Mottesheard is an area in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction.

[3] Mottesheard contains the tower-mustard plant, listed by the state as rare, and streams in the area flow into creeks inhabited by the James River Spinymussel, a federally endangered species.

The James River spinymussel is a small fresh water mussel slightly less than three inches long with occasional short spines on each valve.

The province consists of a thick layer of sedimentary rock that has undergone folding and/or faulting to create a series of ridges and valleys.

During the sedimentation process fossils were formed leaving evidence of life existing millions of years ago.

[4] The topography is typical of the Central Appalachian Province, with long ridges dissected by steep draws and limited flat areas along streams.

The rule provided some degree of protection by reducing the negative environmental impact of road construction and thus promoting the conservation of roadless areas.

[1] The area includes several types of Forest Service management prescriptions—"Black Bear Habitat", "Remote Backcountry—Non-Motorized" and "Old Growth With Disturbance".