HIGHLIGHTS

• 200 unbroken woodland-meadow acres located in the beautiful Greenbrier Valley
• Frogg Hollow’s timber resource has a capital value of $151,000 per a professional forester’s recent appraisal.
• Numerous home sites in a mature woodland setting
• 1/2 mile of frontage on the historic Midland Trail
• 10 minutes to downtown historic Lewisburg – America’s coolest small town
• 5 minutes to Interstate 64, and 15 minutes to the GV jet airport
• Long-range views of the Greenbrier Valley and Williamsburg Valley
• All Mineral Rights will convey
• Valuable timber managed by a professional forester
• Mature forest with many varieties of trees including Oak, Beech, Sugar Maple, Black Walnut, Shagbark Hickory, Sassafras & Tulip Poplar
• Lots of trees over 100 years old
• Miles of trails for hiking, ATVing & horseback riding
• Internet, electric & landline phone available on site
• Cellphone coverage is excellent on the ridge and spotty/none along the road and meadow
• Surrounded by beautiful large cattle and horse farms and woodland tracts
• Abundant wildlife with white tail deer, wild turkey, squirrels, raccoons, and chipmunks
• Neo-tropical song birds, owls, red tail hawks, blue jays, ravens
• Five ephemeral streams, large hollows, ridges & large flats create interesting topography
• Mosses, ferns, wildflowers and abundant native plants cover the forest floor
• Little light pollution sets the stage for amazing star gazing and planet observation
• 3/4 mile long cave with interesting formations of stalactites and stalagmites
• Special marsh area with an exceptional aquatic plant and wildlife community
• Sized right for incorporating a permaculture experience

The Frogg Hollow Forest is extremely well located and with vision and planning, could be developed into a fantastic country woodland estate.
Call Richard Grist, Broker, Foxfire Realty at 304.646.8837 for your tour of this beautiful woodland property.

WHY FROGG AND NOT FROG

The spelling, Frogg, is by local legend, the correct spelling. A descendant of the first settlers to the Greenbrier Valley relates that when he was growing up in the 1930’s he heard on old-timer tell a tale that early on in the settling of the valley, a family named “Frog” lived up in one of the Midland Trail’s numerous hollows. One day, the father Frog overheard someone in the livery stable say “Them nasty, overbreeding, good fer nuthin’ frogs are creating a nuisance and somethin’ needs to be done”. From that day on, in order to avoid confusion, the father Frog began spelling their name, Frogg, with an extra “g”, to differentiate between them and the much maligned amphibian.

DESCRIPTION

The 200 acre Frogg Hollow Forest has a long and rich history and is well known throughout the historic Greenbrier Valley as a top recreation, timber & mineral investment property. The well-known Jarrett family owned and operated the original 525 acre farm from the 1800’s until very recently, when the last surviving member of the original family passed away. Frogg Hollow contains approximately 25 acres of pretty meadows and 175 acres of valuable high quality hardwood timberland.

The pastoral setting of the property is complimented by the nearby charming village of Lewisburg, just 10 minutes east. Historic architecture, a vibrant arts scene, several restaurants, boutiques and art galleries all form an eclectic mix that enriches the laid-back lifestyle of the Valley.

The area is blessed with modern medical facilities, a major airport, great shopping and all the conveniences found in larger cities. Still yet, with more cattle than people in the area, it is easy to get to know your neighbors and form lasting friendships.

The world famous Greenbrier Resort is just 20 minutes east and Snowshoe Resort is only a 90 minute drive north. The Greenbrier River and New River plus 5 state parks offer unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities.

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

Frogg Hollow contains approximately 25 rolling acres of meadows suitable for grazing livestock or conversion for planting row crops. Sized right for incorporating a permaculture experience – easy to design sustainable, regenerative systems in balance with a home ecosystem. The land is rich and would readily support organic gardens, fruit orchards and vineyards.

There are areas suitable in which to create a pond to stock and enjoy.

