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 dramatically expanded its efforts to restore, preserve, and promote the outstanding natural qualities of the Cheat River Watershed, one of the most important whitewater paddling venues in the country. A former Cheat River guide and manager, he was long-time friend of American Whitewater who worked closely with us on many projects.
Key milestones of the Pitzer tenure include establishing three public river accesses, completing an interpretive driving trail, an invasive species eradication porogram, and a major expansion of the organization’s primary focus, cleaning up acid mine drainage that has rendered many miles of streams in the watershed unable to support life for decades. Friends of the Cheat has raised roughly $2,000,000 for AMD remediation during the last five years, or $59.00 for each dollar donatred to the organization.
Today the Cheat River, once considered dead below Albright, is making a comeback. The water is visibly cleaner, and fish, eagles, herons, and otters have been sighted, although much work remains to further improve water quality in the river and tributaries.
Keith also laid the foundation for ongoing projects including the development rail trails in the Kingwood area and from Albright to Rowlesburg, construction of an outdoor classroom, and procuring a key river and trail access at the confluence of Pringle Run and the Cheat River. Many additional acid mine drainage remediation projects throughout the lower Cheat watershed. are in the pipeline
Despite his deteriorating health, Keith remained actively involved in leading Friends of the Cheat through mid-November of this year. On December 1st, co-founder and past president and executive director Dave Bassage was named interim director to keep the organization and its small staff moving smoothly forward.
Bassage notes:
"Keith was a close friend for twenty years, and I will sorely miss him, but savor many fond memories. He was a kind, committed, gentle man, with a talent for music and leadership, putting all who knew him at ease.
The world deserved more of Keith than he was able to give. His dreams, his passions, and most of all the patience, persistence, and respect he embodied so well will continue on in those of us fortunate enough to have been touched by him."
An accomplished musician and songwriter, Keith and his wife Joan recorded albums and played at festivals and other venues throughout the East Coast. They were instrumental in establishing fine music tradition of the annual Cheat River Festival, the region’s first outdoor festival each year, held the first weekend in May.
In lieu of flowers, The Keith Pitzer family has asked that donations be made in his memory to Friends of the Cheat, website www.cheat.org. Condolence notes can be sent to his email: kpitzer@cheat.org, and will be passed along to his family.
A search for a permanent executive director for Friends of the Cheat will begin in January; anyone interested in this position should contact Charlie Walbridge at ccwalbridge@cs.com.