HIGHLIGHTS

• 559 acre heavily forested mountain range
• Adjoins the George Washington National Forest for over 2 miles
• Forest contains very valuable timber of oak, maple, tulip poplar, pine beech and birch
• The property has a surveyed, deeded, and recorded perpetual easement of right-of-way, thirty (30) feet wide, over, across, and through an adjoining tract of land from State Route 661 for ingress and egress for the purposes of forest management and wood products removal
• It is thought that there has been no timbering on the property for well over 40 years.
• 20 minutes to Covington, the county seat of Alleghany County
• 20 minutes to 2,500-acre Lake Moomaw
• A premier wildlife sanctuary that has had very little human intrusion for over 40 years
• White tail deer, black bear, red/gray fox, bobcat, wild turkey, grouse, squirrel, raccoon, fox and rabbit make up the resident wildlife population.
• Winged wildlife includes hawks, owls, ravens, and Neotropical songbirds
• Forest managed by professional foresters for 40 years
• Small patches of ancient forests intertwine with the mature and emerging forests
• Moss and lichen-covered rock outcrops and rock cliffs
• Surrounded by National Forest, private wooded tracts, mountain farms in a nice rural neighborhood
• Dark skies with little light pollution for star and planet gazing
• Several ancient “Heritage” trees estimated at 200-300 years old scattered about the forest
• Excellent timber species include oaks, poplar, maple Virginia, pine, White pine, hemlock and hickories
• Electricity and phone nearby
• Diverse topography of flat ridges, steep hillsides, long hollows for a fantastic natural setting
• Tremendous producer of life-giving Oxygen and a major sequester of carbon
• Seasonal branches flow during snow melts and rain events
• Spectacular long-range views approaching 30 miles
• Low taxes, low population density, little or no light pollution
• Survey on file
• All mineral rights will in the seller’s chain of title will convey with the property

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property has a surveyed, deeded, and recorded perpetual easement of right-of-way, thirty (30) feet wide, over, across, and through an adjoining tract of land from State Route 661 for ingress and egress for the purposes of forest management and wood products removal.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.854017°(N), -80.120097°(W)
Address: Ogle Creek Road RT 661, Covington, VA 24426; No 911 address is assigned to properties without structures.
Elevation Range: 1689 ft. to 2678 ft. +/-

WATER

There is an intermittent stream that begins on the property and runs for nearly ½ mile before leaving the property to join into Ogle Creek.  The intermittent stream should be active during periods of rainfall or snow melt.  There are 10 additional small hollows throughout the property.

MINERAL RESOURCES

A title search for actual mineral ownership rights is recommend.  All rights the owner has will convey with the property.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property was surveyed in 1978, and a survey plat is recorded in the Alleghany County Courthouse.  The property boundaries have been painted for many years by current and previous owners. Further, there are about 2.25 miles of boundary that are common with the George Washington National Forest, which provides additional boundary marking. The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

UTILITIES

Water: none onsite
Sewer: none onsite
Electricity: none onsite
Telephone: none onsite
Internet:  none onsite
Cellphone Coverage: Spotty

ZONING

Alleghany County is subject to some zoning and subdivision regulations. All prospective buyers should consult the county government and also the Health Department for details regarding zoning, building codes and installation of septic systems.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property has been managed as forestland for many years.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information:FIRST TRACT in Instrument No. 040004034, and Deed Book 229 Page 207.
Alleghany County, Virginia
Acreage: 558.89 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Alleghany County, Virginia
Tax Parcel 02100-00-000-0190

2019 Real Estate Taxes: $3,263.83

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

It is thought that there has been no timbering on the property for over 40 years.

The Ogle Creek Forest’s resource is composed of quality Appalachian hardwoods, pine and hemlock. 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. Capital Timber Value of the timber and pulpwood has not been determined at this time but is considered substantial.

The abundant timber resource is well positioned for current timber income as well as value appreciation over the coming decades. With an attractive species mix, adequate stocking levels, and favorable diameter class distribution, the timber amenity represents a strong component of value to the investor.

