FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway eNewsletter
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Volume 3, Issue 1 This Month's Features Message from FRIENDS' President Blue Ridge Parkway Road Closures Railroads – A Way of Life in Roanoke, Virginia From the American Hiking Society's Paperless Trail Winter Trails Day 2007 Mark Your Calendar for February 17 Inspirational Notes of the Wilderness Donate or HELP Support FRIENDS FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc. FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is a non-profit, volunteer organization that is dedicated to preserving and protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway, a national treasure. FRIENDS programs focus on preservation, protection and education. FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia, whose current principal business address for identification purposes is P.O. Box 20986, Roanoke, Virginia 24018. 
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Message from FRIENDS' PresidentDear Friend, FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway wishes you a happy healthy New Year! As we move forward in 2007 we hope that the Blue Ridge Parkway will be foremost in your thoughts as to how YOU can make a difference. As of this week the Parkway now has 57 vacated positions. FRIENDS increased the volunteer hours by 30% and provided $175,483 in funding to programs and services last year. This is not enough – and you are the critical difference to provide Consider encourage others to join FRIENDS, give gift memberships to FRIENDS or consider a special donation for Parkway Projects. Click here to join or provide your donation I am making a difference! Richard Wells President, FRIENDS Board of Directors The Parkway, NaturallyNewsletter of Natural Resource Management on the Blue Ridge Parkway Integrated Pest Management in the NPS Whether it's mice in your office or weeds in one of our wetlands, pests seem to be everywhere. Fortunately the Parkway has a program to deal with this problem – Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The Parkway is responsible for managing native plants and animals, habitats ranging from bogs to mountain tops, dozens of buildings, an estate and museum artifacts. Each of these can attract pests, which the National Park Service defines as organisms that interfere with objectives of national parks or jeopardize human health and safety.
Integrated Pest Management - In its simplest form, IPM involves the combination of two or more pest management methods. For small rodents, exclusion (fixing the door sweeps) can be combined with sanitation (emptying the garbage more frequently). Whereas either method alone would fail, the combination of methods may be successful. IPM is a decision-making process. It uses information on pest biology to determine the most effective control of the pest. Because powder post beetles can survive in a narrow range of humidity, adjusting the humidity can eliminate the beetles. Pest populations are monitored and control measures are implemented only when population thresholds are exceeded. For example, cockroaches are easily monitored with sticky traps. An average catch of 2.5 roaches per trap per night is often used as the threshold that triggers use of a pesticide. IPM has proved very successful for the National Park Service. Since IPM was formally adopted in the early 1980s, pesticide use has decreased by more than 60%, and the effectiveness of pest management has improved. When pesticides are needed on NPS lands there is an approval process that must be followed. Before the program was initiated, pesticide use was often excessive. A system of review and approval was created to bring pesticide use under control. Currently, all proposed uses of pesticide except those with the highest risk—about 5%—are approved by the IPM Specialists in the regional office. Adapted from a Fact Sheet prepared by Terrance Cacek, Biologist, Biological Resource Management Division For more information about Integrated Pest Management: http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/ipm/ I would like to donate to help save Parkway views. Blue Ridge Parkway Road ClosuresVirginia – The motor road is open and clear for travel. Parkway section to close in January (For Immediate Release from the Blue Ridge Parkway Newsletter): (Roanoke, VA)—The 15-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from US Highway 220 at Roanoke south to the US 221 intersection at Adney Gap will be closed weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. January 8 through 26. Parkway officials said the closure is being made so that maintenance workers can safely clear vegetation from road shoulders and banks, and clean ditch-lines. Much of the work requires employees to use heavy equipment and to work from the roadway. Officials emphasized that the scenic motor road will be open, weather permitting, on weekends. They also noted that visitation to the Parkway is at its lowest levels in winter, and the closure was scheduled to cause the least possible impact on public use and enjoyment of the scenic road. North Carolina – The motor road is open with the exception of:
For more information about Blue Ridge Parkway Closures call (828) 298-0398 FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway has openings for VOLUNTEERS in Website and eNewsletter projects at our Roanoke, VA office
PLEASE CALL 772-2992 (Local) / 800-228-7275 EMAIL: Staff@FriendsBRP.org – WEBSITE: www.BlueRidgeFriends.org Railroads – A Way of Life in Roanoke, VirginiaContributing Author:
