The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has once again given the nod for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to cross through the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia and West Virginia, putting one piece of the natural gas conduit’s complex regulatory puzzle back in place.

Mountain Valley Pipeline

The USFS on Monday published a record of decision signing off on MVP’s construction through national forest lands. Construction of MVP’s 3.5-mile crossing of the Jefferson National Forest would require the use of around 54 acres of forest lands, with that figure reduced to 22 acres once the pipeline is in operation, according to the USFS.

The latest USFS approval paves the way for the Bureau of Land Management to issue a new right-of-way for the 42-inch-diameter pipeline’s proposed path through the national...