Grace Furnace becomes part of national forests

The Grace Furnace, a historic ruin located in the Oriskany area, is now part of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. The historic “pig iron” site, which was a coldblast charcoal furnace thought to have supplied iron ore for munitions during the Civil War, once belonged to Westvaco.

The Covington company sold the property in 2002 when it divested itself of about 35,000 acres in Botetourt.

On October 19, the land became an official part of the National Forest, joining about 80,000 acres of National Forest in Botetourt County.

The Open Space Institute (OSI) purchased nearly 5,000 acres of the land in 2016 from a Madrid, Spain limited liability company with the intention of holding it until the United States Forest Service could acquire the land. The purchase, part of a federal budget bill passed that same year, included Land and Water Conservation Funds that allowed the U.S. Forest Service to acquire the property from the OSI Land Trust.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, a bipartisan, federal program that uses a percentage of proceeds from offshore oil and gas royalties—not taxpayer dollars, acquires critical lands and protects the country’s best natural resources.

The “Grace Furnace” property is off Lignite Road and now joins other National Forest land in the Eastern Divide Ranger District.

The recent transfer to the US Forest Service means the property will be preserved as a local recreational asset. Additionally, water quality should be protected along Craig’s Creek, which feeds into the James River. The parcel includes 14 freshwater springs that empty into Craig’s Creek.

The property also includes access to over 10 miles of habitat for brook trout.

About 5.5 miles of the nearly 5,000 acres borders the Jefferson National Forest. It has elevations that reach 3,200 feet on Rich Patch Mountain, and has 1,000 feet of frontage on Craig Creek.

Fincastle District Supervisor Richard Bailey called the property conservation, “a positive. I think it’s just wonderful land in Botetourt,” he said.

He added that he used to hunt and fish in the area. “It’s got some native trout and that kind of thing’s got to be preserved,” he said. “I’m happy the Forest Service sees the value in it. It’s a beautiful piece of the world and it’ll be preserved hopefully forever now.”

The USDA Forest Service, the Open Space Institute, and the Chesapeake Conservancy announced the purchase of the 4,664.5-acre property in Botetourt County within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests last week. According to a press release, the purchase will preserve a local historic asset, enhance recreation access, and protect the water quality of Craig’s Creek.

The property is one of the largest tracts to be acquired for conservation purposes in Virginia in decades.

“The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are committed to managing lands to sustain healthy forests and clean water. The addition of the Grace Furnace tract to Forest System Lands highlights the success of collaboration among federal agencies and partners that help us sustain our natural resources,” said Joby Timm, Forest Supervisor.

The acquisition of this tract, which is bordered by the National Forest on three sides, not only enhances Forest Service management, it also ensures protection for freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The tract contains potential aquatic habitat for the federally listed endangered James spiny-mussel and two State-listed threatened species (Atlantic pigtoe mussel and Orange madtom fish).

“This important acquisition continues the legacy of the Jefferson National Forest in protecting water resources, conserving wildlife, and providing recreational access to public lands,” said District Ranger Dan McKeague.

Chesapeake Conservancy coordinated the Rivers of the Chesapeake Land and Water Conservation Fund Collaborative Landscape proposal that provided partial funding for this important project and generated significant partner support for land conservation across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

“Permanently protecting the ‘Grace Furnace’ property is a tremendous achievement in large-scale land conservation that will benefit both nature and people,” said Kim Elliman, president and CEO of OSI.

“With its beautiful trees and wild trout streams at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay, the Grace Furnace property is big, special and inspiring,” said Joel Dunn, president and CEO of Chesapeake Conservancy. “The addition of these 4,664.5-acres to the National Forest makes a significant contribution toward our goal of protecting 30 percent of the Chesapeake watershed by 2030, but we still have a long way to go.”

A celebration event in the spring of 2020 will kick off a public engagement process following guidance set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act and the Jefferson National Forest Plan to determine how the property will be managed into the future. For more information about National Forests, visit the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests homepage www.fs.usda.gov/gwj/

–Anta Firebaugh story and photos, Special to The Botetourt Bee.