Peter Givens,
It is usually the mountains that define and distinguish present-day Roanoke, Virginia. Framed by the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies, most visitors look for the highest place from which to view the ring of blue that encircles this valley. To the Native Americans, Virginia's Great Valley was simply Shenandoah, "daughter of the stars." Most of the eastern Indian nations knew of the rich soil throughout the valley, and many of them were aware of the salty marshes dominating portions of the southern end of the valley near the headwaters of the river they called the "Rawenoke." English settlers along North Carolina's Outer Banks heard this name for the lower end of the same watercourse where it exited into the Albemarle Sound. Wildlife came to this place in the Shenandoah Valley for the salt licks, and Native Americans followed, seeking the abundant wildlife. The first written accounts of European settlers venturing into the Roanoke Valley came in 1671, when an expedition referred to "a very rich swamp between a branch and the main river of the Roanoke." The early pattern of travel and transportation here was thus established, first by wildlife, then by Native Americans, and finally by European settlers. Captain John Smith patented land here as early as 1746. But when Roanoke County was carved out of Botetourt in 1838, Salem was chosen as the county seat, and present-day Roanoke was simply called the "Big Lick." In 1852, however, the area got a preview of things to come when the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad headed for Bristol, laid tracks through the Roanoke Valley. This was the line that Abraham Lincoln called "The Gut of the Confederacy", the most vital transportation link across the most vital southern state. The Virginia and Tennessee served as a "magnet", bringing people to the Roanoke Valley and to Big Lick. Five large buildings stood near the Big Lick depot in the spring of 1861 when the ravages of war came to Virginia. The Virginia and Tennessee was virtually destroyed during the war as tracks, trestles, rolling stock, and the depot at Big Lick were reduced to ashes. After the war, and in the midst of Reconstruction, several Virginia railroads merged to form the Atlantic, Mississippi, and the Ohio RR, only to meet with financial disaster during the early 1870s. New owners bought the company in 1881 and changed its name to the Norfolk & Western. These same individuals also acquired the Shenandoah Valley Railroad and made a decision that would forever change the economy, society, and culture of western Virginia. The new owners decided at a meeting in Pennsylvania that their two new railroads would cross at Big Lick in Roanoke County. The company already held options on five-hundred acres of land for development purposes around the new crossroads, and local officials met immediately to change the "undignified" name of Big Lick to something more acceptable. So the town of Roanoke was born, and at the midpoint between Appomattox and the dawn of the Twentieth Century, this desolate place of the "big licks" set its sights on becoming a railroad town. In the spring of 1882, this small cluster of homes and shops with a population of five-hundred literally exploded with activity. A National Bank with $50,000 of capital was chartered days after the railroad decisions. The company began construction of a classic English inn, the Roanoke Machine Works began operation, and homes and businesses sprang up rapidly. In little more than a year, records show a fourfold increase in the number of residences, the number of hotels tripled, boarding houses were built all over town, and the Roanoke Machine Shop was prepared to hire one-thousand workers. In less than a decade, there were courthouses, firehouses, markets, schools, another national bank, and another railroad heading into the North Carolina mountains. The little town had seen its population exceed 16,000. This flurry of activity led one visitor to call Roanoke absolutely "the most dug-up town in Virginia." Engine #117, a classic 22-ton woodburner, rolled out of the Roanoke shops in 1884 as the first production. Roanoke Machine Works soon gained a reputation for excellence. Their rolling stock was so much in demand that larger northern railroads placed orders by the hundreds from the shops in Roanoke. As long as steam locomotives were manufactured, those coming from Roanoke were among the finest ever built. Roanoke survived the depression of the 1890s and a fire that destroyed the railroad
offices by reorganizing, selling gold bonds, and moving into rented space. By the turn
of the century, this city was so enamored by its own success that the town held a party
in celebration. Most of the 27,000 Roanokers flooded the streets, wildly anticipating
what the next century would hold. Perhaps due to its rapid growth or perhaps as a sign
of the generally rowdy times, some referred to the new railroad town as a "rough place"
just like any "Colorado mining town." But descriptions of Roanoke were always
