Division of Natural Resources Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

House Bills Aim To Bolster Hunting, Fishing Access For West Virginians

Two bills under consideration in the West Virginia House of Delegates aim to reinforce hunting and fishing access within the state. They passed a House committee with majority support, and will each be referred to a second committee for further deliberation.

On Wednesday, the West Virginia House of Delegates Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources voiced support for two pieces of proposed legislation that would reinforce hunting and fishing rights in the state.

House Bill 4280 would grant disabled West Virginia veterans free lifetime hunting, trapping and fishing licenses through a tax credit.

Brett McMillion, director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, testified during Wednesday’s committee meeting, and said passage of the bill would not necessarily increase the cost of hunting and fishing licenses for other West Virginians.

Still, MacMillian said it would be important for lawmakers to help the DNR access new sources of funding to offset costs incurred by the bill.

“We support our veterans one hundred percent,” he said. But “any time we have a reduction in our special revenue… it certainly does have an impact.”

Additionally, House Joint Resolution 8 would pose a new item on West Virginia ballots in the coming general election.

Under the resolution, citizens could vote to codify “the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife” in state law. The resolution stipulates that citizens must still adhere to laws on wildlife conservation and private property.

The resolution also describes hunting and fishing as a “preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife.”

Lawmakers on the committee emphasized it would be important that the resolution does not interfere with the operations of agencies like the DNR. They unanimously voted that it be referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary for discussion on the judicial implications of such a bill.

Boy Scouts Perform Service Projects In Return For Free Camping

Boy Scouts from the Buckskin Council in southern West Virginia will have the unique opportunity to camp for free in designated state parks in exchange for service projects.

Boy Scouts from the Buckskin Council in southern West Virginia will have the unique opportunity to camp for free in designated state parks. The council represents scouts in 40 counties across the south of West Virginia, as well as in neighboring states Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky.

In exchange, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Brett McMillion said scouts will complete service projects in the parks such as trail maintenance. He said scouts have already helped with the newest Almost Heaven swing at Pipestem Resort State Park.

“Some of the more popular projects will relate to trails, whether it be new trail construction, upgrades to existing or even basic maintenance on trails,” McMillion said. “There will likely be some facility upgrades or renovations, such as painting, and we won’t get into any full blown construction projects, but they’ll really be able to do a variety of items.”

McMillion said scouts can be a resource for smaller parks that may not have the bigger budgets. He said the DNR is already in contact with other scout councils from across West Virginia to expand the program.

“We’re early into this program, but I see a lot of potential growing, I think there’s some badge opportunities,” McMillion said. “The scouts will be able to work with our naturalist or nature programming. Our state park system have absolutely opened their arms to this project, and it’ll give the scouts opportunities to learn more about our West Virginia state parks.”

Jeffrey Purdy is the scout executive for the Buckskin Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He said the current agreement is for Pipestem and North Bend parks, but it could be expanded to other state parks.

“The idea is that scouts would go to the park for the weekend, perhaps spend the weekend camp out, they may do a service project for the park, which is a part of the scouting program, doing service for others,” Purdy said. “Then the parks can also provide some program opportunities.”

The Boy Scouts own many private camps across West Virginia, but Purdy said they are hard to maintain.

“At the same time, the state does an excellent job of maintaining their state parks,” he said. “Those are well-maintained outdoor facilities available for the public. They’re looking for people to work in the park system, and people with scouting backgrounds, young people would be good candidates because of their knowledge and experience in the outdoors.”

McMillion also expressed a desire to see scouts develop through the burgeoning program into the state’s future parks leadership.

Morgan County Residents Protest Potential Cacapon Campground

Morgan County citizens have organized weekly gatherings at Cacapon State Park in protest of a plan by the state’s Division of Natural Resources to build an RV campground on park grounds.

Morgan County citizens have organized weekly gatherings at Cacapon State Park in protest of a plan by the state’s Division of Natural Resources (DNR) to build an RV campground on park grounds.

A group of more than one hundred citizens gathered at the park’s upper lake to discuss their concerns. Three proposals for development have been submitted to the DNR.

The development comes after House Bill 4408 was passed into law during the 2022 West Virginia Legislative session. It allows for contracts to be granted to private companies to build recreational and lodging facilities on state park grounds.

Morgan County resident Bruce Goldstein is one of many in the area concerned about the ecological impacts of such a development.

“We have been using this park a lot,” Goldstein said. “We hike in it regularly. And we’ve used the lakes, and we’ve had friends and family come to stay here and take advantage of this great park.”

Environmental groups like the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and Sierra Club have voiced similar concerns, alongside the Morgan County Commission. They say it could cause traffic and safety issues, overwhelm the park’s sewer plant and cause excessive excavation and clear-cutting of trees.

Protesters say the bid from Blue Water Development, which proposes up to 350 spots for RVs alongside other amenities, would be the most likely to be accepted, as it’s the closest fit to the DNR’s criteria of a private company continuing to maintain the campground after construction.

Another proposal from River and Trail Outfitters suggests the state would maintain it, and a third proposal from Scenic LLC suggests collaborating with the state park on the creation of a site outside park grounds.

“I don’t even think they could pick that proposal, even if they want it,” said fellow resident Steve Hay. “Even if they could, it’s still a short circuiting of a process that really needs to happen.”

Hay, like other protesters, is concerned with bringing public voices and concerns to the selection process.

“That is what our message is, is to cancel this process and begin a new process that gets public input, that respects the ecology of the park and does all the things that are in the public interest,” Hay said.

The DNR canceled a public hearing on park grounds scheduled for Tuesday evening. A lawsuit filed Monday in Morgan County Circuit Court alleged the division did not provide adequate public notice before the scheduled date.

