Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them. Visitors have damaged some popular rock outcrops and the park is trying to decide how to best protect pristine areas while still allowing visitors to enjoy them.

The Rock Outcrop Management Plan and Climbing Guidelines is an environmental assessment based on a three-year project evaluating the outcrops and how recreation activities affect them. The outcrops are home to rare vegetation, including the purple clematis and three-toothed cinquefoil, according to the study. Rock outcrops in the Little Stony Man Mountain and Old Rag Mountain areas are particularly at risk because they get a lot of traffic and have sensitive natural resources, according to the report. The park plans to direct hikers away from sensitive areas by putting up signs and, in some cases, barriers to deter people from walking on them.

JMU’s Rose gets raise
James Madison University’s President, Linwood Rose, received a 16.9 percent raise this year, an increase of $66,000. Rose will be compensated $456,287 in salary and benefits for 2008-09, up from $390,287 the year before.

Although these figures include salary and $60,000 per year for retirement from private funds, they don’t include the value of using a 2008 Lincoln, living in JMU’s large house in Forest Hills, health insurance or retirement from the state. The raise was not at the expense of taxpayers, but instead came from private dollars in the JMU Foundation. JMU’s board unanimously approved the raise on June 5.

Bridgewater College President Phillip Stone will earn an estimated $318,000 in salary and benefits during the current fiscal year. That’s up 5.8 percent from last year’s pay of $300,478. Down the road, Blue Ridge Community College President Jim Perkins will be compensated $194,639 in salary, retirement and benefits this year, up 4.8 percent from last year’s $185,704. Eastern Mennonite University President Loren Swartzendruber will take home $182,224, which includes the value of the house that EMU provides as well as retirement and other benefits. This is up 2.5 percent from last year’s $177,830.

Despite their raises, the local presidents’ compensations are less than those at other Virginia schools. According to a Chronicle of Higher Education survey, the highest-paid president in the nation is David Sargent, president of Suffolk University in Boston, who made $2.8 million in 2006-07. Public university presidents’ salaries climbed 7.6 percent last year.

Teen road deaths up
The number of fatal wrecks involving teenagers went up “significantly” in the last two months. According to state police figures, 23 teens were killed in traffic crashes during September and October. And in just the first three weeks of November, 12 teenagers died in collisions across Virginia.

Of the 12 teenagers who have died in November, 11 were young men. Eight of them were not wearing a safety belt and seven crashes took place on rural roads. Alcohol was involved in at least one collision. Of the 23 fatalities in September and October, 13 were young men and 10 were young women. Eight of the victims were not wearing a safety belt, police said. Alcohol played a role in two collisions and possibly six others. Seven crashes involved teen drivers and seven occurred on rural roads. There is some good news, though. Overall, the number of teen fatalities is down compared to this time last year.