Thunderstruck, with 1284 acres, is completely surrounded by West Virginia State and Federal lands giving direct access to nearly 90,000 acres of managed wilderness beyond the property’s boundary. The property shares over 7 miles of common boundaries with these neighbors.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Exceptional 1284+/- acre parcel is completely surrounded by West Virginia State and Federal lands giving direct access to more than 90,000 acres of managed wilderness beyond the property’s boundary
• Adjacent to the New River Gorge National River, Babcock State Park, and Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area with nearly six miles of common boundaries
• Tremendous producer of life giving Oxygen and a major sequester of carbon
• Over 40 years of professional forest management
• Harvest-ready hardwood timber
• Blue line clear water streams, each flowing for over a mile inside the property
• Many additional seasonal branches flow during snow melts and rain events
• Nearly 3 miles of county maintained road for superior access
• Miles of private forest management roads (graveled, ditched with culverts) winds through the property on gentle grades suitable for future cabin or home site driveway
• Several miles of  interior trails provide access to nearly every corner of the property
• Renowned locally as one of the premier wildlife sanctuaries in Fayette County
• Spectacular long range views approaching 20 miles
• High percentage of commercially – operable ground supporting forestry, recreation and potential for numerous future cabin sites
• Recreational opportunities in the heart of the New River Gorge water sports mecca
• On the other side of the gorge is a large parcel of land with the Boys Scouts of America Summit Bechtel Reserve
• Perfect for shooting sports, ATV riding, horseback riding, hiking, camping, hunting and nature viewing.
• The lands of the New River Gorge National River Park begin at the property boundary on the rim and travels a distance of 2100 feet downward to the New River
• Elevations range from 1786′  to 2514′
• Potential conservation value.
• Low taxes, low population density, little or no light pollution

DESCRIPTION

Thunderstruck, with 1284 acres, is completely surrounded by West Virginia State and Federal lands giving direct access to nearly 90,000 acres of managed wilderness beyond the property’s boundary. The property shares over 7 miles of common boundaries with these neighbors.

Adjacent property neighbors are:

• New River Gorge National River borders for 2.0 miles
• Babcock State Park borders for 3.0 miles
• Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area borders for 2.7 miles.
• Boys Scouts of America directly across the New River Gorge

The lands of the New River Gorge National River begin at the property boundary on the rim and travels a distance of 2100 feet downward to the New River; being an elevation drop of over 900 feet creating opportunities for spectacular views from the property. Overall, elevations range from 1786 +/- feet to 2514 +/- feet across the property.

Thunderstruck has a timber resource that is positioned for current timber income, as well as value appreciation over the coming decades. The forest has the benefit over 40 years of professional forest management.  Through planned timber harvesting, the forest on this property is in various ages and stages of life.  The smaller trees forming the young growing forest areas, in addition to the broad tops of the older forest stands, provide a huge amount of leaves that take in carbon dioxide and produce life-giving oxygen.

The forest soils are under-lain with a layer of sandstone followed by layers of coal, shale, conglomerate, and limestone.

There are two beautiful dashed blue line clear water seasonal streams, each flowing for over a mile inside the property.  Several other seasonal branches flow during snow melts and rain events.

Thunderstruck has unique access with over a mile and half of county road traveling through the property, ending near the property boundary at the gorge rim. Miles of private forest management roads (graveled, ditched with culverts) wind through the property on gentle grades suitable for future cabin or home site driveway. Several miles of interior trails provide access to nearly every corner of the property. The county road connects to remnants of the old road traveling down the slope into the gorge to the remains of the once bustling coal mining town of Sewell. There is also a mile of frontage on RT41 and RT11 to access the associated Babcock Tract.

LOCATION

NEW RIVER TRACT

Google Coordinates: 37.978288°(N), -80.999806°(W)
Address: Sewell Road, Danese, WV 25831; No 911 address is assigned to property without structures.
Elevation Range: 1786 ft. to 2514 ft. +/-

BABCOCK TRACT

Google Coordinates: 38.000095°(N), -80.942645°(W)
Address: RT 41 at the community of Clifftop, near Danese, WV 25831; No 911 address is assigned to property without structures.
Elevation Range: 2305 ft. to 2533 ft.

