The Greenbrier Southeast (GSE) project is a proposed 16,888-acre forest management project in the upper reaches of the East Fork of the Greenbrier River in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). As stated in the MNF Schedule of Proposed Actions, the GSE project seeks to improve forest stand health and composition to improve future wildlife habitat and to provide for future commercial timber sales and economic projects. Although the posted schedule calls for a project decision in December of 2020 and project implementation in May of 2021, this is an unrealistic timeline, given the status of the review process.
The Greenbrier Southeast project raises multiple conservation concerns, include the presence of the endangered candy darter, native brook trout streams, habitat for the West Virginia northern flying squirrel, and remnant red spruce communities. The April 2020 Draft Environmental Assessment for the project, however, relied on analysis of effects included in a Biological Assessment, which has not been made public. Moreover, the required consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerning potential project impacts to the endangered candy darter has not been initiated.
The Greenbrier Southeast project is the focus of an Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance Conservation Hub map project. See: https://hub-dpmc-gis.opendata.arcgis.com/pages/usfs_greenbrier-southeast. The accompanying aerial photos of the project area were obtained on 11/7/20. These photos and other project information can be accessed online via the map project.