ENTS: I am certain that there are many small areas of true old growth timber scattered among the several hundred thousand private property owners in West Virginia. The mountains generally get the most discussion because that is where the massive logging was done during the late 1800s and early 1900s and where the largest landholdings have persisted. I know that there are woefully few large areas of old growth left in WV but during my nearly 20 years working with private property owners in the state I have encountered many small areas of old growth remnant forest....areas as small as an acre and as much as 10 acres and up to 50 acres. Just like a lot of the discussion that has already taken place and mentioned by Don and Turner....there are normally not any flashing lights announcing "you are now entering a primary forest". The best hint of such a forest is often the decaying carcasses of 3' plus thick chestnut trees on the ground. Also, anytime I count the growth rings on a stump and there are more than 220 I give passing thought to the trees being old growth because most of the central part of the state was not settled until after 1800. Russ **************Stay up-to-date on the latest news - from fashion trends to celebrity break-ups and everything in between. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000024)
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