Appalachian Regional Commission Grants Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Appalachian Regional Commission Launches Multistate Project In New River Gorge

A new multistate grant is designed to help develop Appalachia’s outdoor tourism industry.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley $250,000 Tuesday to launch a multistate economic endeavor.

Starting with the New River Gorge, the Planning For Outdoor Recreation Industry, Vibrant Economies, & Regional Strategy (RIVERS) project will help support the growing outdoor industry sector in Appalachian communities.

ARC co-chair Gayle Manchin said the new collaborative project will bring together six states: West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and Tennessee to develop a replicable plan to leverage tourism and spur economic development across Central Appalachia.

“Now more than ever, it is time for us to collaborate, to take advantage of the growing interest in Appalachia is culture and outdoor recreation, and the commonalities that we all share,” Manchin said.

According to the ARC, tourism employs more than 500,000 Appalachians and generates more than $4.5 billion dollars per year in local tax revenue.

Coal Industry-Impacted WV Communities Receive $43 Million in POWER Grants

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced this week $43.3 million in grants to support economic diversification in the region’s coal-impacted communities. Seven of those projects are in West Virginia.

The funds will go to projects in Princeton, Elkins, Summersville, Wheeling, Beckley and Huntington.

The largest award in West Virginia went to a project called Thundercloud Gigabit City Deployment that will support approximately 25 miles of fiber construction and create a fiber loop that will connect Barboursville to downtown Huntington.

Huntington city leaders, who ultimately were rewarded $2.35 million for the project on Wednesday, raised concerns about the application process in September, after learning national telecommunications provider Comcast objected to the project and the city’s request for funding.

The project, which received $2.3 million, is part of a larger broadband expansion in the region.

In Beckley, $50,000 will go to support a strategic plan to improve aviation workplace training and education in the region.

The awards are part of the POWER initiative, a federal grant program aimed at supporting communities affected by job losses in the coal industry.

ARC has invested over $238 million across Appalachia since 2015. So far, most of the POWER investments have been in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and southwestern Pennsylvania.

ARC listed a short summary about each grant and the projects on the POWER Project Summaries by State document.

State Backs $5.1M in Development Grants

State officials have recommended 11 Appalachian Regional Commission grants for $5.1 million for programs for economic development and infrastructure projects across West Virginia.

They include $1.5 million to replace water lines in two areas in the city of Welch, $430,000 for the town of Reedy to correct sewage inflow and infiltration problems and $1.85 million for Flatwoods-Canoe Run PSD to extend public water service in the Flatwoods area.

Other recommendations are $250,000 to Region 1 Planning and Development Council to provide high-accuracy mapping of sewer system infrastructure across 11 counties in southern West Virginia and $350,000 for the state’s Development Office to employ staff to provide technical assistance to grant applicants and recipients and monitor projects.