This will be the 17th Annual Coopers Rock Rocky Habitat Restoration Day, in which efforts are made to mitigate human recreational impact in the form of soil compaction and erosion, in the rocky areas along the Cheat Canyon rim.
The Cheat Canyon Rimrock Zone, of which the Coopers Rock Overlook is but one small part, ranks very highly in terms of aesthetics, ecology, and recreation. It is popular to hike through and for rock scrambling and rock climbing. It is so close to the road and parking and so fun and beautiful that it is in danger of being loved to death.
Our efforts involve carrying sticks, limbs, and branches already piled beforehand at trailheads, into the popular rocky areas, and using a system of encouragement and discouragement, we place them to delineate certain chosen trails but block off others, and also construct Impact Zone Barriers to keep soil compaction at the base of popular cliffs within acceptable limits. Using completely natural materials, we steer and contain human activity and maintain a balance between recreational impact and ecological integrity and aesthetic appeal. The work involves lots of carrying, and it can wear you out, but the result is something with 17 years of objective success. The work environment is beautiful, the efforts are to keep a beautiful area as-is, and the PIZZA every volunteer gets at lunchtime is a high point of the day.