WATER

Thunderstruck is blessed with two beautiful dashed blue line clear water seasonal streams, each flowing for over a mile inside the property. There are also several intermittent streams which run over 3.25 miles combined distance through the property during snow melts and rain events. Water originating on the property flows some 2000’ from the canyon rim to the New River below.

MINERAL RESOURCES

Various minerals have been reserved and conveyed by prior deeds of record.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property has been surveyed, and a survey plat was recorded in the Fayette County Land Records in Map Cabinet 2 Slide 106. Property boundaries are painted. The property also neighbors Babcock State Park, New River Gorge National River, and WV DNR Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The property shares over 6 miles of common boundaries with these neighbors. The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

UTILITIES

NEW RIVER TRACT

Water: Water wells would need to be drilled
Sewer: Septic systems would need to be installed
Electricity: Available from a distance
Telephone: Available from a distance
Internet: Available through DirecTV, Dish Network, or HughesNet
Cellphone Coverage: Excellent with 4G

BABCOCK TRACT

Water: Pubic water is available
Sewer: Septic systems would need to be installed
Electricity: Available onsite
Telephone: Available onsite
Internet: Maybe available through cable or HughesNet
Cellphone Coverage: Excellent with 4G

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property has over a mile and half of Sewell Road RT 19/33 inside of its boundaries that terminates at the edge of the New River Gorge. The Babcock Tract has about a mile of frontage on RT 41 and ¼ mile of frontage on RT 11. Many miles of interior trails provide access to nearly every corner of  the property.

ZONING

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

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

Timber production, outdoor recreation, wildlife conservation and Carbon sequestration.

DEED AND TAX INFORMATION

NEW RIVER TRACT

Deed Information: DB 743 Pg. 671
Fayette County, West Virginia
Acreage: 1131.55 acres +/-
Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Fayette County (10), West Virginia
New Haven District (1)
Tax Map 85 Parcel 2; 1149.67 AC MANNS CK BY SURVEY; Class 3

2017 Real Estate Taxes: $3,112.32

BABCOCK TRACT

Deed Information: DB 743 Pg. 671
Fayette County, West Virginia
Acreage: 153.83 acres +/-
Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Fayette County (10), West Virginia
New Haven District (1), Tax Map 81

The property being conveyed is taxed as part of a larger tax parcel, and would be separated and assigned its own parcel number upon the recordation of the conveyance deed.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Fayette County School District

• Ansted Elementary School
• Fayetteville Elementary School
• Ansted Middle School
• Collins Middle School
• Fayetteville High School
• Midland Trail High School
• West Virginia University and New River Community & Technical College maintain campuses at Beckley, WV

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Thunderstruck 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. With 1284 acres,  the vigorously growing forest is sequestering approximately 110,000 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 one million trees growing in the forest, there could be over 130,000 tons of Oxygen being produced each year. The forest may be supplying the needs of over 160,000 of the world’s citizens.

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

The property has various ages of forestland, from areas of fairly recent harvest to full canopy stands. The distinguishing features of Thunderstruck’s timber resource is its unusually high hardwood pre-commercial and pole stocking with a solid basal area per acre. This stocking is well above average for the region. 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 and a forest-wide timber inventory have not been established by the owner at this time.

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 White Oak/Chestnut Oak, Red Oak Group, Poplar/Cucumber/Basswood, Sugar Maple/Soft Maple and a host of associate species.
Stocking, Stem Quality, and Forest Structure:

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

The Thunderstruck timber component has been professionally managed over many decades and generally consists of two age classes managed using even-aged silvicultural guidelines. The predominant timber stand of the forest and contains 2-35 year old stems ranging in size of 2-12” dbh. Some of this stand is comprised of long ago abandoned farm fields and a small contour mine site that have naturally been restocked with pioneer species of poplar, locust and hickory. This stand is on the cusp of graduating into higher-value sawtimber diameter classes over the next 30 years.

The second distinct stand is comprised of 80+ year old trees that represent mature forest stands scattered throughout the boundary along the creeks and streams.

