What to Know Before Clearing Land Around Madison, WV
Flat ground is scarce, so the line matters. Boone County runs from about 660 feet in
the north to nearly 3,400 feet in the southeast, heavily forested, with little
bottomland. On a typical parcel the house, drive and yard fit on the hollow floor or a bench, and the
side slopes above them are slow, costly acres. Where the clearing stops sets the price more than
anything else.
Old mine ground is rebuilt ground. Surface mines in Boone County moved
from ridge to ridge and placed their spoil as valley fills in the hollows,
and reclaimed rock debris cannot be graded as steeply as the original mountain. A bench or
fill can be good working ground, but stone close to the surface slows the mulching head, so we look at
that ground before pricing it.
Bottom lots and big jobs bring in permits. Every West Virginia county and flood-prone
town has a floodplain ordinance, and grading, filling or excavating in a mapped floodplain needs a local
permit; around Madison, where two forks meet, ask the city or Boone County floodplain permit officer
first. Disturbing an acre or more needs WVDEP's construction stormwater permit, and in the spring and
fall fire seasons the Division of Forestry allows outdoor burning only between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Requirements vary by parcel, scope and jurisdiction, and the governing authority makes the
determination.