cameras with a combination of chemical and digital darkroom
processing.
She has received support through the 2004 Fellowship in
Photography and several grants from the West Virginia
Commission on the Arts and the Division of Culture and History.
Her work has been exhibited and won awards in shows across the
state and has been utilized in state and national publications.
Betty coordinates group exhibits with other fine art
landscape photographers in the state. She is also researching and
developing exhibits of photographs of everyday life that were
taken in West Virginia by U.S. Farm Security Administration
photographers in the 1930s and 40s and that are
available through the Library of Congress and its website.
G.P. Cooper
Cooper Art Gallery
1-304-645-6439 1-888-868-5129
http://www.coopergallery.com
G.P. Cooper and his wife, Marilyn (a WV
Native) moved to Lewisburg, WV in the
summer of 1991 after his retirement as
Professor of Environmental Health at the
University of Cincinnati. It was at this
time that he began to pursue his second
career as a nature photographer in earnest.
He feels that if his photographs give
pleasure to the viewer than he has fullfilled
at least one of his main purposes. However,
he also feels that a higher purpose will be
served if these photographs are a reminder
that the natural beauty around us is fragile
and must be protected in order to endure.
“Overpopulation, industrialization and
mismanagement are destroying ecosystems
worldwide at a pace that should alarm everyone.
Although West Virginia has been relatively
isolated and underpopulated, so that a large
part of its natural beauty remains intact, complacency will be costly. If decisive action to reverse
current trends is not taken soon, much of this beauty probably will not survive until the middle
of the twenty-first century.” - G.P. Cooper
Paul Corbit Brown
202-841-0222 pcbphotos@yahoo.com
http://www.paulcorbitbrown.com
Paul Corbit Brown has been photographing since he was twelve years old. His work has
carried him throughout the United States and to Mexico, Kenya, Jamaica, Russia, Israel, Laos,
Thailand and Rwanda. He has a gift for simultaneously accepting the humanity of each
person he depicts and unsentimentally sizing them up. His photographs are clear-eyed looks
at the difficult situations these individuals live in, but their directness and compassion make
them hauntingly beautiful. His aesthetic sureness has a seductive force that propels you into
c o n f r o n t i n g
t r o u b l e s o m e
spiritual and
moral issues.
These
photographs
are not the
scenes we see
on CNN or the
newsweeklies,
nor in the tourist brochures. They are part of Brown’s way of seeing, of honest observation
and trying to make sense of the passing hum of daily life on this troubled yet beautiful
planet.
“Nature photography for me is more of a feeling and is something
I find very hard to put into words. It is just something I really
“Places like Blackwater Canyon are vital to the ecosystem at large and a sanctuary for weary
love to do. Everyone has something in their lives that gives them a
humans who need to remember the really important things about life: such as the fact that all
peace and joy that cannot be explained...taking nature photographs,
life is special and a bank full of money can’t replace even a single cell of Life. The future of
especially in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, does that for
our planet is far more valuable than a fist full of dollars. I believe it is not only possible, but
me. It refreshes my soul, clears my mind and prepares me to face
necessary, to learn to live at peace with the very ecosystem that gives us life- The Earth. Each
the daily issues which crowd our busy lives these days. Blackwater “I believe that by connecting with good memories of the beauty of the land we can value it more and work harder to respect and preserve it. In
part of nature is special and extremely vital to the well-being of all else. As human beings,
Canyon, Canaan Valley and Dolly Sods are at the very top of my the past I have focused only on places of integrity and turned my camera away from scenes of environmental degradation. In the future I
we are the only species on the planet that can choose to preserve or destroy this fragile system.
list of the places that renew my spirit and make each and every visit plan to search out and embrace these scenes. I’m not sure where this is going, but I feel that there is something to learn from the combination
Let us choose wisely- together." -- Paul C. Brown
a rejuvenating experience”. -- Steve Shaluta
of, on the one hand, beauty, like the light and the seasons, and, on the other hand, threat, destruction, and loss.” -- Betty Rivard
Page 6 Page 7

March 2007 March 2007
2006 Membership and Supporters
For your ongoing and endless
support, we thank you.
Nature Notes
Porte Crayon SocietyFrances Latterell, Richard and Mary
The Augenstein Family, Dr. Florence Gillett, Richard D. Flinn, Robert and
Kate Millar, Elizabeth C. Zimmermann, Claudia Coughlin, Robert and Janet
Emily Schoenbaum, Frank and Nancy Deal, Robert and Joyce Manyik.,
Fitzpatrick, Jim Norton, Peter Johnson Robert E Jordan, Ron and Norma
Richard Hall and Heleny Cook, Steve Eckard, Sandra Staggers, Sarah Minard,
and Katy White
Shirley and Cliff Gay, Stan and
“Crown Jewel” Club Nancy Klem, Stephen and Sally Ours
Nathan Anderson, Emma Shelton, Kern, Stephen D. Bucklew, Stephen L.
