BY REX BOWMAN

Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

Virginia forestry officials, along with legislators and sundry other dignitaries, will gather Friday to declare more than 4,800 acres of mountainous Washington and Russell counties the Channels State Forest.

The declaration will establish Virginia's 19th state forest -- and the first ever in far Southwest Virginia.

The land, known locally as Brumley Mountain, was purchased from The Nature Conservancy for nearly $3.8 million. It contains the 400 million-year-old feature known as the Great Channels, a narrow sandstone passageway through which hikers walk.

"To truly appreciate the tremendous conservation success Virginia has achieved with the protection of Brumley Mountain, you need to stand among the ancient, weathered sandstone boulders and take in the long mountain views," said Brad Kreps, director of The Nature Conservancy's Clinch Valley Program.

The addition of 4,836 acres to the state's inventory of protected lands will ensure that future Virginians can enjoy the natural scenery, said Joe Maroon, director of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. "It's particularly significant in this case because of the unique natural character of the Great Channels and the potential passive recreational offerings the property affords."

The land -- mostly hardwood forests on occasionally steep slopes -- is already open for those with state forest hunting permits. Trails will be developed to better accommodate hiking and horseback riding, said John Campbell, spokesman for the state Department of Forestry.

Campbell said 720 acres of the land, including the Great Channels, have been designated a Virginia Natural Area Preserve, the first such designation in the history of the state forest system. Up to now, such preserves have been owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The designation will help the state protect plant species such as the Carolina saxifrage, as well as "outstanding examples" of Southern Appalachian northern hardwood forests and high-elevation cove forests, Campbell said.

Contact Rex Bowman at rbowman@timesdispatch.com.