Diameters are well represented across the commercial and pre-commercial spectrum with a notable mature size class, as well as abundant pole size timber and growing stock. Average diameter with all products combined has not been determined.

Some trees are well over 100 years old and classify as “Heritage Trees”. These amazing trees have withstood the test of time and lend an air of grace and permanency to the property.

The forest is healthy and there are no signs of pest infestations of Gypsy Moth. Emerald Ash Borer and the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is present and the majority of 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.

WILDLIFE

The mix of mature timber, emerging forests, and miles of linear food plots, creeks and streams creates the perfect wildlife habitat. It is hard to find a property that has a better mix of wildlife and there has been intense game management for many years. The abundance of wildlife can be fully appreciated by spending a few hours hiking, looking and listening for all the forest has to offer.

The forest produces tons and tons of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, wild grapes, blackberries, beechnuts, poplar and maple seeds. Because there is such an amazing food source, there is a variety of wildlife, including wild turkey, white tail deer, black bear, raccoon, opossum, rabbit, grouse, coyote, squirrel, chipmunk and bobcat.

Many species of songbirds and woodpeckers thrive in the special habitat that large older trees and younger emerging stands create and make their home in this special forest environ. It is exciting to see and hear the large and very vocal Pileated Woodpecker, with its bright red crest dressed in a black and white tuxedo, sweep through the tall canopy in search of a morning snack.

The dense forest, with its closed canopy, is home to a variety of song birds, owls, ravens, buzzards, woodpeckers and hawks. Many of these birds nest in the “den trees”, which are full of holes and cavities. The birds feed on a variety of insects, including hundreds of thousands small caterpillars that inhabit the upper reaches of the canopy.

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

A wide variety of insects, reptiles and amphibians are represented across Nature’s spectrum.

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS

Thunderstruck, with 1284 acres, is completely surrounded by West Virginia State and Federal lands giving direct access to nearly 90,000 acres of managed wilderness beyond the property’s boundary.

Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area – 2.7 Mile Common Boundary

Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area is located on 9,232 acres near Babcock State Park and New River Gorge National River in Fayette County, West Virginia. Beury Mountain’s sloping terrain is covered with mixed hardwoods and oak-hickory second growth woodlands overlooking New River Gorge. Beury Mountain Wildlife Management is comprised of large and broad mountaintop plateaus. Its gently sloping ridges and logging trails make foot travel easy. Wildlife abounds with grouse, deer, turkeys, squirrels and bears. Fishing for brook trout is available in Buffalo Creek. Camping is not allowed at Beury Mountain WMA, but is available at nearby Babcock State Park.

New River Gorge National River – 2 mile Common Boundary

One of the most exciting destinations for hiking, biking, climbing, and paddling in the eastern U.S., the New River Gorge National River was established by the National Park Service in 1978 and includes more than 72,000 acres in and adjacent to the New River Gorge and the valley of the New River. More than a million visitors annually climb rocks along the rim of the gorge near Fayetteville and paddle its whitewater runs on the New and its tributaries. Countless miles of hiking and biking trails wander the park and climb into the surrounding mountains. The nearby Gauley River National Recreation Area likewise attracts thousands of tourists annually, notably rafters during “Gauley Season” in autumn when the river runs strong.

Babcock State Park – 1.3 mile Common Boundary

Babcock State Park and its 4,127 acres of rhododendron-lined trails and rippling, rock-strewn streams is one of West Virginia’s most iconic locations. Located 20 miles south of the New River Gorge Bridge, the park is most known for the Glade Creek Grist Mill, a fully functional replica of the original Cooper’s Mill, located nearby. Babcock State Park campground has 52 single-family campsites for tents, trailers or RVs. The campground has 28 sites with electric hookups for trailers and RVs. Visitors can enjoy hiking the many trails through the mountains, canyons and along the river. Outdoor recreation includes hiking, biking, fishing, wildlife viewing and exploring historic sites like the Glad Creek Grist Mill.

