By Robert C. Whetsell
Situated on a quiet stretch of West Virginia Route 28 is one of the oldest experimental tree plantations of its kind in West Virginia. Known as Rothkugel Plantation, the site lies approximately two miles east of Bartow, West Virginia.
Rothkugel Plantation was planted between 1906 and 1907 by pioneer forester Max Rothkugel on 150-acres of land owned by the George Craig and Sons Lumber Company near their mill town of Winterburn. The plantation represents the earliest commercial tree planting in West Virginia and the first successful example of applied sustained forestry practices by the lumber industry in West Virginia. This significant and early experimental plantation was unique in its design, planting method, and use of tree species. Rothkugel selected non-native European larch and Norway spruce to be planted along with black locust in a specified arrangement entirely by seed rather than the more common use of seedlings.
The idea behind Rothkugel Plantation was sown in 1905 when George Craig, owner of Philadelphia-based George Craig and Sons Lumber Company, contacted Gifford Pinchot, Chief Forester of the newly created United States Forest Service, for advice. A proponent of conservation and the best use of resources, Pinchot’s ideas on forestry were revolutionary at the time. Interested in the practical applications of reforestation and forest management in private industry, Craig sought the Forest Service’s assistance in developing a renewable timber reserve that could be continuously harvested. At a time when most lumber companies operating in West Virginia employed a “cut and run” policy to timber harvesting, Craig’s plan was rare and unique. Spying an opportunity to showcase the benefits of forestry practices in conjunction with private industry, Pinchot recommended forester Max Rothkugel to Craig due to Rothkugel’s prior forestry experience in West Virginia.
In the late spring of 1906, Rothkugel took charge of managing Craig’s timberlands. Rothkugel selected the site for an experimental plantation designed to highlight the science of forestry and reforestation practices. Rothkugel purposely selected this site to be representative of the rest of Craig’s cutover timberlands and its success was to serve as an exemplary model of what could be done by applying forestry to conserve the land and restore its productivity.
Max Rothkugel (Photo courtesy of USDA/Forest Service)
Rothkugel’s time with the Lumber company ended in 1907 because of trends in the lumber industry. In 1920, George Craig decided to sell his land to the federal government to join the newly established Monongahela National Forest. This decision came after the state government failed to provide tax relief to lumber companies whose land was being held for reforestation. Originally designed to be harvested after only a few decades, the trees within the plantation were left to grow unimpeded with minimal intervention for over a century after the US Forest Service acquired the land to preserve it. This created a uniquely designed landscape that is the oldest surviving tree plantation of its kind in West Virginia.
Rob Whetsell surveying trees at the plantation
Since its acquisition, Rothkugel Plantation has been studied and visited by generations of foresters, historians, and outdoor recreationists. Early on, Rothkugel Plantation was also recognized for its historical and ecological importance and uniqueness. The Monongahela National Forest listed the plantation as one of seventeen special botanical areas. Under the Forest Management Plan, Rothkugel Plantation is given special management prescriptions developed to emphasize the plantation’s development and protection. Under this plan, the trails crossing the Plantation have been maintained, and in 2008, interpretive signage highlighting the plantation’s history and unique ecology was installed. Visitors to the trail today can follow in the footsteps of Max Rothkugel as they explore West Virginia’s first successful experiment in sustainable forestry.
