Forest Heritage

Culture

Isolated by geography and motivated by self reliance, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage area has a unique culture steeped in older, more traditional folkways.

The early Euro-American settlers, as the Native Americans had before them, used forest products and materials to furnish shelter, food, fuels, clothing, and tools to sustain their everyday needs allowing a level of independence and economic self-sufficiency necessitated by their isolation.

Agriculture was based on small family farms, with high-pasture grazing, forest-based products, specialty farming and foods. Non-timber forest products such as ginseng, goldenseal, ramps, and maple syrup were traditionally important, and are produced and marketed as specialty products today. Forged by the relative isolation of the mountain terrain, regional versions of the rich Appalachian culture developed and survived. This region has a local population that both traditionally and today cares about and is strongly connected to the forest and Appalachian homeland.

Folklore, superstitions, oral history, and other stories passed from generation to generation presents a window to a culture, shows artistic creativity, and provides entertainment and shared memory throughout the area. Crafts, music, dance, food, folkways and stories in the mountains were enriched by influences of diverse ethnic identities to evolve a regional culture with many indicators of original origins.

Appalachian or “old-time” music has distinctive roots in this region. The unique music and dance styles that have developed and are celebrated here have retained a rare integrity, and are still being handed down and taught to young people today, encouraged by programs such as the Augusta Heritage Center.

The region’s culture is still alive today in farm families and oldsters stories, in community celebrations, dances, and dinners, in home crafts and cottage industries, in heritage sites and restored inns. This is a living heritage, based on the past but adapting to today, and welcoming visitors to experience and join in our cultural heritage.

History

Difficulties in the rugged terrain shaped settlement. During the logging boom era, forests were harvested from the mountains to fuel industrial expansion in the rest of the country.

The rugged and forbidding mountains that are now in the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area were slowly breached by hardy pioneers, who built roads and communities in what had long been occupied by Native Americans. The natural barrier of the forested mountains delayed settlement and shaped the people who stayed here. As border ground between South and North, the area played a crucial role in the Civil War, resulting in separation from Virginia, and West Virginia statehood. By the late 19th century, Appalachian Forest Heritage Area played a crucial role in providing timber and coal to fuel the industrial growth of the United States. The logging boom in these mountains helped transform the country, while significantly transforming the landscape and people in our area.

Throughout the mid-20th century, struggles from loss of lumber boom jobs, the Great Depression, and changing economies showcased the hard work and resilience of our people. Communities rose and fell with their connections to the Appalachian Forests.

Hardy mountaineers struggled to rebuild, but in rebuilding the region sustainable forests grew into new economies. Explore the stories of the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area to learn how the forested mountains influenced the way people lived and how life changed and developed over time.

Nature

The Appalachian Forest Heritage Area's scenic waterways and mountain landscapes provide a haven for unique and varied flora and fauna that people experience and enjoy.

The complex setting of the upland forests with long ridges and the eastern Continental Divide, is home to diverse micro-climates throughout the region. Even within a relatively small area, the prevailing climatic conditions of a protected mountain valley may be very different from those of an adjacent ridgetop situated well above the valley floor. This results in a wide range of forest types including red spruce forests (usually associated with more northern regions), mixed hardwoods, oak-hickory and forests more typical of southern areas. More than 158 tree species can be found here, as well as rich diversity of plants, invertebrates, salamanders, mussels, fish and birds, ranking this region as one of the most biologically diverse temperate regions of the world. The ecosystems, flora and fauna of the forest are highlighted at interpretive centers such as Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Cranberry Visitor Center, and on a variety of interpreted nature trails.

Outdoor recreation is a major activity throughout the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area, with hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, bird watching, photography, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, rock climbing, caving, and skiing all contributing to the appreciation and economic value of the natural forest in the area. Large areas of public forest land provide opportunity for a variety of outdoor recreation, with some areas set aside as Wilderness for those seeking a back country experience.

Forestry

Most of the forests in the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area today are made up of second-growth stands that developed after the logging boom and subsequent deforestation of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some areas exhibit mature forests that have been growing relatively undisturbed since this initial cutting; other areas have been harvested and actively managed since that time. Many today are ‘working forests,’ meaning that they are administered with the primary objective of providing a sustainable supply of wood products for the region’s industries and economy, while maintaining and enhancing the ecological functions of the forest. Land use may also include a variety of other purposes, such as wildlife management and protection or recreation. A small number of areas have ‘old growth’ sections, which have never been logged or otherwise strongly influenced by human interaction.

The overall character of the forest alters greatly as you travel across it. Oak and pine thrive in the dry lowland valleys and ridgelines east of the Allegheny Front. In the highlands to the west, northern hardwoods dominate, with spruce-fir forests thriving in the coldest and wettest environments. The forest transitions again as you move down towards central West Virginia into the mixed mesophytic forest, one of the most bio-diverse and valuable temperate forests in the world. This forestry tour highlights a variety of forest types throughout our area that contain noteworthy examples and interpretation of forest management. Several forests within the tour demonstrate examples of modern forestry practices, such as the Kindness Demonstration Area in Maryland and the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia. Please remember that due to the dynamic nature of these places periodically sections of trails and roads will be closed for safety reasons as forest management and wildlife conservation activities are taking place. As you explore the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area, visit these sites and learn more about forest management.