Amelia & Bob McPeak, Bonnie Mallott,
& Susan Wellons, Stephen Martensen,
Charles and Janice Black, Doug Steve and Marjorie Lewellen,
and Carol Milam, Frances and William
Suzanne and John Maben, The
Pope, Jack Ditty, Josh Whetzel Kilcarr Family, Thomas and Joyce
and Farley Walton Whetzel, Peter Ward, Thomas Williams, Tony Milam,
Bross, Sally F. Davidson, Timothy Walt Fish, William and Julia Belton,
Gardner, Deborah McHenry and William and Patricia Browning
Sustaining Stewards
Families
Albert and Peggy Richardson, Cathy
Alice Rathbone,Amber & Thomas
Loevner, Charles and Montague
Bailey, Andrew E.C. Merriam, Anita P,
Kern, Charles Price, Claudia and
Virkus and Lee D Paul, Ann and Gary
Bill Schechter, Dr. and Mrs. Duane
Devine-King, Barry L. Row and Shelby
Alexander, Edward F. MacNichol
Osborne, Barry Lavery, Barry Tuscano
III, George and Margaret Smith,
Benjamin S. Merrill/Alice F. Rocke,
Harvey M Cohen, Jessie M. Harris,
Bernard Zimmermann & Cheryl King,
Larry Groce and Sandra Armstrong
Beth & Rob Clark, Beth Morrison and
Groce, Lori Plummer, Margaret and
Mike Eakle, Bill and Jean Golightly,
Jay Stern, Margaux Byrne, Martha
Bonnie Thurston, Brian and Polly Mullins,
Byron L Harris and Jill McDan-
and Richard Wolfe, Mr. and Mrs. S.
Murray Rust, Mrs. Betty L. Thompson,
iel, Carol and Paul Cole, Carrie &
Phillip and Karin Nelson, Rod and
Michael J. Cline, Carrie and David
Susan Watkins, William E. Mohler III
Fenwick, Catherine Samargo, Charles
Patrons
and Carolyn Glick, Charles and
Albert W. Stewart, Anatala S Clifton,
Donna Printz, Charles and Elizabeth
Annette H Tanner, Arnold N. Kramer
Baer, Chris Elfring and Ann Miles,
and Emily Carton, Arthur and Betty G
Christopher Patten, Claire and Paul
Evans Jr, Barbara and Robert Foster,
Gesalman, Cleo G. Mayfield, Craig
Barbara J. Bramble, Barbara Wolfert,
Betsy and Geoff Green, Betty
Close, Cynthia and David Ellis, Cynthia
Ashworth, Dale and Anne Manuel
J Rice, Betty L Schwimmer, Beverly
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Steele, Bill and Linda Schmidt, Bill
Jodi Welsch, Daryl Rice, David and
Rodd, Bill Weiss, Brent Blackwelder,
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McCutcheon, Dawn Warfield and
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Debra Keddie, Denise L. Ferguson,
Christianson, Claire and Marc Levine,
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David & Linda Cashdan, David and
Simonton And Rich Rieger, Douglas
Rosemary Gustin, David Dixon, Destry
and Andrea Denton, Douglas Lesar
Jarvis, Donald, Glee and Bret Gasper,
Dr. and Mrs. G. Robert Nugent,
and Marilym Mann, Dr. and Mrs. J. A.
Smith, Dr. E. Schrae and Mary LaPlante,
Dr. Nick and Amy Zervos, E Clifton
Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Spiggle,
Elizabeth and Jim Bullard, Elizabeth
Hyre, Erika Pallie and Adam Polinski,
Schoyer, Eric Lange, Eugene Nojek
Erin Kuehn, F Ethan Fischer, Frank and
Eve Firor, Gail Wippelhauser and
Bridget Fico, Frank and Jan Samargo,
Robert McIntire, Glen and Linda
Fred and Barbara Stafford, Fred
Morrison, Hal Green, Harriett M.
and Chris Kissell, Gardner Hathaway,
Crosby, Harry Donald Price, Hazel V.
George & Linda Harrington, George
Oliff, Henry Hoffstot, Jr., Jason Halbert,
Jean & John Smith,Joan and Tom
and Karen Schnakenberg, Gregory
Shindledecker, Hugh and Alice Young,
Kelsch, Joan Golden, Joe and Mary
Ian Fitzpatrick, Irving & Sharon
Moore Rieffenberger, John & Donna
Goodman, Irving and Gail Stern
Hoyt, John & Julie Trone, John Abraham,
John and Charolette Sweet, John
Jack and Margaret Dolly, Jack and
Margrit Vanderryn, Jack Steel, MD,
and Darina Sherwood, John Huffman,
Jacques and Monique Yenny, Jane P.
