Earlier this month the National Park Service released their new draft management plan for the New River Gorge National River. The analysis accompanying the plan explores five alternatives representing different strategies that are all targeted at protecting the ecological, cultural, historical, and recreational values of the river corridor. The Park Service has selected their prefered alternative and has requested public comments on their draft plan and analysis between now and April 1, 2010.

Keith Pitzer, executive director of Friends of the Cheat since 2001, died on the morning of December 22nd following a year and a half long battle with cancer. Under his leadership, Friends of the Cheat expanded its efforts to restore, preserve, and promote the outstanding natural qualities of the Cheat River Watershed, one of the country's most important whitewater paddling venues. A former Cheat River guide and manager, he was long-time friend of American Whitewater who worked closely with us on many projects. On December 1st, co-founder and past president and executive director Dave Bassage was named interim director to keep the organization moving smoothly forward.

The Curry Mine is a proposed 480 acre strip mine along the banks of the Youghiogheny River, just below the southern border of Ohiopyle State Park and adjacent to the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail.

American Whitewater received an open letter to boaters from the National Park Service outlining Gauley River access for 2009. For the last decade AW has leased the open field at Mason Branch for private boater parking - we are leasing the field again this year. These are your AW dues at work!

American Whitewater has joined the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their Green Power Partnership. AW has purchased enough renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Clean Currents, a leading supplier of wind energy credits, to offset energy usage in our national office.

Paddlers have been negotiating a new release schedule on Maryland's Upper Youghiogheny River with Brookfield Power and other stakeholders for over one year. The results have just been released in a new permit for the operation of the Deep Creek Dam. This year, and for the foreseeable future, paddlers will be treated to upper Yough releases on every Saturday from mid-June through mid-September!