The forest’s predominately well-drained upland terrain has led to a resource dominated by hardwood species. Overall, the species composition is highly desirable and favors Appalachian hardwood types, consisting primarily of Sugar Maple, Poplar, Basswood, Red Oak, White Oak, Chestnut Oak, Soft Maple, Hickory, Virginia Pine, White Pine, and a host of associated species (ash, cedar black walnut, birch, sourwood, black gum, beech).

Forest-wide, most stands are fully stocked, providing the next ownership with a great deal of flexibility in shaping their own silvicultural legacy. Stem quality forest-wide can be considered excellent with the forest containing current and future veneer source.

The property’s timber component consists of several stands of differing age classes. Portions of this stand have been thinned as prudent forest management called for.

Diameters are well represented across the commercial spectrum with a notable mature size class, as well as abundant pole size timber and growing stock. Several “Heritage Trees” are 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 and fire.

The forest is healthy and there are no signs of pest infestations of Gypsy Moth. The Emerald Ash Borer, which has inundated the entire Northeast US, is present and the Ash component will significantly decline over the next decade. The Eastern Hemlock species is under attack by the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and the remaining hemlock will significantly decline over the coming decade. There have been no forest fires in recent memory.

The forest floor is home to several types of mushrooms, medicinal plants, wild ginseng, ferns and mosses.

WILDLIFE

For over 40 years, there has been very little human intrusion on the property.

White tail deer, black bear, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, raccoon, fox and many species of songbirds, owls and raptors make up the resident wildlife population.

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

The abundance of ephemeral streams provide a stable water source for the wildlife.

THE AREA

ALLEGHANY COUNTY
Ogle Creek Forest is located in Alleghany County, Virginia in the far Southwest Allegheny Mountains. The region is known as Virginia’s Western Highlands.

Alleghany County is located in the far western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bordered by the Allegheny Mountains, from which the county derives its name, and it is the northernmost part of the Roanoke Region. The county seat is Covington.

As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,250. The county economy is dominated by WestRock, which operates a paperboard mill in Covington, the second largest on the East Coast and an extrusion and converting facility in Low Moor. Both Alleghany County and Covington, are known for the low cost of its housing market and close proximity to The Homestead in Bath County, Lexington, The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, Lewisburg, West Virginia, a 45-minute drive in any direction and Roanoke, about an hour away.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to the Clifton Forge station (12 miles away from Covington) with the Cardinal route. Also, Clifton Forge serves a major locomotive fuel facility for CSX Transportation.

The area is serviced by Interstate 64 (east-west) and Route 220 (north-south) offering rail, truck and interstate access to the area. Rail passenger service is provided at the Amtrak station in Clifton Forge, VA 12 miles away.

COVINGTON
Ogle Creek Forest is 20 minutes from Covington, founded in 1819, and is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Generally, all small city amenities are available.in Covington with big box stores, hospital, medical & dental, grocery, auto parts, hardware, building supply etc.

As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,961, making it the third-least populous city in Virginia. It is surrounded by Alleghany County, of which it is also the county seat. Located at the confluence of Jackson River and Dunlap Creek. The local newspaper of record is The Virginian Review, which has been continuously published since August 10, 1914.

Covington is named in honor of General Leonard Covington, hero of the War of 1812 and friend of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson.

Covington has one 8–12 high school (Covington High School), one 4–7 middle school called (Jeter-Watson), one pre-kindergarten through third grade elementary school (Edgemont Primary), one State Governors School (Jackson River Governor’s School), one technical center for high-school students (Jackson River Technical Center), and one community college (Dabney Lancaster).

JACKSON RIVER
The Jackson River is a major tributary of the James River in Virginia, flowing 96.4 miles. The James River is formed by the confluence of the Jackson River and the Cowpasture River.

The Jackson River rises in Highland County, Virginia, near the border of West Virginia. It flows south between Back Creek Mountain and Jack Mountain, entering Bath County, where it continues to flow south. The Jackson River is impounded by Gathright Dam in Alleghany County, creating Lake Moomaw. From the dam, Jackson River flows south and then east through Alleghany County, through the city of Covington and the town of Clifton Forge, before joining with the Cowpasture River to create the James River.