The Greenbrier Valley is primarily agrarian based and is the #1 producer of cattle in the state and the second largest sheep producer. The area is also well known for the breeding of fine horses, having a rich tradition of show competition and horse pulls. The 4-H and Future Farmers of America youth groups are active in the community and area schools.

Beekeeping is also a very popular pastime in the area and the property would be well suited for the production of honey with some well-placed hives.

FROGG MARSH – A VERY SPECIAL AREA

“Frogg Marsh” is a very special corner of the property that all visitors find interesting and love to spend time exploring. This natural bog supports abundant aquatic plant life which in turn creates a water supported community with a wide variety of wildlife. Much of the lower margin of the meadow is fringed by wetlands, and these wetlands support the aquatic food web, provide shelter for wildlife, and stabilize the creek banks. The plant life associated with the wetland includes rushes, sedges, cattails, duckweed and algae.

There are many animals that live in the bog and meadow edges including raccoons, opossums, blue herons, Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, minnows, turtles, salamanders, newts, crayfish, muskras, bull frogs, and redwing blackbirds.

Of course there is the insect and microscopic world including butterflies, dragonflies, pond skaters, water beetles, damselflies, tadpoles and various insect larve.

FOREST RESOURCES

Frogg Hollow’s timber resource is composed of high quality Appalachian hardwoods a with a capital value of $151,000 per a professional forester’s appraisal.  This well managed timber resource can provide a great deal of flexibility to the next ownership in terms of potential harvest revenue and can be managed to provide cash flow opportunities to offset holding cost and long-term asset appreciation.

• 12”-14” dbh total stand volume is 109,400 board feet
• 16”-18” dbh total stand volume is 234,700 board feet
• 20” dbh and up total stand volume is 82,200board feet
• Total stand volume is 429,300 board feet
• Total Value of timber 12” and up is $141,980.38
• Total Pulpwood Value is $ 9,883.27
• Total Value for this stand is $151,863.65

Frogg Hollow Forest is blessed with 175 beautiful forested acres that have been well tended over the past 80 years. Sustainable forestry practices have resulted in an extremely well managed forest that is highly productive. A morning walk in the forest offers a welcome respite from all the daily cares of the world. Listening to a wood thrush singing in the canopy is one dividend Wall Street can never promise.

With excellent hardwood quality and numerous pole-sized and sawlog-sized stems, the tract’s timber resource is well-positioned for product shifts over the coming decade which will drive its long-term asset value growth. Sawlog volumes are dominated by White oak, Red oak, Sugar Maple, Yellow Poplar and Black Cherry, some of the fastest-growing species with historically strong veneer and lumber market demand. Other species include Hickory, Ash, Sycamore, Buckeye and Sourwood.

Several Heritage Trees can be found scattered throughout the forest and field edges. These ancient trees, some 200-300 years old, have withstood the test of time, weathering ice, wind, lightning strikes, fire and of course, woodpeckers.

The forest is home to a vast array of wildlife which includes an amazing variety of song birds, owls, hawks, woodpeckers, ravens and wild turkeys. White tailed deer, raccoon, opossums, rabbits, chipmunks, coyotes, bobcats and maybe a black bear with her cubs enjoy the protection offered by the forest. The “edge effect” that is created between field and forest is the perfect habitat for all the resident wildlife.

Oak, hickory and walnut trees drop tons and tons of nuts on the forest floor each fall. Beech trees, Stag horn sumac, black cherry and tulip trees produce seeds and berries as well. The forest trees provide an important nutrient source for the animals, thereby assuring they can gain enough fat to survive the winter.

The forest floor is home to several types of mushrooms, medicinal plants, wild ginseng, ferns and cool green mosses. One could spend a lifetime getting to know this inviting environ.

Parts of the forest were lightly thinned at various times over the past 80 years. There is an exceptional stand of medium to mature aged timber that will be ready for harvest in the next 10 years. There are several thousand trees that may be harvested now but given a little time, these trees will mature into world class Veneer, export logs and high quality sawlogs.

The timber thinnings have been conducted under the guidance of a professional forester, with the timber trails designed to flow with the lay of the land resulting in a network of easy to traverse trails for hiking, ATV and horseback riding. The forest is growing rapidly and the trees are healthy.