Boys Scouts of America  

Directly across the New River Gorge from the Thunderstruck is some 1200 wildland acres belonging to the Boy Scouts of America Summit Bechtel Reserve. The BSA property is part of “The Summit”, a 12,000 acre Scouting and adventure center for the millions of youth and adults involved in the Boy Scouts of America. The Summit is home to the National Scout Jamboree and upcoming 2019 World Jamboree.

SURROUNDING AREA

Thunderstruck is located in one of the most popular outdoor-recreation destination areas in West Virginia — a paradise of natural and cultural amenities found in few other places in the eastern U.S. More than a million visitors toured the region in 2017, according to the National Park Service, climbing rocks, paddling streams, and hiking, biking, and running miles of scenic trail. As a result of unrivaled access to recreation, the Boy Scouts of America established its national Jamboree site here. Winter in the mountains nearby attracts yet another recreational clientele — skiers bound for the slopes at Winterplace, a drive of 40 minutes to the south, and Snowshoe Mountain, a drive of two-and-a-half hours to the northeast.

Nearby is Adventures on the Gorge (https://www.adventuresonthegorge.com/), one of the most enduring and popular adventure resorts in the U.S., a pioneer in the whitewater rafting industry that has helped set the stage for high-end economic development in the region.

As a result of its burgeoning tourism market, the area also enjoys more than its share of singular shops and restaurants, many of which cluster around Fayetteville, a drive of five minutes from the villa. Other exceptional eateries and retail destinations are located an hour west at Charleston, the state capital, and an hour east at Lewisburg, one of the most livable small towns in the U.S., according to National Geographic. The region is also renowned for great golf, and more than a score of courses are located within a drive of just more than an hour of the villa, including three at The Greenbrier, home of the PGA tour, and Oakhurst Links, the first course built in the U.S.

The region is easy to access. As remote as the region may seem, an expressway courses through its center, spanning the gorge by way of the New River Gorge Bridge only two miles away. Interstates 77 and 64 are only a half hour’s drive to the south and I-79 is a half hour’s drive to the north. Amtrak passenger stations on the Chicago-New York route are located a half-hour’s drive south near Beckley and an hour’s drive east and west at Charleston and White Sulphur Springs. Airports are located 40 minutes to the south at Beckley and an hour away at Charleston and Lewisburg.

Town of Fayetteville
Fayetteville’s historic district is both charming and one of the most attractive locations for outfitters shops, boutique shops, and specialty restaurants in West Virginia. More than a dozen antiques shops were operating in the Fayetteville area in summer 2017, and five independent restaurants in the district were offering an outstanding selection of unique cuisine. Fayetteville is central to the travel-destination area as well as the legal center of the Fayette County. Its population in 2014 was estimated at 2,892. Bridgeview Estates is with Fayetteville’s corporate boundary.

City of Oak Hill
Oak Hill is Fayette County’s largest municipality and its economic center. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 7,730. Plateau Medical Center, the largest hospital in the county, is located off the US-19 expressway on Main Street in its downtown. The city has recently increased its investment in recreational and quality-of-life improvements and has acquired land for the new outdoor-adventure park approaching the edge of the New River Gorge.

The Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
The Summit Bechtel Reserve is the home of the National Scout Jamboree and the national leadership center for the Boy Scouts of America as well as one of the organization’s five high-adventure bases. More than 50,000 visitors attended the inaugural jamboree in 2013, and many more attended the 10-day event in 2017.

Hawks Nest State Park
Nestled in the heart of whitewater rafting country, Hawks Nest State Park is a 270-acre recreational area with a nature museum, aerial tramway, jetboat rides, hiking trails and one of the most challenging whitewater boating waterways in the nation. The park’s clifftop overlook along U.S. Route 60 provides a scenic vista of the New River, some 750 feet below. Its 31-room lodge offers luxurious rooms, dining and spacious conference and meeting facilities. Located near Ansted in Fayette County, about 10 miles north of the New River Gorge Bridge, Hawks Nest is known for its scenic overlook, which provides a bird’s eye view of the rugged New River Gorge National River.