Roanoke stands today as the largest town in western Virginia and still boasts a strong railroad heritage with the reorganized Norfolk and Southern as one of the leading employers in the region. Visitors in town for business meetings now fill up the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center rather than passengers from the railroad. The natural beauty of the region with hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities continues to draw many people here. But anyone who speaks of Roanoke’s growth, history, and heritage has to begin and end the story with the railroad. This "big lick" nestled in the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley in the 1880s set out to be a railroad boom town and continues that tradition today. Volunteer SpotlightChelsea Ehrich
I would like to donate to help the Volunteers in Parks. From the American Hiking Society's Paperless TrailHike the Hill: Trails Advocacy Week, February 12-15, 2007
Advocacy Week 2007 will include sessions on National Trails System policy issues, the new leadership and dynamics of the new Congress, training in lobbying/advocacy skills, and a reception on Capitol Hill. Most of the week will be devoted to your meetings with your Senators, Representatives and key congressional and federal agency staff. Click here http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/advo_week.html to learn more about this important event or contact http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/advo_week.html. 2007 Volunteer Vacations – Sign Up Now For Early Projects FRIENDS encourages our Adopt-A-Trail groups to consider signing up for a Volunteer Vacation Trail Project. If you are interested, download the application and contact Linda Kassar at 800-228-PARK (7275) or Linda_Kassar@FriendsBRP.org. Start your planning now to escape the inevitable winter chills! UPDATE Congress Postpones Interior Funding Bill Until 2007 Hiking 101 – The Walking Wounded: Front Country First Aid
Stored in a waterproof container, this kit should weigh ounces, enhance comfort and prevent rare and serious injuries from getting any worse. I would like to donate to the Trails Forever Program. Winter Trails Day 2007 Mark Your Calendar for February 17Winter Trails® Day will occur on February 17 (Estes Park, Colo.) in various locations throughout North America. Winter Trails Day, now entering its 12th year, offers first-timers to snow sports the chance to try snowshoeing and cross country skiing for FREE, and to discover the great fitness and social benefits with these easy-to-learn winter sports. The program is presented by SnowSports Industries America (SIA), American Hiking Society (AHS) and the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA). http://www.americanhiking.org/index.html I would like to donate to help preserve the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visit our Online Store
The most visited site in the National Parks system, the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway winds along the ridges of the Appalachian mountains in Virginia and North Carolina. According to popular myth, the Parkway was a New Deal "godsend for the needy," built without conflict or opposition by landscape architects and planners who traced their uniform vision along a scenic, isolated southern landscape. The historical archives relating to this massive public project, however, tell a different story, which Anne Mitchell Whisnant relates in this history of the seventy-year development of the beloved roadway. Inspirational Notes of the Wilderness"Wilderness is a resource which can shrink but not grow…the creation of new wilderness in the full sense of the word is impossible." Aldo Leopold "The mountains are calling and I must go." John Muir "Once in a while you find a place on earth that becomes your very own. A place undefined. Waiting for you to bring your color, your self. A place untouched, unspoiled, undeveloped. Raw, honest, and haunting. No one, nothing is telling you how to feel or who to be. Let the mountains have you for a day..." Sundance "It's amazing how quickly nature consumes human places after we turn our backs on them. Life is a hungry thing." Scott Westerfeld Please send us your inspirational quotes. Donate or HELP Support FRIENDSHelp Us Preserve the Legacy FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway offers young and old, together, the opportunity to connect with friends and family to save the Blue Ridge Parkway for their continuing enjoyment - and for future generations. The Blue Ridge Parkway connects the Shenandoah National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is America's most scenic drive encompassing 469 miles traversing 29 counties in Virginia and North Carolina. Over 20 million people touch its borders annually - making it America's most frequented park treasure! By joining Preserving the Legacy you will be supporting projects that will protect this extraordinary Parkway and adjacent land and views for yourselves and for future generations. FRIENDS is an official National Park Service partner. Please join us by choosing one of our deserving Programs today! If you wish to make bequests in your will to FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, please send us this: FRIENDS Blue Ridge Parkway Legacy (PDF file). Please forward this e-newsletter to anyone you feel would be interested! If this message was forwarded to you by a friend, you can receive your own subscription by visiting our web site. If you have any questions, please contact us. |
Pest Management Policy - The NPS has a high tolerance
for pests and weeds and manages them only if they interfere with the
objectives of national parks or jeopardize human health or safety. A strong
distinction is made between native species and introduced species (exotics)
from abroad. Exotic species that can become pests are managed aggressively.
