New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Fire Managers plan to burn approximately five acres in the coming weeks.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Fire Managers plan to burn approximately five acres in the coming weeks.
This planned fire, also called a prescribed burn, is intended to maintain native grassland habitat that provides food and nesting space for birds and other wildlife. It also discourages the spread of invasive species.
The burn will take place sometime between Feb. 19 and March 31, based on weather conditions such as wind speed, direction and humidity. Before implementing the burn, the fire manager will evaluate current conditions and will only begin ignition if the prescribed conditions are within those parameters.
The prescribed burn area is located just north of I-64, and Route 20 interchange (Exit 139). The Sandstone Visitor Center and parking lot will be closed during the burn but will reopen after completion and safety clearance. Travelers on Summers County Rt. 7, Meadow Creek Road, may experience temporary delays during firing operations and smoke will be visible for a short duration. The burn is expected to take several hours to complete.
One resolution and two bills on third reading in the House of Delegates Tuesday dealt with helping preserve West Virginia History, increasing help for the coalfields economy and alcohol at community festivals.
One resolution and two bills on third reading in the House of Delegates Tuesday dealt with helping preserve West Virginia History, increasing help for the coalfield economy and alcohol at community festivals.
Officials withthe New River Gorge National Park and Preserve have sparked legislative concerns over the possible demolition of some historic properties.
House Resolution 6 passed with a voice vote. It reaffirms support for the town of Thurmond, located in the heart of the park, along with the historic buildings within the community, and the strong coal mining history associated with it.
Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, spoke on the need for legislative support.
“Many of the structures from the original town of Thurmond still stand in very sharp contrast to the other coal mining communities in the area,” Pritt said. “They’re overrun, most of the structures are gone. When the National Park took control of this area we were under, we understood and believed that they were going to be preserving our history, our heritage, and the structures. And now they have a plan to demolish over half of the remaining structures in the town of Thurmond, which is now in the national park because of budget cuts.”
On third reading, Senate Bill 354 establishes the West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority. This King Coal Highway bill calls for yet another legislative effort to help diversify coalfield economies and enhance economic development.
Del. Stephen Green, R-McDowell, spoke on how desperately that help is still needed.
“We have to look at other avenues of prosperity for us currently, and for our children and grandchildren,” Green said. “Tourism, which we are trying to cultivate in the southern counties, by itself is not the answer. We have to look at many different industries and opportunities.”
SB 354 passed 80 to 20 and goes to the Senate.
Finally, House Bill 5295 allows a community’s private outdoor designated area (PODA), meant for strolling alcohol consumption, to simultaneously host qualified permit holders, such as concerts and festivals. After debate over insurance liability, the bill passed 70-28 and also now goes to the Senate.
“It’s going to be closed for the foreseeable future,” Steep Valley Fire Public Information Officer Tom Engberg said Friday. “We know that it’s a popular hunting area in the zone where it is, but due to an abundance of caution for firefighter safety we’re going to keep it closed for now.”
The Steep Valley fire in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is now 81 percent contained.
Park officials said the fire, near Glen Jean in Fayette County, has not moved beyond Thursday’s 2,206 acres.
Steep Valley Fire Public Information Officer Tom Engberg said a closure order for the area will remain in effect until further notice for the War Ridge and Backus Mountain areas.
“It’s going to be closed for the foreseeable future,” Engberg said Friday. “We know that it’s a popular hunting area in the zone where it is, but due to an abundance of caution for firefighter safety we’re going to keep it closed for now.”
Engberg said at the peak of the fire 72 crews from around the country were on hand to help to fight the fire.
“We had a couple of crews from Michigan, there was a crew from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New Jersey and we even had a crew from Oregon and private contractors as well,” Engberg said. “We had a pretty good response.”
Engberg said the area will continue to be monitored for remaining hotspots and park officials will reevaluate with fire management before a decision is made on reopening the area.
All National Park Service lands bounded by the New River on the south and west to the town of Quinnimont, due east along State Highway 41 to the intersection of Backus-Red Spring road, and directly south to the CSX railroad right of way at the river are included in the closure area.
The rest of the park remains open for normal hours of operation.