The river is named for the first European settler on its banks, William Jackson, who received a grant of 270 acres from King George II in 1750. Jackson was possibly an acquaintance of Alexander Dunlap, the first settler on the Cowpasture River.

LAKE MOOMAW

Lake Moomaw is among the most popular developed recreation areas in the George Washington National Forest and provides an endless array of activities including boating, fishing, hiking, biking and camping. The 2,500-acre lake is renowned for its excellent fishing yielding citation size brown and rainbow trout, as well as good bass, pan and crappie.

Lake Moomaw is the second largest impoundment in western Virginia. It covers 2,530 surface acres and has a maximum depth of 152 feet. The impoundment is “drawn down” between 10-15 feet annually, beginning slowly in June and reaching its lowest level usually by September. There are 43 miles of undeveloped, wooded shoreline. There are 5 U.S. Forest Service Campgrounds around the lake, 3 boat launches and a marina.

The Gathright Dam is a massive earthen structure that backs up the Jackson River for over 12 miles, forming Lake Moomaw. A U. S. Army Corps of Engineers project, Lake Moomaw was constructed for downstream flow augmentation (water quality), flood control, and recreation. The idea for a lake above the City of Covington was suggested just after World War II, but the project was not completed until the early 1980’s. The backwater of the Jackson River flooded acres of bottomland once owned by Thomas Gathright. The project was pushed forward by Covington businessman Benjamin Moomaw, after which the lake was named.

The reservoir is deep enough (152 feet) for both warm water fish (bass, catfish, sunfish, crappie) and coldwater fish (trout). The lake was stocked with thousands of largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and channel catfish in 1980. The Jackson River was already home to wild populations of smallmouth bass, rock bass, and chain pickerel, so it was understood that these species would acclimate to their new surroundings. Black crappie and yellow perch were later additions to the fishery.

Lake Moomaw is also known for its trout fishery. A layer of cold, oxygenated water lies 15 feet below the surface. It is in this zone that stocked rainbow, brown, and brook trout thrive. Alewives, members of the herring family, were stocked in the early 1980’s in order to establish a plentiful food base for both trout and other predators. These small, silvery fish are truly the “backbone” of the lake’s sport fishery. They are abundant, ubiquitous, and, seemingly the prey of choice for trophy fish that are caught from Lake Moomaw.

Approximately 35,000 McConaughy and 35,000 brown trout finglerlings are stocked each year. Fingerlings switch to natural food quickly and reach quality size in a couple of years. Neither a trout license nor National Forest Stamp is required at Lake Moomaw. There are no boat motor restrictions on Lake Moomaw, and boating enthusiasts may run unlimited horsepower motors.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

The 559+/- acre Ogle Creek Forest is a tremendous producer of Oxygen and Carbon Sequester. Carbon Sequestration is the act of processing carbon dioxide through sinks and stores and releasing them into the atmosphere as oxygen. The vigorously growing forest is sequestering about 55,000 tons of Carbon Dioxide each per year.

On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Since there are estimated to be some 330,000 trees growing in the forest, there could be over 40,000 tons of Oxygen being produced each year. The forest may be supplying the needs of over 50,000 of the world’s citizens.

FOREST FARMING

The most common crops are medicinal herbs and mushrooms. Other crops that can be produced include shade-loving native ornamentals, moss, fruit, nuts, other food crops, and decorative materials for crafts. These crops are often referred to as special forest products.

• Medicinal herbs: Ginseng, goldenseal, black cohosh, bloodroot, passionflower, and mayapple
• Mushrooms: Shiitake and oyster mushrooms
• Native ornamentals: Rhododendrons and dogwood
• Moss: Log or sheet moss
• Fruit: Pawpaws, currants, elderberries, and lowbush blueberries
• Nuts: Black walnuts, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, and beechnuts
• Other food crops: Ramps (wild leeks), maple syrup, and honey
• Plants used for decorative purposes, dyes, and crafts: Galax, princess pine, white oak, pussy willow branches in the spring, holly, bittersweet, and bloodroot and ground pine (Lycopodium)

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Alleghany County School District:

Callaghan Elementary School
Clifton Middle School
Alleghany High School

Colleges:

Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
Jackson River Technical Center