By Shelby Jones
On Feb. 23, a bill to lift an 80-year ban on commercial timber harvesting in West Virginia state parks was defeated after widespread public backlash.
State Senate Bill 270, proposed on Jan. 15 with the support of Gov. Jim Justice, would have allowed logging in the parks to raise funding for state parks. In response, conservation groups across the state joined together to form the Save Our State Parks initiative to preserve the parks’ “wild and wonderful” forests.
The West Virginia Rivers Coalition, a conservation group, announced that citizens sent 16,866 letters to state legislators through the group’s resources.
“A senator told me he had received more citizen opposition to this bill than any other this session,” the coalition’s executive director, Angie Rosser, said in a press release.
Representatives from the Save Our State Parks initiative met with West Virginia Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher to discuss ways to secure funding without extracting natural resources from state parks.
In a state Senate committee meeting on Feb. 12, the bill was substituted with a pilot plan that would only allow commercial logging in Watoga State Park. That plan was also met with criticism, and on Feb. 23, Cabell County Sen. Mike Woelfl announced in a press release that the bill was “as dead as an old chestnut tree.”
CORRECTION: April 9, 2018
An earlier version of this article incorrectly named the “Save Our State Parks” initiative as the “Save Our State” initiative.
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
Signs of Life
In the Nantahala National Forest, a team of biologists spotted Indiana bats, an endangered species that hasn’t been seen in North Carolina for the last 11 years.
‘First Line of Defense’
During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, rural fire departments and other first responder hubs played critical roles in keeping their communities safe, even without power and cut off from outside support for days or weeks after the storm. Two years later, plenty of work remains to ensure these hubs have the resources they need to operate day to day and be ready when emergencies or natural disasters strike.
The Rocky Road — and Bridge — to Recovery
Hurricane Helene is estimated to have damaged nearly 7,000 private roads and bridges in Western North Carolina. Two years later, many restoration projects are complete, but the journey hasn’t been easy — and isn’t over for others.
After 20 Years, Letcher County Prison Proposal Is Still Alive, Though Obstacles Remain
A $605 million proposal for a federal prison on a former strip mine site in Letcher County, Kentucky, championed by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, refuses to die, despite local opposition, a lack of support from the executive branch and numerous other obstacles.
The Washout and Rebuild
For nearly two years, residents of Unicoi County, Tennessee, have had to make do without a hospital after Hurricane Helene destroyed the rural hospital. Ballad Health, which owns the hospital, broke ground on a new location — in another floodplain — in August 2026.
The Shenandoah Salamander
The Shenandoah salamander is a woodland salamander, which has adapted to life at higher elevations away from water. This sparkling rarity lives among the dry leaves, cracked logs, and stony hillocks on the highest peaks of Shenandoah National Park.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment