The Monongahela Clearcutting Controversy: Scientists and Land Managers Develop an Alternative Practice on the Fernow Experimental Forest

Abstract

The clearcutting controversy that erupted on the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virginia in the mid-1970s is best known for its public outcry and resulting litigation. However, there is more to this story than vocal opponents and lawsuits. This chapter reveals firsthand accounts of the partnerships between land managers on the MNF and USDA Forest Service scientists working on the Fernow Experimental Forest. It was this cooperation, formed over decades, which provided a scientific basis for responding to the controversy and led to a viable alternative to clearcutting. This chapter briefly details the history of the MNF and describes the reasoning behind using even-aged forest management in the 1960s. A review of the controversy illustrates how the concerns of vocal opponents and the ensuing lawsuits led to a more integrated approach to land management on the MNF as well as all national forests in the 1970s. Cooperative research between MNF land managers and Fernow scientists resulted in the expanded use of two-aged forest management in the 1990s. Finally, this chapter includes recommendations for building and maintaining similar partnerships.