Five W.Va. Counties to Receive Land & Water Conservation Grant

Five West Virginia counties will see federal funding to support improvements to their outdoor facilities.

Nearly $800,000 in federal grant money has been awarded to facilities in Tucker, Summers, Wayne, Marshall and Berkeley counties.

The grant comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides matching funds to state and local communities for acquisition, development and conservation of public parks and open spaces.

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito released statements in support of the grant. Both cited the potential for growth in the state’s outdoor recreational opportunities.

The grant will support various improvements such as restoring a swimming pool, installation of some water and electrical services, and construction of picnic shelters.

Individual awards include:

• $400,000 – City of Benwood to restore the swimming pool at Benwood City Park. This includes a new filtration system, gutter system, floor slabs, wall panels, decking, electrical upgrades, shade structure and ADA accessibility.
• $184,871 – The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks to assist in the installation of water and electrical services to 32 sites in an existing campground at Pipestem State Park.
• $100,000 – City of Parsons to assist in the installation of ADA compliant restroom fixtures and to construct a parking lot for their new splash pad at Mill Race Park.
• $60,000 – Berkeley County Council, the City of Martinsburg and the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Board to assistant in the construction of two group picnic shelters, one at Faulkner Park and one at War Memorial Park.
• $33,113 – City of Kenova to assist in the rebuilding and restoration of the tennis courts at the Dreamland Pool Complex, in compliance with the ADA.