DESCRIPTION

Located just 45 minutes south of Snowshoe Mountain Resort and 8 miles to Marlinton, this very accessible multiple-use property offers privacy, wildlife, views, creeks, meadows, pastures and a developing hardwood forest.

LOCATION

Stony Creek Mountain Farm, consisting of 248 acres and a nice cabin is situated 8 miles northwest of Marlinton, the county seat of Pocahontas County. The surrounding region is a popular vacation area that is anchored by the four seasons Snowshoe Resort which is only 27 miles away. Close proximity to the Snowshoe Resort offers a fine second home opportunity which should benefit from an appreciating land value component over time. Washington, D.C. is within 3 hours as is Roanoke, VA. Richmond, VA is a quick four hour drive. Both The Greenbrier and The Homestead resorts are only an hour’s drive away.

Covered by forested hills, and graced by countless small streams, Marlinton and the surrounding villages offer the best of West Virginia’s natural beauty. The parcel offers those from urban areas the opportunity for a rural retreat with excellent shopping, medical facilities and a hospital available nearby in Marlinton.

GOOGLE COORDINATES

LATITUDE 038.2479696N

LONGITUDE 080.1355168W

SITE DESCRIPTION

The property’s excellent access and diverse upland terrain can support numerous ownership goals with excellent outdoor recreational options. The farm benefits from abundant natural resources which include a developing hardwood forest, pastures, crop land and several level mountaintop home sites with tremendous 360 degree long range views. Mineral rights do convey, including oil, gas, coal, stone and timber.

The modern cabin is solar powered with a backup propane generator. Heating is provided by a propane heater and wood stove. There is phone service is on the property. Water for the cabin is supplied by a year round free flowing mountain spring with an average hourly flow of approximately 300 gallons per hour.

This property has total seclusion and privacy. The farm is literally at the end of a seldom used county road. The only structure of any kind visible from any point on the property is a single old barn. The long views are of the pristine Monongahela National Forest. At night the only visible man-made light (not of your own making) is the occasional jet or satellite tracking silently across the heavens.

AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES

Presently, the farm produces hay and some cattle graze in the meadows.  In the past the property was a cattle, sheep and horse farm. Water sources are adequate, provided by streams.  Approximately 40 acres are presently available as pasture/cropland. Limited fencing borders the property and state maintained highways and secondary routes provide excellent access to various agricultural areas.

WILDLIFE

Wild Turkey, Bear, Coyote, Squirrel, Rabbit, and Mink are but a few of the animals that inhabit the forest, streamside, and open areas. Other resident wildlife include raccoons, fox squirrels, opossums, red foxes, chipmunks, groundhogs, red-tailed hawks, ruffed grouse and owls.

Countless neo-tropical and other migrating birds use the property for breeding and replenishment. Songbirds love to sing in the early mornings and late evenings. The giant Pileated woodpecker along with his smaller cousins, the red headed and downy woodpecker can be seen (and more often heard!) pecking for a meal.

The excellent wildlife habitat is a result of a diversified mix of mature and emerging forest, old farm fields, rhododendron thickets, bogs and successional forest growth around the fields. The forest is producing tons of acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts, autumn olive berries and wild cherries.

The large and healthy whitetail deer population has benefited from the owners farming and resource management practices. Supplemental feedings help herds stay vibrant and healthy throughout the year. The area is touted for its excellent hunting opportunities in one of the wildest setting in the Mountain State.

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

On Property: Hunting, fishing, nature study, bird watching, horseback riding, cross country skiing, mountain biking, ATV riding and arrowhead hunting.

Local: Downhill skiing and golf are within 25 miles at the famed four seasons Snowshoe Resort, bicycling on the Greenbrier River Trail, canoeing and fishing on the Greenbrier River and it’s tributaries, scientific study at the National Radio Observatory, sight-seeing at Cass Scenic Railroad, hunting, fishing, birding and hiking Seneca State Forest, fishing and canoeing at Buffalo Lake, hiking and nature study at Gaudineer Scenic Area and Spruce Knob.

