The Environmental Assessment for the timber sale had already drawn criticism from conservationists. The forest types included northern hardwoods, montane mixed oak, and rich cove. Some had been lightly logged around 1900 but are regaining old-growth characteristics. Others are likely never to have been logged. The old growth is in Wise County, Virginia, on the south side of Pine Mountain, the mountain on which Kentucky's Blanton Forest is located.
Sugar maple are in the understory and regenerating.
Pignut hickory are also present and regenerating. The site shows no signs of human disturbance, except possibly fire char on a single, large eastern hemlock. Excerpt from Literature Review Therrell, Matthew D. and David W. Stahle. A Predictive Model to Locate Ancient Forests in the Cross Timbers of Osage County, Oklahoma. The Cross Timbers are upland forest, dominated by post oak and blackjack oak.