Joseph T Carney, Josephine Wood,
Fleming, Janis Boury and Michael Frasher,
Janis Hurst and David Elkinton,
Juliana Serafin and Albert Liu,
Kristine and Jerry Jordan, L. Blair
Jason Berry, Jil Swearingen, Jill E. Bak
Thrush & Sandra Wotring, Larry and
Jim and Judy Lewis, Jim and Melinda
Becky Starcher, Lila and Alvin Guyon
Schmitt, Jim and Pat Carney, Jim King
Lynda Holup & David Revell, Marie
and Scott Britton, Jim Maddy and
and Rodney Sauter, Marie L. Prezioso,
Barbara Chapman, Joanie Ellingwood,
John Amos and Amy Mathews
Marjorie McDiarmid, Martha Phyllis
Coffman, Mary Clark, Mary Etta
Amos, John and Barbara Haynes, John
Hight and William Arnold, Maureen
and Lynn Mugaas, John and Marcia
Comiskey, Michael Brooks, Mike and
Holmes, John and Trudy Phillips, John
Sally Brenton, Millie and Alan Karlin,
D. Leach, John Love, Joseph Hovious,
Nancy and Clark Campbell, Pat W.
Karen and Ron Owens, Karyn Molines
Kingman, Patricia Munoz, Patrick A.
and Gary Pendleton, Kathryn Makela,
Frasher. Peter and Jane Boone, Phyllis
Kay Evans and LeJay Graffious, Keith
A. Harman, Ralph Muoio, Richard and
Page 8
and Christine Garbutt, Ken and Bonnie
Getty, Lee and Gene Defabio,
Lin and Richard Spence, Linda and
David Davidson, Linda Regan, Lynn
Wagner, March Enders, Marcia and
Jack Moore, Marcia S. Fowler MD,
Margaret and Ken Roberts, Margaret
McKelvey, Mary and James Morgan,
Mary Massey and Jack Meiners,
Melissa Casoli, Michael and Carrie
Kline, Michael and Joan Schroering,
Michael and Julia Lee, Michael and
Twila Miller, Michael Miller, Nancy
Abrams, Nicholas P and Monica S
Rumsey, Nick Williams, Pat and Dave
Stephan, Patricia C. Hopson, Patricia
Pride and Lawrence F. Williams,
Paul and Christie Marshall, Paula D.
Poole, Peggy Frankenfield, Pete and
Wendy Sullivan, Peter McCumber and
R.A. Nethken, Priscilla Haden, Rachel
Rosenthal, Ray and Mona Agee,
Renate Kloppinger-Todd, Richard
and Audrey Gray, Richard Harris
and Karen Ford, Rives and, Richard
Carroll, Robert and Christa Lightburn,
Robert and Lelia Russell, Robert R.
Ward, Robert S. Cronin, Jr., Robert
W. & Lelia R. Russell, Robert Wayne
& Blair Van Valkenburgh, Rod and
Helen Graves, Roger and Emma Emrick,
Ron and Sue Anglin, Rose Marie
Riter, Sally Collier and Robert Caiola,
Scott and Claudia Nease, Sidney and
Barbara Tedford, Stanwyn and Elaine
Shetler, Stephen and Carol Schimpff,
Stephen and Linda Martenson, Steven
Barnett, MD, Steven Robert Szabo,
Susan & John Poffenbarger, Thomas
and Judith McHugh, Victor and Tara
Woods, Victor and Vicki Kidd, Virgil
L Langdon Jr, William Styer and
Anna Gerig, William and Francoise
Stauber, Wilson Bradburn
individuals
Allen Belden, Jr., Allen Graybill, Ann
L. Barton Brown, B Kent Parker, Benton
Lee Grimm, Beth Jacob, Beth Koller,
Betty Leavengood, Blaise A. Sidor,
Bob and Robert Gedekoh, Bradford
and Bernadine Owen, Brian and
Antionette Maggied, Brian Henry,
Brian Weissbuch, Bruce D.& Maral P.
Strathearn, Bruce Sundquist, Campbell
Williamson, Carol Jori, Carolyn
Welcker, Charles Conner, Charles
Yoho, Chris Boyce, Colby Zebel
Constance McPeak Green, Curtis
E Burns, Jr., Dan and Lisa Gillogly,
David Rodgers, Del and Linda Yoder,
Diana Niskern, Donna and Kenneth
Showalter, Donna Sinclair, Doug
Wood and Dianne Anestis, Edith
Levine and Thomas Beckman, Elizabeth
P.N. Seamans, Elizabeth Weimer,
Elsa Nadler, Francis Gilmore, Harris
Haynie, Henry Battle, Jack Frazier,
James & Kathryn Morrow, James,
Quarles, James T. Decker, Jane Eff,
Janice Kinsolving, Jean Perfater Pozega,
Jennifer Dusic, Jerry Jenkins, Jerry
Oland, Jim and Jamie Clark, Jim and
Mary Sullivan, John Booth, John Cuthbert,
John R Magan, John Thompson
and Jean Buckley, JohnH. Hoffman
Jr., Jon Thoma, Jonell Strough, Joseph
Bush, Judy Seaman, Karl Esser, Katharine
Gregg, Katherine Payne, Keith
Strausbaugh, Ken and Evie Cooper,
Kevin N. George, Kristiann Germain,
Kurtis and Victoria Leachman, Larry
E. Morse, Laura M. Riel and Jacob
McGee, Lawrence and Stephanie
Lowden, Lew & Lois Holloway, Linda
Kolb, Linda Linger, Lois J. Schiffer,
Lucia Pollock, Lucille Miller, Lucinda
Nicholson, Mary E. Vogel, Mary
Schmidt, Michael Webb, Morgan
Jones, Nancy Costerisan, Natalie Rutledge,
Patty Snow, Paul and Marjorie
Richter, Paul Lansky, Paul Reid, Peter
Moshein, Rachelle Davis, Ralph and
Molly Anderegg, Raymond Godwin,
Reba Hutton, Rene Laventure, Rhonda
Koch, Ric MacDowell, Richard and
Nancy Treat, Robert and Constance
Bouchard, Robert and Elizabeth Mueller,
Robert G. Humphrey, Roianne and
Thomas Hackett, Ron Burkhardt, Sally
Anderson, Sandra Benedict, Sandra
Sherman, Sandra Woods, Sara Gann,
Scott and Laura Welch, Shawn Hartje
and Mary Sackett, Sister Cheryl
France, Stanley and Paula Moroz,
Steve Antoline, Steven Garske, Susan
M.& Donley T.Studlar, Teresa Koon,
Thomas McPherson, Thomas Stump,
Tim Ahrens, Toni Witzemann, Waino
Tuominen, Will Haverty, William and
Denise McNeel, William Milway,
William Snyder
Seniors
Ad and Barbara Deynzer, Alan
Rudley, Albert Hess, Alexander J. &
Sandra K. Sabo, Allan J. & Linda K.