The forest is healthy and there are no signs of pest infestations of Gypsy Moth. The Emerald Ash Borer and the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid are present and the Ash and Hemlock trees are severely stressed and will die out over the next decade. There have been no forest fires in the recent memory.

Some areas of the farm that were once cleared for pasture have been abandoned for agricultural use and are evolving into a well-stocked hardwood forest that will be ready for harvest in the next 30-40 years. Not surprising, the trees, shrubs and meadow grasses are highly productive in producing tons and tons of oxygen while at the same time eliminating huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide; Nature’s way of reducing our Carbon Footprint.

“FROGG HOLLOW CAVE” GEOLOGY-CAVES AND CAVERNS

Frogg Hollow is home to the amazing “Frogg Hollow Cave” where one can spend hours exploring for flowstones, soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, fossils, crawdads, bats and other cave critters. The total surveyed passage length is 3,765’ with a vertical accent of 65’. The passages have some interesting names such as Dagger Dome, Pot Holes, Maui Room, Nice Streamway, Nasty Streamway and the Upper Level Bypass.

The cave was surveyed over a period of years from 2005-2009 by the WV Association for Cave Studies using a Sunto Compass and measuring tape. Members of the survey team include Rocky Parsons, Cliff Lindsay, John Pearson, Ed Saugstad, Gordon Birkhimer, Mark Manor, Juliet Balfor and Bill Balfor.

The Greenbrier Valley has a most unique geological formation called Karst Topography, which is an underlying system of caves and caverns that have been slowly carved out of the limestone rock strata over millions of years. This weathering away of the limestone produces lots of interesting formations both above and below ground including stalactites, stalagmites, fossils, cave bacon, and rim pools,

The cave is developed in the Union Limestone sub-strata of the Greenbrier Limestone, also known locally as the “Big Lime” The formation is an extensive limestone unit deposited during the Middle Mississippian Epoch (345 – 326 million years ago), part of the Carboniferous Period. This rock stratum is present below ground in much of West Virginia and neighboring Kentucky, and extends somewhat into adjacent western Maryland and southwestern Virginia. The name derives from the Greenbrier River in West Virginia.

Greenbrier Limestone is in some places more than 400 feet thick, allowing it to trap large quantities of oil and gas. Since this carbonate rock erodes quickly in the region’s wet climate, outcrops are not prominent and are often quarried.

The Greenbrier Limestone is subdivided into six stratigraphic units. In ascending order, they are Denmar Limestone, Taggard Shale, Pickaway Limestone, Union Limestone, Greenville Shale, and Alderson Limestone. The limestones in this interval are predominantly skeletal grainstones or packstones. The Pickaway and especially the Union contain oolitic grainstones.

Numerous solution caves are developed within the Greenbrier Formation, with Frogg Hollow Cave being one of them.

WILDLIFE

Frogg Hollow Forest is a wonderful wildlife sanctuary. The mixture of meadow, mature forest and abandoned farm fields, pine thickets, marshes, coupled with the abundant water supply from the creeks and springs, create the perfect wildlife habitat. The miles of “edge effect” created between field and forest is the perfect habitat for all the resident wildlife. White tail deer, wild turkey, squirrel, raccoon, fox and many species of songbirds, woodpeckers, crows and raptors make up the resident wildlife population.

The hardwood forest provides the essential nutrient source and produces tons of hard mast including acorns, hickory nuts, beech nuts and black walnuts. Soft mast includes stag horn sumac, black cherry, tulip poplar seeds, autumn olive berries and blackberries.

A number of Bald Eagles have been spotted up and down the Greenbrier and New Rivers and are a thrill to see with wingspans of 6-7 feet.

MINERAL RESOURCES

The coal, oil, gas, sand, and stone rights will convey with the property. There are no leases currently let and the property will convey with a fee simple title. All prospective purchasers are encouraged to have an attorney do a title search prior to purchasing.