Native species that become pests are controlled only under extraordinary
circumstances. Agency policy requires an assessment of the probability of
successful management of a pest. Parkway biologists determine if the pest
can be controlled with existing staff and within budget limitations. Some
pests are so well established that no economical control exists to manage
them. The NPS embraces all methods of pest control, including sanitation,
exclusion, modifying habitats, trapping, and use of beneficial insects.
Pesticides are also used but only after all other alternatives have been
considered and found to be inadequate.
Risk Reduction - Pests represent real or potential risks.
For example, if the maintenance of native vegetation is the objective of a
national park, the invasion of an exotic weed may put that objective at risk.
In museums, historic fabrics are at risk of destruction by carpet beetles.
Employees and visitors face health risks from and stinging insects. Management
of pests also poses risks. The exotic tree of heaven can be controlled with
chain saws or herbicides, but if not used properly, the chain saws and the
herbicides jeopardize the safety and health of workers and the environment.
Pest managers must identify the greater risk: the pests or the control methods.
The Blue Ridge Parkway idea was generated out of America's love affair
with the automobile – this was a road designed simply for the pleasure of
driving. Earlier transportation efforts in our nation’s history were driven
by much more practical considerations. At Milepost 64, visitors see a major
transportation corridor with a federal highway, a major river, and a
railroad that carried passengers and goods through this mountain gap.
There are other special places along the Parkway where transportation stories,
especially those concerning the railroads, are the focus of visitors'
experiences. At Yankee Horse Ridge (MP 34), a short section of narrow-gauge
railroad is preserved near a beautiful waterfall in order to tell the story
of the logging industry in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In North Carolina, at
The Loops Overlook (MP 328), visitors gain some appreciation of the magnitude
of traversing the mountains by rail as they observe the Clinchfield tunneling
through and climbing over the entire Southern Appalachian chain. But nowhere
along the Parkway is the rail heritage of the region as dominant as in Roanoke,
Virginia, the largest metropolitan area along the Parkway, and a town that
literally grew up with the railroad as a way of life.
predominately centered on the natural beauty, and the style and charm of the city.
This was partly due to the centerpiece of downtown, the Norfolk & Western's
"Hotel Roanoke." The accommodations here were "superior to almost any to be found
south of Washington, D.C.", according to one patron. The hotel could boast of the
first elevators in town, heat piped to every room, acetylene gas lighting, and breezy
verandas. Its classic style and wonderful cuisine drew guests from far and wide. Rail
passengers departed in the center of downtown with just a short distance to the
waiting guest rooms and fine service that the Hotel Roanoke was noted for. Various periods
of remodeling and two fires have changed the look somewhat, but this classic hotel is
still the centerpiece and the pride of downtown Roanoke. Advertised on early billboards
of Virginia as "a modern version of an old English Inn" and "the first hotel in America
scientifically planned for air-conditioning", the Hotel owes its very existence, like
so much of this southern city, to its railroad heritage.
This young lady is sixteen years old and has been a
volunteer for FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway for over
a year. Her favorite thing to do on the Parkway is "to drive
up to Peaks Of Otter; they have a wonderful restaurant there
and the scenery is beautiful, especially in the fall."
She has helped out at the FRIENDS' Roanoke office with
various tasks including stuffing membership packets, labeling
brochures and filing. With her sister and grandmother, she
has also helped out in several of the FRIENDS Save the
Parkway Views tree planting sessions. Chelsea says, "The
reason I love to invest my time into volunteering is because
when I am finished I get this feeling inside of me saying that
I have done my part in helping FRIENDS. I feel happy because
I contributed something to help preserve the Parkway's beauty."
Chelsea moved here just three years ago, from the D.C. area.
She really enjoys the environment in Virginia and thinks that
the people are really nice and friendly, even though she
confesses to being "a city girl at heart!" She is hoping to
go on to study Nursing at College in the future as well as
continue with her voluntary work for FRIENDS.
Come to Washington, DC to "Hike the Hill" to lobby for your favorite trails
during Trails Advocacy Week 2007. The new Congress needs to hear from you about
the issues that affect your trails. Advocacy Week 2007 will focus on the
national scenic and historic trails within the National Trails System and will
be co-hosted by American Hiking Society and the Partnership for the National
Trails System. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a Scenic Byway. FRIENDS is a member
of the American Hiking Society and we support their efforts!