“We perceived that the DNR’s public notice for this coming hearing, which is supposed to be a Class II legal advertisement that runs twice in 20 days before the hearing, was not following the law,” said lawyer Larry Schultz, who was also present at the protests.

A legal notice was posted beforehand, but in Berkeley County-based newspaper The Journal, according to Morgan County newspaper The Morgan Messenger.

The DNR maintains they had provided lawful notice but agreed to cancel the meeting, according to a legal filing with the Morgan County Circuit Court.

“The Defendants maintain that the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has provided lawful notice, pursuant to §§ 20-5-16 and 59-3-2 of the West Virginia Code, and would prevail on the merits,” the filing said. “However, the Defendants do not wish to proceed if there is an appearance of impropriety, but instead desire to assure the public that it is in full compliance with any and all notice requirements. Accordingly, the Defendants find it fitting to cancel the meeting scheduled for April 18, 2023.”

There is as of yet no postponed date for the hearing.

Update: Public Hearing For Cacapon RV Campground Canceled

Monday, April 17, the public hearing has been canceled as a result of a lawsuit between Morgan County citizen Dale Kirchner and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

Updated on Monday, April 17, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 17, the public hearing has been canceled as a result of a lawsuit between Morgan County citizen Dale Kirchner and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. According to a Morgan County Circuit Court finding, the DNR was alleged to not have allowed sufficient lawful notice before the hearing was to take place. The DNR denies the claim, but agreed to cancel the meeting as a result of the suit.

“The Defendants maintain that the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has provided lawful notice, pursuant to §§ 20-5-16 and 59-3-2 of the West Virginia Code, and would prevail on the merits, the filing said. “However, the Defendants do not wish to proceed if there is an appearance of impropriety, but instead desire to assure the public that it is in full compliance with any and all notice requirements. Accordingly, the Defendants find it fitting to cancel the meeting scheduled for April 18, 2023.”

There is as of yet no postponed date for the hearing.

McMillion-1 Download

Original Post

A public hearing regarding a proposed private campground development is scheduled at Cacapon State Park next week.

The hearing concerns the construction of an RV park on Cacapon grounds.

Three development proposals submitted by Blue Water Development, River & Trail Outfitters and Scenic LLC are being reviewed by the state Division of Natural Resources (DNR) as responses to a request for proposal posted last December.

One bid submitted by Blue Water Development said as many as 350 spots could be constructed.

“At this time, no vendor selection has been made,” a March release from West Virginia State Parks said. “Furthermore, the West Virginia DNR is under no obligation to accept any of the proposals as submitted and may negotiate the scope and specifications of any final agreement. No specific sites within the park have been selected for this potential development.”

The release also said that any trails impacted by the construction would be relocated or reintegrated into the new facility.

The Morgan County Commission voiced concerns about the development in a letter written last week, saying it could cause traffic and safety issues, overwhelm the park’s sewer plant and cause excessive excavation and clear-cutting of trees.

Environmental groups like the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and Sierra Club have also voiced similar concerns.

“This massive RV park and these types of private amenities are not compatible with the unique conditions of Cacapon and what we expect at WV State Parks,” West Virginia Rivers said in a statement on the potential development.

Morgan County community members have also assembled on park grounds in protest of the development’s potential approval.

“For the past three weeks, there has been a growing group of citizens meeting at the upper lake at Cacapon State Park in Berkeley Springs,” Morgan County resident Russell Mokhiber said in an email to West Virginia Public Broadcasting. “Seventy people showed up. The next week, 90 people showed up. This past Monday, 120 people showed up.”

Another protest is also expected on park grounds Monday evening.

The hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. on April 18 at the park’s conference center.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect the change in status of the public hearing and add the filings with the circuit court of Morgan County.

Quail Stocking Program Set To Release 20,000 Wild Birds In W.Va.

A total of 20,000 quail are set to be stocked in seven locations around the state through October with 12,000 already having been released since August.

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is beginning a program to restock quail in the state’s wild areas.

Stocking is the process of raising birds up to a certain age before releasing them into a designated habitat. A total of 20,000 quail are set to be stocked in seven locations around the state through October with 12,000 already having been released since August.

Those locations include:

Cross Creek Wildlife Management Area
Pleasant Creek Wildlife Management Area
Huttonsville State Farm Wildlife Management Area
Burnsville Lake Wildlife Management Area
Frozen Camp Wildlife Management Area
Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area
Greenbrier State Forest

The program, called the “Governor’s Quail Stocking Initiative,” is of personal interest to Gov. Jim Justice, who is an avid fowl hunter. He said he hopes to see a regeneration of 10 to 30 percent in the state’s population.
“It’s a cheap way of introducing quail back into West Virginia, and a very hopeful way of getting significant regeneration,” Justice said. “And then off we go.”

Quail used to be a common sight in West Virginia, but habitat loss starting 50 years ago saw a massive decrease in their numbers. A previous attempt was made to reintroduce quail to West Virginia in 2020, releasing wild birds from Texas at the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan County.

Fungal Disease Found on Milksnake in West Virginia

West Virginia wildlife authorities say an Eastern Milksnake in Kanawha County has tested positive for snake fungal disease in the first contemporary occurrence in the state.

Kevin Oxenrider, Division of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, says dramatic declines in snake populations, particularly rattlesnakes farther north, have been linked to the disease.

The juvenile milksnake had crusty scales and abrasions on its head.

State authorities say it doesn’t appear to be dangerous to people, but they are asking that anyone who captures snakes, whether with a hook, tongs or by hand, use bleach or disinfectant afterward to ensure killing any fungus.

Anyone who sees clinical signs of the disease on a snake — swelling, crusty scabs or open wounds on the skin — is asked to contact the division.