The following message is from AW Boardmember Charlie Walbridge. Charlie is working hard to protect the Cheat and Big Sandy Rivers. Please consider writing a letter as Charlie suggests to support the preservation of these wonderful rivers. What greater gift could you give a river!?
I know it is the holidays, but this is really important!
After joining the Friends of Cheat board I became the chair of a committee
called the Cheat Canyon Coalition. About a dozen local conservation groups
are represented. Our purpose was to develop strategies to protect the Cheat
Canyon and Big Sandy River Gorges, home to some wonderful scenery and the
spectacular whitewater that many of you have run. We support current efforts
by the West Virginia DNR to purchase these lands from Allegheny Energy and
need you to do the same!
Individual letters supporting the purchase of the Cheat Canyon have had a
real impact. But sources in state government tell us that more letters NOW
will be very helpful. If you were busy last time (as many of us were), please
take a moment to send your letter now. And please forward this appeal to
everyone on your email list who might be interested!
A fact sheet and a sample letter can be found below. BUT PLEASE DON’T JUST
COPY MY LETTER. Your own letter carries a surprising amount of weight. Tell
Governor Wise why you think that the Cheat Canyon is worth protecting. If
you’re really pressed for time, you can go to Governor Wise’s Home Page and send him an email. But
letters are much better.
Then, if you have time, visit the area in Governor Bob Wise’s site that
nominates “special places” in West Virginia:Special Places Page
. There’s a link from the home page to
nominate special places in the state. Nominate the Cheat Canyon and Big Sandy
River Gorges!
CHEAT GORGE/BIG SANDY FACT SHEET
The WV Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) is seeking to acquire
approximately 6,500 acres of land in Preston County currently owned by
Allegheny Energy (AE). Approximately 4,700 acres is in Cheat Gorge; the
remaining 1,800 acres are along the Big Sandy. If acquired, these lands will
be managed as WVDNR wildlife management areas.
The Cheat Canyon is a center of outdoor recreational activity. The river
itself is an important recreational corridor. The Cheat Canyon and Big Sandy
Rivers are both renowned whitewater runs. They attract thousands of paddlers
from all over the East and support a modest whitewater rafting industry. The
Allegheny Trail, a 330-mile long footpath running from the Pennsylvania Line
near Bruceton Mills to the Appalachian Trail near Glen Lynn, Virginia,
parallels the river throughout the canyon. A second footpath follows the Big
Sandy from Rockville downstream to several magnificent waterfalls. Both areas
offer moderate hikes that are popular both with tourists and local residents.
Land in Cheat Canyon is home to the federally threatened flat-spired
three-toothed land snail. With this purchase, most of its habitat will be in
public ownership and protected and it should be possible to remove it from
the endangered species list. One cave in the Gorge harbors a population of
federally endangered Indiana bats that hibernate in the cave each winter.
Other land within the Gorge is foraging habitat for this rare bat. Eighty
other caves, most of which have not been surveyed for biological resources,
are documented on these tracts. The Nature Conservancy considers the area
important as a “matrix block,” an extensive block of unbroken forest. The
area is also home to a large number of other wildlife species including game
animals (white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, etc.), neotropical migratory
birds, and several rare plants and animals such as the green salamander and
the smooth rose. The Big Sandy tract includes the trail to Wonder Falls. It
contains a stocked trout stream, Laurel Run, that is a significant
destination for anglers.
AE wants to sell these lands as soon as possible. The company currently has
other buyers for the property, but is willing to donate 25% of the acreage to
WVDNR if the state can purchase 75% of the land. At present, WVDNR has funds
to acquire approximately 13% of the lands. We need your support to raise
money for the rest!
SAMPLE CHEAT CANYON LAND PURCHASE LETTER
Governor Robert Wise
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E
Charleston, WV 25305
Dear Governor Wise,
My name is [fill in your name and explain your own Cheat and Big Sandy river
corridor experiences].
I recently learned that the West Virginia DNR has been working to acquire the
lands in the area owned by Allegheny Energy for some time. AE would like to
see these lands, which represent roughly 75% of the Cheat Canyon and a
significant part of the Big Sandy Gorge, transferred to state hands. The DNR
would like to buy them, and already has some of the funding in hand. If
successful, this would be a very exciting development with many positive
benefits for the people of West Virginia and surrounding states.
[Use this paragraph or, pick your own favorite area characteristics to
highlight.]
This is an opportunity to protect a unique area. These lands contain a vast
forest with mature stands of cove hardwoods and abundant spring wildflowers.
It’s home to several rare and endangered species. The river itself is an
important recreational corridor. The Cheat Canyon and Big Sandy Rivers are
both renowned whitewater runs. They attract thousands of paddlers from all
over the East and support a modest whitewater rafting industry. The Allegheny
Trail, a 330-mile long footpath running from the Pennsylvania Line near
Bruceton Mills to the Appalachian Trail near Glen Lynn, Virginia, parallels
the river
throughout the canyon. A second footpath follows the Big Sandy from Rockville
to several magnificent waterfalls. Both areas offer moderate hikes that are
popular both with tourists and local residents.
I believe that this represents a once-on-a-lifetime opportunity to maintain
the quality of life in Northern West Virginia and support the vital tourist
industry. I urge you to do everything in your power to make this deal succeed.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
And other contact information
Many Thanks!!