Appalachians Against Pipelines reports that for well over a week, Mountain Valley Pipeline and the US Forest Service have been driving ATVs up and down the Appalachian National Scenic Trail on Peters Mountain.

On April 30, 2018, the Roanoke Times story, ATV traffic on the Appalachian Trail is the latest Mountain Valley Pipeline controversy, reported that “After receiving a complaint Sunday about ATV traffic on an approximately quarter-mile section of the trail that runs along the edge of Giles County, Downs contacted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is overseeing construction of the natural gas pipeline. A FERC official looked into the matter and was told that the Forest Service authorized the use of ATVs, according to FERC spokeswoman Tamara Young-Allen. Forest Service officials have also been four-wheeling on the trail, she said. Joby Timm, the Roanoke-based supervisor of the Jefferson National Forest, said through a spokeswoman only that his agency was looking into the matter.”

This video — which shows the view from Symm’s Gap meadow, a famous and popular viewpoint along the AT — is just one example of many documented instances of motorized vehicle use on the AT & the accompanying trail damage.

According to the Forest Service’s website, ATV use is strictly prohibited on all National Forest land in West Virginia. Even the project plan for MVP’s boring under the AT specifically states, “No motorized vehicle traffic is permitted between the Appalachian National Scenic Trail bore pits.” On top of that, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy says, “To protect the Appalachian Trail and the A.T. experience, certain incompatible activities, such as … use of motorized vehicles, are prohibited.”

What can you do?

Call the Forest Service! Report this abuse of the trail, and DEMAND that they stop destroying public lands on behalf of MVP, and that they stop protecting MVP over land and communities!
• USFS Office in Atlanta – 888-603-6430
• Joby Timm, Forest Supervisor – 540-265-5118 – email jtimm@fs.fed.us
• Forest Supervisor’s Office (use employee directory to reach Timm) – 540-265-5100
• Jessica Rubado, Contact for Closure Orders – 503-314-0767 – jrubado@fs.fed.us
• Rebecca Robbins, Public Affairs Specialist – 540- 265-5173 – email rebeccarobbins@fs.fed.us

Note added on May 2:  On May 1, the day after their headline story about Trail damage, the Roanoke Times reported that Forest Service apologizes for damage to Appalachian Trail during patrols of pipeline protests. “The U.S. Forest Service apologized Tuesday for damaging the Appalachian Trail with all-terrain vehicles driven during patrols of a pipeline protest. In a news release, the agency admitted that its law enforcement officers used the ATVs from April 11 to April 30 on a short stretch of the scenic footpath that follows the ridge of Peters Mountain in the Jefferson National Forest.”