QUIET ZONE

Stony Creek Mountain Farm is located on the outskirts of the United States National Radio Quiet Zone which is a large area of land surrounding the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) at Green Bank, West Virginia, and especially the large Green Bank Telescope radio telescope. The Radio Quiet Zone is a rectangle of land approximately 13,000 square miles in size that straddles the border area of Virginia and West Virginia. This area was chosen because it has a hilly topography that screens out most incoming radio signals, allowing the Green Bank telescopes to receive signals that are otherwise too low in power to be heard over the normal radio background in North America. Due to the restrictions, the area has attracted people who suffer from Electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND CARBON FOOTPRINT

Carbon Sequestration is the act of processing carbon dioxide through sinks and stores and releasing them into the atmosphere as oxygen. With 248 acres of forest and grassland, Stony Creek Mountain Farm is sequestering approximately 24,000 tons of Carbon Dioxide per year.

The farm’s Carbon Footprint is very small. The United States national average emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) per person per year are estimated to be 27 tons. This rate is calculated using average home size, average family size, average person’s yearly mileage driven and waste produced.

On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Since there are over 30,000 trees in the forest, this means there are over 3,900 tons of Oxygen being produced each year. Interestingly, two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four so this forest will supply the needs of over 10,000 average families.

TIMBER RESOURCE

There is approximately 200 acres of forest on Stony Creek Mountain Farm.  The forest was selectively harvested under a professional forester’s supervision in 2005.  The timber trails were laid out in advance of the harvest to create a permanent network that could be later used for hunting, hiking and ATV riding.

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 Sugar Maple, Yellow Poplar and Red Oak and Black Cherry, four fast-growing species with historically strong veneer and lumber market demand.

OIL, GAS AND OTHER MINERAL RIGHTS

All mineral rights that the seller owns will be be conveyed with the surface. There are no gas wells on the property and the owner is not aware of any past coal mining. The rights have not been leased by the present owner.

ACCESS/BOUNDARIES/SURVEY

Access to Stony Creek Mountain Farm is provided by year round state maintained roads. There is also a well-established access road leading to the mid-slope cabin area and also to the higher mountain meadows. The vicinity around the high mountain meadows offers a prime future building site for a private family estate with 360 degree long range mountain and valley views from an elevation of 3,400+ feet.

Complementing access is an established network of hiking trails that extend throughout the forest and can be further enhanced to provide for entry of ATVs and horseback riding.

The property was surveyed by William Dilley, LLS in November 2005, resulting in 248.71 surveyed acres. Maps used in this report are based on survey information and tax map data. Although the maps provided in this report are believed to be reasonably accurate, buyers should not rely on these maps to precisely portray the deeded boundary lines.

Stony Creek Mountain Farm and the neighboring Twila Gwin Family Farm maintain a private roadway through their properties to provide access to both farms. This easement provides for the exclusive use and benefit of both parties and has been duly recorded.

UTILITIES

Electricity for the cabin is solar power with a backup propane generator. Heating is provided by a propane heater and wood stove. There is phone service is on the property. Water for the cabin is supplied by a year round free flowing mountain spring with an average hourly flow of approximately 300 gallons per hour.  The spring water is stored in a newly professionally installed 1,200 gallon reservoir and pumped to the cabin.  There is no cell phone coverage at this time. High Speed Internet connection is possible through HuhesNet Satellite. Television reception is possible through DISH or DirecTV satellite.

There is a standard drip irrigation septic system for the cabin.

PROPERTY TAXES & ZONING

248.71 acres was assessed in Pocahontas County, Edray District, Map 56, parcel 5.   As of November 2013, no subdivision ordinance or Zoning was in effect outside of incorporated areas in Pocahontas County.   The deed is recorded in DB 338, page 212.   Property taxes in 2018 were $2,361.28.