The Marcellus Shale underlies the property at a depth of 5000’+. The east coast Marcellus Shale Region is thought to contain enough natural gas to power the United States for over 100 years. The horizontal drilling technology necessary to reach the mile deep shale strata has rapidly evolved and drilling in the Marcellus strata is a reality in WV.

There are no known coal reserves underlying the property.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.871475°(N), -80.512539°(W)
Address: US Route 60, Alta, WV
Elevation Range: 2043 ft. to 2336 ft. +/-

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property has a boundary survey and plat prepared in 2007 – 2008. The surveyed metes and bounds are made a part of the recent deed. The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property has nearly ½ mile of frontage on US 60, providing direct access to the public road system.

ZONING

Greenbrier County has a Subdivision Ordinance and all prospective buyers contemplating division of property into lots should consult the Greenbrier County Planning Commission. All prospective buyers should contact the Greenbrier County Commission and Health Department when considering purchasing or developing any property in the county to determine if the property is subject to any additional zoning ordinances.

Further information on county zoning may be found at www.GreenbrierCounty.net.

UTILITIES

• There is electric and phone service available to the property
• Public water or sewer is not available at this time
• Water may be provided by drilled well or spring. Sewer service is provided by septic systems
• Satellite providers such as HughesNet provide high speed internet service
• Television reception may be provided by either DirectTV or DishNetwork
• Cell phone and 4G coverage is spotty down low by the entrance/meadow but excellent on the ridge just above
• Weekly trash pick-up, daily newspaper and daily mail delivery is available at roadside
• Overnight courier service is available

TAXES AND DEED INFORMATION

Deed Information: Deed Book 560, Page 148
Greenbrier County, West Virginia

Acreage: 200.69 acres +/-
Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Lewisburg District (9)

Tax Map 6 Parcel 34;
2017 Real Estate Taxes: $1,140.97

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Greenbrier County School District:

Alderson Elementary School
Eastern Greenbrier Middle School
Greenbrier East High School
Public school buses run daily when school is in session

THE SURROUNDING AREA

The Frogg Hollow Forest comes with a great community known for its friendly residents and laid-back lifestyle. The Greenbrier Valley is richly blessed with a wide array of cultural events that keep life in the valley interesting and satisfying.

A year round live theater, Carnegie Hall (one of four in the USA), fine dining, art galleries and boutiques make up the thriving downtown historic district in Lewisburg is also the county seat of Greenbrier County and home to the WV Osteopathic Medical School (600 students) and the New River Community and Technical College. The area is a strong economic generator with a solid workforce employed in county/state government, tourism, hospitality, education, retail, construction, wood products, mining and agriculture.

In 2011, Lewisburg was named Coolest Small Town in America and is just a 10 minute drive to complete shopping, churches, schools, medical-dental facilities, fine dining, and a modern hospital. The airport, with the longest runway in the state is just 10 minutes away and has daily flights to Atlanta and Washington DC.

For the water enthusiast, the Greenbrier River is 10 miles away at Caldwell. The Greenbrier River is the last un-obstructed river east of the Mississippi and offers a great float/canoe/kayak experience. The fishing for small mouth bass is considered excellent. The Greenbrier River trail is an 86 mile long rails to trails system and offers exceptional hiking and biking opportunities along the scenic Greenbrier River.

Within an hour’s drive are located some of the finest recreational facilities in West Virginia. Winterplace Ski Resort, whitewater rafting / fishing on the New River and Gauley River, 2000 acre Bluestone Lake, Pipestem State Park and Resort and the 80,000 acre New River National Gorge National Park. Five other area state parks and state forests offer unlimited hiking, horseback riding, ATV riding and rock climbing opportunities. Snowshoe Ski Resort is a 90 minute drive through some of the most scenic country on the East Coast. The new 10,600 acre Boy Scout High Adventure Camp and home to the US and World Jamboree is an hour’s drive.

The world renowned 4-Star Greenbrier Resort, home of the PGA tour, is just 25 minute drive. Several other area golf courses are available in the area. Rock climbing, ziplining, horseback riding and the 100+ mile long Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail make for a very active recreation area.