Urban, Alvin and Roberta Allison,
Ann Burns-Slusher, Armand E. Singer,
Barbara Schulz, Bert Carothers, Betty
Anne Adams, Betty W. Hall, Bill Csutoros,
Blaine Stevens, Bobby Mills Sr.,
Bruce and Marcia Bonta, Buddy Watkins,
Carl and Rebecca McLaughlin,
Carol Howe Hamblen, Carole Lynne
Keller, Carroll & Terry Van Horn,
Cebern and Thursy Baker, Charles
and Elizabeth Tewksbury, Charles
and Elsie Bernstein, Charles Austin,
Charles Heller, Charles L. & Cariolyn
T. Church, Christina and Dennis Cox,
Clara Mae Hall, Clarence and Shirley
Aleshire, Cleve M. Meador, Darlene
Thompson, Darrell Groves, David &
Karen Stacko, David and Martha
Lester, Del Parris, Dolores and Gerald
Devaul, Don Spencer, Dorothy S
Fitzpatrick, Doug Johnson, Douglas
Jaslow, Eileen & Robert Brown,
Elizabeth McCloskey, Esther Hinchman,
Fanny M Johnsson, Fred and Elizabeth
Sampson, Garnet Byrne, George
and, Katherine Starzmann, George
Mikedes, Gertrude Ehrlich, Glade
Little, Glen and Anna Belle Mitchell,
Harriet Tucker, Helen and Neil L.
Gibbins, Hullet and Shirley Good,
Ira and Paula Abelow, Iris Malcolm,
James & Kathyrn Stone, James and
Helen Butterworth, James and Helen
Clark, James Dentinger, Jane Rector
Donaldson and Susan Breiding, Jean
Dickens, Jean R. Worthley, Jean Rodman,
Jerrold and Jean Wagener, Jim
Smolka, Jo Ann Barlow, Joan Sims, Joe
& Donna Varian, John and Jane Lindsay,
John and Judy Hillman, John and
Lesley Gilbert, John and Pamela Lutz,
John and Phyllis Fenwick, John Brown,
John Stansbury, Joseph J. Schreiber
Jr., Judd Doerfler, Judith Steel, Judy
Williamson, Karen Cicmanec, Ken
and Janice Kasserman, Ken Bosworth,
Kenneth McDonald Jr, Kristin Douglas,
Larry Rowe and Julia Beury, Lawrence
Smith, Lenna Leeson, Linda Lee and
Dwight Emrich, Lois Hedges, Lois Ludwig,
Lois McClain, Louise F Gillooly,
Marian Cox and Adele Williams,
Marilyn Aikman, Marjorie Hamperian,
Marlene J and Charles P Stadler,
Mary Alice and Gerry Milnes,
Mary Anderson, Mary Beard, Mary
Douglas Krout, Mary Litman, Midge
Schrader, Mike Letsky, Neil and Joan
Hadley, Nelle Ratrie Chilton, Norma
Setteur, Pam and H.M. Curry, Patricia
& David Stanton, Perrie Lee Prouty,
Peter O. Sellar, Phyllis H Law, Ralph
Bell, Ramsey Frist, Randall Reyer, Ray
and Glenna Taylor, Richard and Kay
Kanwal, Richard Beck, Robert and
Deborah Bretzfelder, Robert and
Kathleen Hayes, Robert and Mary Lu
Latane’, Robert B and Gloria Hiser,
Robert Lynch, Robert Paviour Jr., Robert
Strimel, Roger and Rose Hutzell,
Ron Wilson, Roy B Clarkson, Roy C.
