Awesome 516 acre parcel adjoining the Monongahela National Forest in the New River Gorge, Gauley River and Cherry River Recreation areas. Just 30 minutes to the 3000 acre Summersville Lake.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tremendous 516 acre parcel surrounded by farmland, National Forest and large woodland tracts
• Adjoins the 900,000 acre Monongahela National Forest
• 5 minutes to the 55 acre Big Ditch Lake
• Surveyed and boundary lines painted
• Convenient to I-77, I-79, US-19, US-60 and jet airports
• Land legacy of outstanding wildlife management coupled with long-term forest stewardship
• Boone and Crocket country with exceptional resident wildlife populations
• Harvest-ready hardwood timber
• 30 minutes to Summersville and all town amenities in popular Webster County
• Blue line stream flows for over a mile through the property
• Numerous seasonal branches flow during snow melts and rain events
• Superior access provided by a paved state-maintained county road
• Over one mile of private forest management roads (graveled, ditched with culverts) wind through the property on gentle grades suitable for future cabin or a home site driveway
• Miles and miles of interior trails provide access to nearly every corner of the property
• Located in the heart of the awesome New River Gorge, Gauley River and Cherry River recreation areas for all water recreation enthusiasts
• 30 Minutes to 3000-acre Summersville Lake and 5 minutes to 55 acre Big Ditch Lake
• Spectacular long-range views approaching 20 miles
• High percentage of commercially – operable ground supporting forestry, recreation and potential for numerous future cabin sites
• Elevations range from 2230’ to 2700’
• Electric and phone nearby with excellent cell phone coverage and 4G
• Potential conservation value
• Low taxes, low population density, little or no light pollution
• 2 hours to WVU and the Mighty Mountaineers

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

Timber production, recreation, wildlife conservation, carbon sequestration.

THE AREA

Webster County, as of the 2010 census, had a population of 9,154. The county was founded in 1860 and named for Daniel Webster.

The town of Webster Springs sits at the Confluence of the Elk and Back Fork of the Elk Rivers. The town is the county seat of Webster county and has one hospital and a bank. The town has numerous shops, retail stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, a motel, and several restaurants. Government offices for the municipality, county, and state are available in the town. The town is served by the Addison Public Library and fire service is provided by the Webster Springs Volunteer Fire Department.

The town was famous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for its numerous salt sulfur water wells. People believed that the water from the wells had medicinal qualities. The town also hosts the annual Webster County Wood Chopping Festival, a weekend-long competition in which lumberjacks from all over the world compete.

Webster Springs is also known for the great trout fishing on the Elk and Back Fork of the Elk rivers. Both native and stock trout are found in the waters and their tributaries.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 38.400816°(N), -80.541261°(W)

Address: Price Glade Run Road RT 15/7, Cowen, WV 26206; No 911 address is assigned to property without structures.

Elevation Range: 2230 ft. to 2700 ft. +/-

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

The property has various ages of forestland, from areas of recent harvest to full canopy stands. The distinguishing features of the Berthy Forest 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.

Timber Inventory and the Capital Timber value have not been assigned 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.

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 an abundant current and future veneer source.

The Berthy Forest timber component has been professionally managed over the years and generally consists of two age classes managed under even-aged silvicultural guidelines. Part of this stand is comprised of long ago abandoned farm fields and old an old contour mine bench that have naturally been restocked with pioneer species of poplar, locust and hickory. The rest of the stand has been managed for several decades using regeneration harvests under the guidance of professional foresters. This stand contains 2-35 year old stems ranging in size of 2-12” dbh. 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 smaller mature forest stands scattered throughout the boundary along the creeks and streams. There are some larger boundaries ready for commercial harvest.

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. The Emerald Ash Borer and the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is present and the majority of the Ash and Hemlock trees is severely stressed and will die out over the next decade. There have been no forest fires in the recent memory.

WILDLIFE

Berthy Forest is renowned locally as a premier wildlife sanctuary in Webster County.

Red tail hawk, raccoon, opossum and chipmunk have been spotted in and along the mile-long blue line creek. The creek and its stony edge support crawdads, frogs, salamanders, newts, june bugs and all types of aquatic invertebrates.

The mixture of mature forest, abandoned farm fields, and regenerated forest, coupled with the abundant water supply from creeks, and springs, create the perfect wildlife habitat. The hardwood forest produces tons of acorns, hickory nuts beech nuts and black walnuts. White tail deer, wild turkey, black bear, coyote, squirrel, raccoon, bobcat, fox and many species of songbirds and raptors make up the resident wildlife population. It is hard to find a property that has a better mix of wildlife as there has been excellent wildlife management for many years.

The mile-long private access road creates a linear food plot of some 5 acres stocked with blackberry & raspberry bushes, native grasses and browse-ready herbaceous plants.

A number of bald eagles have been spotted up and down the Gauley, Cherry and New River and are a thrill to see with wingspans of 6-7 feet.

UTILITIES

Water: City water is available nearby
Sewer: Private septic can be installed
Electricity: Available nearby
Internet: DSL through phone service or possible Satellite Internet
Cellphone Coverage: Good with 4G

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

One mile of internal graveled road and miles of trails offer excellent access to all corners of the property.  The property fronts onto County Rt 15/7 for a combined distance of about 1 mile, providing access to the public road system.

