Monongahela National Forest: Birthplace of Rivers

Get to know West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest in this preview of an upcoming episode of "This American Land," produced in collaboration with The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Working to preserve a rare and iconic part of West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest, citizens are hopeful that the area will be protected as the state's first national monument.

Some of West Virginia's most recognizable and dramatic landscapes, from the thundering falls of Hills Creek to the limitless vistas of the Yew Mountains, could be protected with such designation. In addition, the monument would also include the Cranberry Wilderness Area -- roughly 75,000 acres of wild terrain and some of the best hunting and trout fishing in Appalachia. Famed local author G.D. McNeill called this region of West Virginia the "Last Forest" and it's easy to see why. The remote, rugged terrain is a haven for rare species and serves as the headwaters for six regional waterways.