Johnson, Ruth and Robert Wilkinson,
Ruth Brooks, Samuel J Burchfield,
Sandra S. Gutmann, Sarah Taggart,
Stephen & Brenda Hancheck, Susan
Carter, Teresa and Mark Hanson,
Terry and Jack McIntosh, Terry
Anderson, Thomas and Cynthia Beres,
Thomas E. Windsor, Titi and John
Ferguson, Virginia Hastings, Virginia
McCormick, Virginia Stanley, Walt R.
Shupe, Warren and Peggy McGraw,
William A. James III, William and
Elinor Moore, William Burger, William
G. Wegener
Student
Barbara and Albert Yandek, Caitlin
Schneiderman, David D. Maxwell,
Diana K Green, Don and Martha
Shearer, Donald Kight, George
Powell, Hazelene Anderson, Helen
J. McGinnis, Jacob McGee, Jason
McCutcheon, John Manchester, John S.
Kosticky, Karen Fedorov, Karen J. Kelley,
Linda Reeves, Marilyn Bible, Mary
Ellen Koenn, Maryann Kraynanski
and Paul Gartner, Maxine Duckworth,
Megan Hash, Meredith Oakes, Susan
Stone and Jeremy Kelley, Warren G.
Jones, William Riddle
Supporters
Allyson Woods, Alston & Charlotte
Sue Cave, Alta I. Mainer, Amanda
Cox, Ann L Barton Brown, Anne
Romance, Anthony and Lois Winston,
Arla Ralston, Art Abrams, Arthur and
Iris Malcom, Barbara Howe, Bea
and Cliff Hackett, Ben Clark, Ben
Neustadt and Ben Nelson, Benjamin
and Elizabeth Trump, Bethesda Family
Dentistry, Bill & Janet Reger-Nash,
Blaise and Patricia Hollot, Bob &
Mary Kay Chaney, Brent Bailey, Bruce
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Wolf, Chris Pemberton, Christopher
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and Anna Burger, Colleen Anderson,
Cynthia Lynne Decker, D. McCarty
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and Susan Chapman, Denise Giardina,
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Seibert, Donald and Barbara Cussins,
Donald and Linda Wright, Donald
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Cook, Dormal E. Cometti, Dorothy
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Eric Tribbey, Erin Tobin, Ernie Reed,
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and Olga Cech, Gary and Bonnie
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McGinnis, Howard Bussard, James
A & Shirley P. Tolbert, James and
Roberta Roush, James Hiller Hardie,
James Mosher, James See and Joan
Weber, Jane and John Riffe, Jane
Whitaker, Janet and Emory Kemp, Janet
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and Jane Burch, Jessee B. Gandee II,
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Jim Woods, Joan Ryan, Joanne
Amberson, Joe & Betty Morton, Joe
Kransdorf, John & Cindy Tingley,
John & Rauna Surr, John and Eleanor
Renton, John Hartman, John N. Rinker,
Jon and Donna Weems, Josh R. Paton,
Joshua Nease, Joshua Rutkowski,
Joy Oakes, Judd Waldo, Judge and
Mrs. Thomas Lohm, Judith and Robert
Stitzel, Julie Adams and Josh Barrett,
Kate Long, Katherine L. Keith and
Chad Thomas, Kathleen Smith, Keith L.
Scholtz, Ken, Donna & Moira Kaleida,
Kristian Pueschel, L. Sullivan, Lara
Lavander, Laura Goff Davis, Lauren
Otto, Lawrence S. Lessin, Lee Petsonk
and Susan Brown, Letty Limbach, Levi
and Elizabeth Miller, Linda Cooper,
Lisa C McIver, Liz Rodd and Mike
Kimble, Llewellyn McKernan, Lowell
and Teryl Markey, Luanne McGovern,
Ludovic Moore, Lydia Garvey, Marc
A. Resnick, Marc Levine, Margaret
and Jim Trott, Margaret Calwell, Maria
Becker and Dennis Walters, Mark
Giese, Mark Poore, Martha D. Mullett,
Mary Huntley and Mark Snyder,
Mary Miller, Mary Wimmer and T.
Anne Hawkins, Max Harbert, Michael
Davis, Mr. Charles B. Sherwood, Mr.
George Sorvalis, Mrs. Gianpiero Fornica,
Nancy and Paul L Hill Jr, Nancy
Johnston, Nancy Knop, Nancy Spencer,
Neal Secrist, Nelson and Suzanne
Joyner, Nicholas Winowich, Nichole
Queen, Paige Muendel, Pamela Kasey
and Evan Hansen, Patricia Barbeau,
Patricia Gussey, Patricia Lawson, Paul
Atkins, Paul Burke, Rachel Ann Dash,
Rafe and Lenore Pomerance, Ralph
Allegheny Owls by J. Lawrence Smith
In the icy stillness of a night in late winter
you may hear a query, hoo hoo hoo huh
hoooo, coming from the darkened woods.
You have heard the deep voice of the Great
Horned Owl that seems a sound from the
wilderness. Indeed, the wilderness long since
gone--the wilderness that remains in the
intonations of its hooting.
When many birds are seeking to survive
winter and find sufficient food, the Great
Horned will begin the responsibilities of
nesting and brooding young. The big owl will
often usurp the nest of raptors such as the
Red-shouldered Hawks and have eggs laid long
before winter is ended.