Camp Washington Carver
Camp Washington-Carver is a beautiful retreat listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This Fayette County complex is a group of buildings and facilities that have achieved exceptional importance within the past 50 years as the focus of cultural activities and events significant in West Virginia’s black history. Originally named The Negro 4-H Camp when it was dedicated in 1942, Washington-Carver served from 200 to 1,600 black youth in vocational agriculture, soil conservation, home economics and 4-H standards. Camp Washington-Carver, a Mountain Cultural Arts Center located at Clifftop in Fayette County, West Virginia, programs a summer season of events from music concerts to theater. The facility may also be rented for family reunions, company picnics, weddings and other private activities.

HISTORY

The earliest people in the New River area were the generations of the American Indians; believed to be the Shawnee, Cherokee, and Delaware tribes. In the 1750s and early 1800s, settlers made their way into the area. In the middle 1800s, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad made its way into the New River Gorge, making a major travel corridor along the river.

Half way down the side of the gorge was a thick seam of bituminous coal of such high grade it was considered to be smokeless because of the very low content of impurities and burned clean. The existence of this and other coal seams throughout the region made coal a “King” industry in the state of West Virginia for many years. Coal was mined in the gorge, taken down to the river, loaded in train cars for shipment or placed into the many beehive ovens along the railroad tracks to make coke. The very high-grade coal burned with great heat. The coal that was shipped out was highly desired to heat homes in the northeast United States, use in the steel making industry, and fire boilers in ships throughout the world. The coke that was made by the beehive ovens in the gorge had very low levels of impurities and produced very high temperatures when burned in the United States steel-making industry. Some trains leaving the gorge carried only the smokeless bituminous coal while others carried only the highly needed coke.

During the 60 some years of active coal mining and coal coking in the gorge, from the late 1800s through the 1940s, there were over 20 active communities spaced about ¼ mile apart along the New River in the gorge. Most were accessible only by railroad. To travel from one town to the next, folks either caught one of the many train trips or walked the railroad.

Most of the coal miners and their families lived in the towns along the railroad by the river. Those families depended on daily living supplies as brought in by train and sold at the company stores. However, some miners and their families lived on the flat land at the top of the gorge where they could travel by road and could farm the land. The Thunderstruck property contained one such small community, mostly now gone, commonly known in the area as Ladonia. The Catholic Cemetery and the Protestant Cemetery, plus a few lots of private ownership exist today. The name of the community came about in an interesting way. Dr. Cyrus Rupert, who traveled both Fayette and Greenbrier Counties during his physician work, bought the property in 1869. During his lifetime, Dr. Rupert and his wife, Rachel McClung Rupert, had 15 children. All were given names that begin with the letter “L”. Of those names, 14 names were spelled with six letters. One name was slightly longer. After Dr. Rupert purchased the property, he created the small community and named it for his first-born child, Ledona. The spelling of the community changed over time from Ledona to Ledonia to Ladonia. Since adjoining property was owned by Longdale Iron and Ore Company, Dr. Rupert later sold his tract of land to the company. Over time as the coal mining in the gorge demised, the small community ceased to exist.

These neighboring lands and towns were named for large and important people and companies in the history of the area, such as Babcock Coal and Coke Company, Joseph L. Beury, who started mining operations in the New River area in the 1870s, the mining town of Beury, West Virginia, and Sewell Lumber Company. A little distance away was the community of Nuttallburg, associated with John Nuttall, one of the earliest mining pioneers, who came to the New River area in the 1870s. The Nuttall mine was sold to the Fordson Coal Company, owned by Henry Ford. The Nuttallburg area is a current scenic attraction. Much of the property in the area still remains in the Nuttall family.

FAYETTE COUNTY

Recreation is a high income producer for Fayette County and the bordering counties of Nicholas, Summers and Greenbrier, located in southern West Virginia, renowned for its dramatic landscapes, small communities, and outdoor recreation amenities. White water rafting, the 80,000 acre New River National Park, 4,000 acre Babcock State Park, 9,000 acre Beury Mt. Wildlife Management Area, 14,000 acre Boy Scout High Adventure Camp, ACE Adventures OTG and many other attractions bring the out-of- area and out-of-state population to the area. Along with this, many people want to have a vacation spot, recreation home or other tie to the area. Hunting and fishing is very popular as well as ATV adventuring on the Hatfield-McCoy Trail.