As precipitation moves into the area, air quality levels are expected to improve in the coming days.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
With the rise in the popularity of climbing in the region, the national park hired some ambassadors to educate climbers about climbing etiquette, conservation and safety.
The National Park Service is hosting two climbing stewards at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and at Summersville Lake.
With the rise in the popularity of climbing in the region, the agency hired some ambassadors to educate climbers about climbing etiquette, conservation and safety.
Chief Ranger Frank Sellers said these stewards have worked to educate more than 5,000 park visitors since this program started six months ago.
“These folks, you know, are climbers themselves, and they’re passionate about their sport,” Sellers said. “And you know, they’re passionate about the parks, and about where they climb and about protecting rock climbing areas for the future.”
The stewards will also be helping climbers bridge the gap between climbing indoors and climbing on natural rock.
“People bring dogs to the park, people have to use the restroom,” Sellers said. “You know, if you’re in a climbing gym, that’s easy. If you’re in a natural setting that’s maybe more difficult. You got to have a plan.”
The climbing stewards are hosting “climber coffees” at popular trailheads on Fridays and Saturdays in the national park and Sundays at Summersville Lake through the fall.
They will also be visiting popular climbing spots and continuing conversations with climbers about conservation. The program is an alliance between the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the New River Alliance of Climbers and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Bureau of Land Management proposes to adjust fees and bonding requirements to keep up with inflation.
The federal Bureau of Land Management is taking public comment on new rules for oil and gas leasing on public lands.
The agency has not updated its oil and gas leasing rules in several decades. In the meantime, the cost of remediating and capping abandoned wells has increased.
The agency proposes to adjust fees and bonding requirements to keep up with inflation.
It also wants to take steps to eliminate non-competitive bid leasing and make oil and gas companies responsible for cleanup rather than taxpayers. The agency is spending $250 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reclaim abandoned wells nationwide.
According to the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, the rules would apply to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and the Monongahela National Forest.
This week, we drop by Flat Five Studio in Salem, Virginia. It had a reputation for recording bluegrass bands, but caught a big break in the early 1990s when the Dave Matthews Band needed a quiet place to record its debut album. We also learn a little about primordial forests, and we visit a small nonprofit company in West Virginia that’s making solar powered light kits for families in war-torn Ukraine.
This week, Inside Appalachia drops by Flat Five Studio in Salem, Virginia. It had a reputation for recording bluegrass bands, but caught a big break in the early 1990s when the Dave Matthews Band needed a quiet place to record its debut album.
We also learn a little about primordial forests. A patch of woods in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was recently inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network.
And we visit a small nonprofit company in West Virginia that’s making solar powered light kits for families in war-torn Ukraine.
Tom Ohmsen’s been around music and recording his whole life. He got his first tape recorder when he was just a kid. In college, he recorded bluegrass bands, which led to the start of Flat Five Studio in Salem, Virginia.
In the early 1990s, the studio helped launch the Dave Matthews Band, but now Ohmsen’s looking toward retirement.
Mason Adams visited Flat Five to get its history and hear about its future.
The Burnwood Trail Protected And Preserved
If you ever want perspective on your place in the world, visit one of Appalachia’s old-growth forests. Trees tower overhead and you can get a sense of just how old the world is. Old-growth forests play an important ecological role, too, protecting against erosion and providing a habitat for rare animal and plant species.
The nonprofit Old-Growth Forest Network is dedicated to protecting these old growth forests. Recently, the Burnwood Trail at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was brought into the group’s network.
WVPB’s Briana Heaney has this story.
Lights For Ukraine
Russia’s war with Ukraine has dragged on for more than a year and a half. The distant war has faded into the background for some, but not for the head of a West Virginia nonprofit, who wanted to do something for Ukrainian families under constant threat of bombardment.
WVPB’s Assistant News Director Caroline MacGregor visited New Vision Renewable Energy in Philippi, West Virginia where they’re making solar light kits for Ukrainian families that can also be used to charge a cell phone.
Dire Decisions At WVU
Students and community members protest on the downtown Morgantown campus of West Virginia University Aug. 21, 2023.
Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Grappling with a $45 million budget shortfall, West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia has recommended cutting 32 of its 338 majors, including all of its world language programs.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz has been covering the story.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by ONA, Valerie June, John Blissard, June Carter Cash and Little Sparrow.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