Named for the tufts of feathers on its head,
the Great Horned is the largest of our native
owls at nearly two feet in length with a wing
spread of almost five. The owl will kill a skunk
and come away smelling of the encounter
and can even carry off a house cat. A diverse
habitat of woodland interspersed with farms
is to the liking of the “tiger of the air.”
Barred Owls will be heard caterwauling
in spring when they feel the urges of a new
season and their series of rolling notes end
with a questioning who all. The Barred will
often respond to a recording or imitation of
its voice, especially during the spring.
Somewhat smaller than the Great Horned,
the Barred will often be heard during daylight
almost as though it wakes from fitful slumber
and must become vocal. The owl seeks a
hollow tree for a nest site where two or
three eggs are laid.
Liking heavily forested lower slopes, hollows
and wooded swamps, the Barred will be heard
along the bigger streams and around forested
cont’d from previous page
and Nancy Clark, Ray Stump Jr.,
Raymond and Janet Keith, Richard &
Karen, Richard and Patricia Fiedler,
Richard and Susan Petran, Richard
D. Morgenstern, Richard Edwards,
Richard F. Hitchcock, Robert D. Morris,
Jr. D.O., Robert F. Hurley, Ron & Jean
Hawk, Ronald and JoAnn Richardson,
Ronald and Sharon Tebben, Ruth
Boyd, Sandra Knowles, Scott and Jacquelyn
Custer, Scott Coston, Shirley
Rosenbaum, Silas and Loretta Adkins,
Stafford and Sue Warren, Stephen
G. Brickel, Steve and Christine Dolan
Keating, Stratford Douglas and Jodie
Jackson, Tasha Splaine, Terry Pickett,
Thelma Wiegel, Thomas C. Shaffer,
Tim Warner and Paula Hunt, Todd &
Sue Alter, Vickie Compton, Virginia
Evans, W. V. Depaulo, Walter Harbison,
Wayne and Ann Nelson, Wayne
Wolfram, William and Alexandra
Carrico, William and Carol Reuther,
William and Marsha Romano, William
B. Leaman, Jr., William M. and Betty
Riley, Yoshine Uchimura
InKind Donors
Betty Rivard, Plane & Fancy Woodworking,
Andy Altman, Sassi Harel,
Bruce Haley, White Grass Touring
Center, David Smith, Donna and
Carroll Cook, Timberline Resort,
Highland Prospects, Jim Clark, John J.
Collins, Mountain Made, Art Company
of Davis, Cooper Art Gallery, Mark
Blumenstein, Mountain Creek Cabins,
Paul Corbit Brown, Sam and Joe Herrmann,
Sandy Fisher, Stanley & Susan
Jennings, Steve Payne, Steve Shaluta
Jr., Mud River Pottery
wetland in Canaan Valley. Perhaps you will
even have the experience of one perching
close and watching you with inquisitive,
liquidy eyes.
The little Screech Owl is inappropriately
named and might better be called “shivering
owl.” Its voice is a rather mellow whistled
whinny or often a trilling. The owl has two
distinct colors of plumage with birds either a
rusty red or gray.
“Screechy” likes woodlots, groves, orchards
and will be found around farms and along
tree-lined streets in town. A number may be
heard around a farm where the environs of
barns and sheds provide mice on which to
prey.
Nesting in a hollow tree or where a
woodpecker has drilled an opening, the
Screech Owl may be seen dozing during
daylight at the entrance. A feisty bird, the owl
will defend the nest site by flying at and even
striking the head of people coming too close.
The elfin Saw-whet Owl will be found at the
higher elevations in West Virginia where it
nests in the spruce woods or forest of mixed
spruce and northern hardwoods. About the
size of a Robin, the Saw-whet is a characteristic
bird of the North Woods of Canada, but is also
found along the Appalachians southward to
the Great Smoky Mountains.
The owl has gotten its name from its rather
Promises
by J. Lawrence Smith
Photo courtesy of Steve Shaluta
"A promise made is a debt unpaid..." is a line from poet Robert
Service. Recent generations made and kept promises that have
been to our benefit in the creation of national parks, wilderness
areas and wildlife refuges. The future is only as bright with
promise as we make it. We have only ourselves to blame should
the months and years ahead be unpromising.
mellow notes that were thought to resemble
the sharpening of a saw blade! Listen for it
during the spring in areas of abundant spruce
and, should you meet with success, the owl is
rather tame and may allow a close approach.
After dark one June evening, as I sat with
Jim and Bev Triplett on the porch of their
house in Canaan Valley, the tooting of a
Saw-whet was heard.
Only rarely does the owl make a search
unnecessary as it did for us. On hearing the
owl, we could have been in Maine or northern
Minnesota, but this is West Virginia’s land of
Canaan!
We must be diligent in our efforts to change the blind and
unfeeling attitude of many persons toward the land and its
creatures. We who regard the natural world with awe and even
adoration must persuade with patience those who are blind to
receive the vision to embrace simple wonders. When we love or have affection for something or
some place then we will give ourselves to its nuture, care and protection.
