West Virginia is beginning to feel the effects of the Great American Outdoors act with $6Million dollars going to help with deferred maintenance at the Monongahela National Forest! The money will be used to improve recreation opportunities, access, and safety to all visitors. Once complete, it will assist with over $7 million dollars in improvements. This is all part of the $503 million of GAOA funding across nationally managed lands. They are addressing deferred maintenance, dilapidated infrastructure, increasing access, and supporting rural economies with increasing tourism dollars.
As participation and use continues to increase due partly to the reconnection to the outdoors during the COVID 19 pandemic, conservation will still be one of the main goals during these vast improvements.
Among the improvements are:
• Cranberry Wilderness Public Access Project, Bridge Replacement over Williams River at Tea Creek (Pocahontas County)
• Lake Sherwood Campground, Outdoor Recreation Project, Campground Rehabilitation (Greenbrier County)
• Marlinton/White Sulphur District Habitat Improvement Projects, Culvert Replacement on Forest Roads 296 and 298 in Laurel Run and Forest Road 999 in Williams River (Greenbrier and Pocahontas County)
• Cranberry Wilderness Public Access Project, Bridge Replacement at Tumbling Rock Run along Cranberry River (Nicholas and Pocahontas counties)
This is all thanks to all of you that supported the Great American Outdoors Act and contacted your representatives!
About Jameson Hibbs
I am a Chapter Coordinator for the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers covering several of our awesome state chapters. I reside in Kentucky with my wife and daughter and we are all avid users of public lands for all outdoor recreational opportunities!