WATER

About 1.25 miles of a long blue line stream, a tributary of Big Ditch Run, begins and flows inside the western side of the property.  Additionally, Holcomb Creek, another blue line stream, runs through the eastern side of the property for about ¼ mile. These streams would usually be active during periods of rainfall or snow melt.

MINERAL RESOURCES

Various mineral rights have been either reserved or conveyed by prior deeds of record, and the property is being sold SURFACE ONLY.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property has been surveyed and the property boundaries are painted.  The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

ZONING

All prospective purchasers are encouraged to contact the Webster County Health Department and the Webster County Zoning Administrator regarding any regulations and for the installation of septic systems, water wells, and flood insurance requirements.

DEED AND TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information:  Part of DB 301 Pg. 602
Webster County, West Virginia

Acreage: 516.05 acres +/- by recent survey

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Webster County (51), West Virginia
Glade District (4)
Tax Map 4R Parcel 127
2021 Real Estate Taxes: $926

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Webster County School District

Public Elementary School:
Glade Elementary School

Public Middle School:
Glade Middle School

Public High School:
Webster County High School

THE MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST

The Monongahela National Forest is located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over 921,000 acres of federally owned land within a 1,700,000 acres proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.

Geography

The Monongahela National Forest encompasses most of the southern third of the Allegheny Mountains range (a section of the vast Appalachian Mountains range) and is entirely within the state of West Virginia. Elevations within the Monongahela National Forest range from about 900 feet at Petersburg to 4,863 feet at Spruce Knob. A rain shadow effect caused by slopes of the Allegheny Front results in 60 inches (1,500 mm) of annual precipitation on the west side and about half that on the east side.

Headwaters of six major river systems are located within the forest: Monongahela, Potomac, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart, and Gauley. Twelve rivers are currently under study for possible inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Monongahela National Forest includes some major landform features such as the Allegheny Front and the western portion of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. Within the forest are most of the highest mountain peaks in the state, including the highest, Spruce Knob (4,863 ft), also the highest point in the Alleghenies. Approximately 75 tree species are found in the forest. Almost all of the trees are a second growth forest, grown back after the land was heavily cut over around the start of the 20th century. Species for which the forest is important include red spruce, balsam fir, and mountain ash.

The Monongahela National Forest includes eight U.S. Wilderness Areas and several special-use areas, notably the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.

Ecology

The forest is noted for its rugged landscape, views, blueberry thickets, highland bogs and “sods”, and open areas with exposed rocks. In addition to the second-growth forest trees, the wide range of botanical species found includes rhododendron, laurel on the moist west side of the Allegheny Front, and cactus and endemic shale barren species on the drier eastern slopes.

There are 230 known species of birds inhabiting the Monongahela National Forest: 159 are known to breed there, 89 are Neotropical migrants; 71 transit the forest during migration, but do not breed there, and 17 non-breeding species are Neotropical. The Brooks Bird Club (BBC) conducts an annual bird banding and survey project in the vicinity of Dolly Sods Scenic Area during migration (August – September). The forest provides habitat for 9 federally listed endangered or threatened species: 2 bird species, 2 bat species, 1 subspecies of flying squirrel, 1 salamander species, and 3 plant species. Fifty other species of rare/sensitive plants and animals also occur in the forest.

Larger animals and game species found in the forest include black bear, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, gray and fox squirrels, rabbits, snowshoe hare, woodcock, and grouse. Limited waterfowl habitat exists in certain places. Furbearers include beaver, red and gray fox, bobcat, fisher, river otter, raccoon and mink. Other hunted species include coyotes, skunks, opossums, woodchucks, crows, and weasels. There are 12 species of game (pan) fish and 60 species of nongame or forage fish. Some 90% of the trout waters of West Virginia are within the forest.

Recreation

The Monongahela National Forest is a recreation destination and tourist attraction, hosting approximately 3 million visitors annually. The backwoods road and trail system is used for hiking, mountain biking, horse riding. There are many miles of railroad grades that are a link in the recreation use of the forest. (The longest is the Glady to Durbin West Fork Railroad Trail which is 23 miles long.) Recreation ranges from self-reliant treks in the wildernesses and backcountry areas, to the challenges of mountain climbing, to traditional developed site camping. Canoeing, hunting, trapping, fishing, and wildlife viewing are also common uses.

Commercial resources

The forest administration maintains wildlife and timber programs aimed at managing a mix of tree species and ages. About 81 percent of the total forest area is closed canopy forest over 60 years of age. The tree species most valuable for timber and for wildlife food in the Monongahela National Forest are black cherry and oaks. The forest’s commercial timber sale program averages 30 mbf (million board feet) of timber sold per year with a yearly average value of $7.5 million. A variety of cutting techniques are used, from cutting of single trees to clearcutting blocks up to 25 acres in size. Regeneration cuts (clearcuts or other treatments designed to start a new timber stand) occur on approximately 1,300 acres yearly out of the more than 909,000 acres forest total.

Mineral resources located in the Monongahela National Forest include coal, gas, limestone, and gravel; but not oil. Sheep and cattle grazing occurs on about 7,000 acres.

Receipts for timber, grazing, land uses, minerals, and recreation use averaged $4,840,466 annually between FY92 and FY96, and 25% of that (an average of $1,210,116 per year) was returned to counties that include Monongahela National Forest lands. This money is intended for use by local schools and for roads. The remaining 75% each year is returned to the U.S. Treasury.