A national park encompassing Blackwater Canyon is more than promises on paper and
proposed boundaries on maps. The promise of the park burns like a flame in the hearts of
West Virginia sons and daughters and many from beyond the mountains. We are indebted to
those who have gone before us and await the day when the national park will be full payment
for the vision, labor and love of so many.
Page 9

March 2007 March 2007
Blackwater Heritage
In Memory and Honor...
Honoring those that went before us and preserving what they left behind in this magnificent mountain landscape.
Treasured Mountain Memories
For someone who
grew up in the Guyandotte
Valley, and
roamed the ridges
along its river, looking
down upon Canaan
Valley, was a sight to
behold.
Gosh, was my first
expression. My little
sister, standing beside
me, had not spoken.
It took her some time
to make a sound. “I
didn’t know, West
Virginia was this
beautiful”, finally she
managed to say. I
agreed, as we stood
there taking in, all
below us.
We had spent 7
hours driving in my
old 1947 Chevy. And
other than stopping
for gas, this the first
stop to look around.
Driving across the
valley floor, you sure
couldn’t tell, that the
view would look
anything like this. I
was thinking, this looks
more like what you
would seen on
Television, when they
show some movie
scenery. In the next
year, I would come to
know the land, like the
back of my hand.
Before school started,
I made friends with
several of the boys,
that were growing up in
Davis. Soon they were
taking me, on the old
jeep roads, that their
dads had shown them,
while
going deer hunting. The
old jeep roads winding
around
Canaan Valley floor
were something else.
Beavers seemed to
think, ah a road, I will
build a dam here. Most
of the old jeep roads
were under water
because of the
beavers. It didn’t do
the Game Officers any
good, to tear them
down. The beaver was
back building his dam,
the next day.
I spent the days
before school, learning
the lay of the land,
and it was mighty easy
to get lost with no
fence on the land. My
“I heard of the efforts of some, to destroy what Mother Nature had so
graciously made for mankind to enjoy, the news brought tears to my heart.”
Who is Shadowcloud?
Shadowcloud is Randell Midkiff, who describes himself as growing
up in the town of Pleasant View in Lincoln County. He says
Pleasant View was a small town, home to Guyan Valley High
School; a town without a sidewalk. He went to Davis in 1964 to
visit his father who was a Union Boilermaker Construction worker
and stayed. As he so beautifully stated, “I fell in love with pure
Mountain country, its beauty, uncluttered with mankind.” He tells
me that in 1966 he left Davis to join the Navy where he learned that
oceans can have mountains, too. Bless you Shadowcloud, for you
possess the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet.
encounter with my
first Black Bear, was
for me to look at him,
him to look at me, and
each of us took off in
different directions.
Canaan Valley was like
a treasure chest, over
each hill, a different
lay of the land.
Standing up on the
Mountain and
looking down on the
By Shadowcloud
valley, it all looked flat,
but that, sure wasn’t
the way it was, once
you started walking it.
Phooey, you needed to
be a mountain goat to
get around down there.
There were plenty of
little hills, “flat lander
hills”, my new friends
called them. Most of
them had never been
anywhere other than
Davis or Thomas. So
to them, the hills that
were in Canaan Valley
were just “flat
lander hills”. They were
used to the Mountains
around them.
They showed me my
first view of
Blackwater Falls, and
soon thereafter were
taking me on trails,
their dads had taken
them on, trails that led
you around the winding
canyon of the Blackwater
River. It was
wild untamed land,
with laurel so thick you
could not crawl thru it,
so you had to take a
longer way around, to
get where you wanted
to go. And the word
go, meant adventure
to me.
Its been only a year
or two since I drove
up to Davis. I took my
daughter and Mother
to Blackwater Falls
for a Sunday Drive. I
wanted to show my
daughter the most
beautiful place I had
ever been, which
included four years
in the Navy, traveling
overseas four times.
To me, Canaan Valley,
and Blackwater Falls,
were the prettiest
places I had seen. Not
too awful long ago, I
heard of the efforts of
some, to destroy what
Mother Nature had so
graciously made for
mankind to enjoy, the
news brought tears to
my heart.
george breiding 1917 - 2007
West Virginian, Naturalist, Educator................Inspiration
George Breiding, 89, Naturalist and teacher, died
peacefully at his home in Morgantown on Feb 02,
2007. He remained alert, active and busy until his
final moments.
George was born in Wheeling, WV on August 11,
1917. At an early age he developed a love for the
outdoors. He became deeply interested in nature
study, wildlife and resource conservation, and in
particular, ornithology, the study of birds. This interest
was to last a lifetime and he shared it with all those
he met.
George at Lowry Field in 1943.
He graduated from
Central Catholic High
School in Wheeling and
went on to serve as a
Sergeant in the Army Air
Force from 1941 to 1943
at Lowry Field, Colorado.
He attended the
University of Denver in
1941-42 and graduated
from Ohio State
University in 1948 with
a BS in Wildlife Conservation.
He went on to work for the Ohio Division of
Conservation and the National Park Service.
From 1950 to 1963 George held the position of
PASSING OF A PIONEER by J. Lawrence Smith
Director of Nature Education and Naturalist at Oglebay
Institute Nature Department, Oglebay Park, in
Wheeling. During that period he also wrote a weekly
nature column in the Wheeling Intelligencer and
participated in nature education oriented local radio
broadcasts. He was also published in the ornithology
journals The Auk and The Wilson Bulletin and popular
publications such as Wonderful West Virginia
Magazine and Bird Watchers Digest
In 1963 he accepted a position as State Program
Leader for Outdoor Recreation with the WVU Extension
Service in Morgantown. He retired in 1979.
In his lifelong pursuit of furthering his nature
education, George travelled widely. He explored 49 of
the 50 states and travelled to Africa, Australia, Costa
Rica, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Galapagos Islands.
George used his constantly expanding knowledge to
educate others about the world of nature, wildlife and
resource conservation. His lifelong teaching passion
was evangelical in scope, longevity and importance
and he touched the lives of thousands of people
while spreading the gospel of loving,
understanding and appreciating the world of nature.
In his memory a scholarship fund is being
established for Oglebay Institute’s Junior Nature
Camp.
George atop Dorsey Knob in 2006.
Donations in honor of George Breiding’s
memory should be sent to:
With the recent death of George Breiding, West Virginia lost a native son who was an interpreter, defender and protector
of the rich natural heritage of our state. George was a member of the Friends of Blackwater for many years.
Oglebay Institute
George Breiding Scholarship Fund
1330 National Road
Wheeling, WV 26003
I met George in 1957 when I was in high school and he presented a slide program at a meeting of the Brooks Bird Club in
Charleston. Among the slides were one of prickly pear cactus and a nest of Long-eared Owls. I couldn’t wait to see cactus
growing wild in West Virginia and search for owls!
Submitted by Mike Breiding
George’s excitement about birds and wildlife was contagious and many persons came under his tutelage when he was Naturalist
and responsible for nature education at Oglebay Park at Wheeling for many years. As a youth, George was inspired by Naturalist A. B. Brooks
at Oglebay and became active in the Brooks Bird Club in its early days.
He was among the early observers to define the distribution of Swainson’s Warbler in the central Appalachians. In 1944, he discovered the bird on
lower slopes of Big Black Mountain in Kentucky. I envied him for his observations of the hybrid offspring of the Golden-winged and Blue-winged
Warbler. On a tract of brushland he owned near Wadestown, Monongalia County, he had the good fortune of finding, on a number of occasions, both
the Brewster’s and Lawrence’s Warbler.
Rare are persons such as George who can not only communicate the wonders of nature, but inspire “disciples” as well. West Virginia was made
richer with his life lived among the mountains and we are now poorer with his passing.
Page 10 - Projects Page 11

March 2007
SOS! Save Our Squirrel!
Help Save Blackwater Ginny, the WV Flying Squirrel!
Stop Fish and Wildlife’s Crazy Plan!
Sign the letter below and send with your comments, Friends of
Blackwater, 501 Elizabeth Street, Charleston, WV 25311 before
April 21, 2007
Re: FWS-2006-0547-0001
To the Fish and Wildlife Service,
I am commenting on the Proposed Rule to Remove the West Virginia
Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus) from the Federal List
of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. This proposed rule is
premature and based on inadequate scientific information. More
specifically,
• The proposed rule is not based on population studies that show a
stable or increasing population of the squirrel. No such studies have been
done in the 22 years that the flying squirrel has been listed.
• This proposed rule is based on a review which fails to correctly
describe the West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel’s habitat. Plans by the
Forest Service and other public land managers to “permanently protect
squirrel habitat” based on this flawed model will not work, and could lead to
extinction for the squirrel.
• Threats to the squirrel are increasing, as its habitat is strip-mined,
logged, and cleared for development, highways and industrial wind
projects. The high elevation central Appalachian boreal forest habitat is
an endangered ecosystem and is being decimated by acid deposition and
the balsam woolly adelgid. Furthermore, climate change may cause direct
loss of habitat..
Please withdraw this proposed rule and continue federal protections and
research needed to recover this species.
Comments
Name
Address
Coming Soon To
www.saveblackwater.org!
An online form to send your comments about
the Squirrel de-listing
A chance to tell us why you are interested in the
Blackwater Canyon! Inquiring minds want to know.
Volunteer Opportunities
Information about upcoming events!
YES! I WANT TO JOIN FRIENDS OF BLACKWATER
Choose a membership level and send your name, address, and e-mail to
Friends of Blackwater, 501 Elizabeth Street, Charleston WV 25311
Porte Crayon Society $1000
Crown Jewel Club $ 500
Sustaining Steward $ 250
Patron___________ $ 100
Family___________ $ 50
Name
Address
Phone
E-mail
Page 12
Individual________ $ 35
Senior___________ $ 20
Student__________ $ 10
Other____________
My donations is in memory/honor of:
________________________________________
Please send card to:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
I want to add my name to the Petition to Protect
the Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail.
Add me to your volunteer database.
Please send future newsletters only via e-mail.
Please update my personal information.
Please remove me from your mailing list.