West Virginia’s Grand Canyon, Faces Threats from Logging and Development

Blackwater Canyon, of West Virginia’s highlands, has long been famous as one of the Eastern United States best scenic, wildlife and recreational areas. Porte Crayon first made the Canyon famous with his articles and illustrations published in Harper’s Monthly in the late 1800's. After struggling through the Canyon’s heavy rhododendron understory and dense stands of ancient spruce and hardwoods, and scrambling down the Canyon’s steep walls, Crayon and his companions caught over 350 brook trout in one day on the Blackwater River.

Soon after Crayon made the Canyon famous, railroad barons laid tracks into the area, bringing portable sawmills and mining equipment. The Canyon slipped from fame to infamy. By the nineteen-teens, the area was clearcut down to the thick humus layer that had accumulated beneath the majestic trees for centuries. Soon the humus layer dried out, and fires of an intensity never seen before or since swept the area. Much of the precious soil was burned away.

The US Forest Service began acquiring large tracts of the burned-over area, having the Civilian Conservation Corps replant trees all around the Canyon. The Canyon itself never became part of the National Forest, but was purchased by an electric utility company. Most of the Canyon was too steep to replant, but many species of hardwoods began a slow recovery. Now, some eighty years later, the Canyon is again magnificent, although still far from its former old growth majesty.

Abutted by the Monongahela National Forest and the Blackwater Falls State Park, the Canyon was mistakenly thought to be public land by many of the millions who visited over the decades. Visitors enjoyed total access to the Canyon for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, nature appreciation, and world-class whitewater kayaking. The view of the Canyon from a promontory-like rock structure called Lindy Point was regularly featured on state tourism brochures and videos. That rock protuberance hosted dozens of wedding ceremonies on the surface of its high platform.

From 1995 to 1997 The Conservation Fund and the US Forest Service had been negotiating to buy the Canyon for the public from Allegheny Power Systems (APS). But on Feb. 18, 1997, APS, without contacting the Conservation Fund for a counteroffer, sold the nearly 3,000 acre Canyon to a private developer, a Mr. Black of Canyonlands, Inc. for $4.7 million. Within 24 hours, Black sold the Canyon to timberman John Crites of Allegheny Wood Products (AWP) for $5 million. By August of that year, despite a public uproar, AWP had begun timbering an 800 acre tract in the lower reaches of the Canyon. Stakes had been driven into the ground which led to speculation that these stakes were designating potential power lines for Canyon-rim condos. As of now giant "no trespassing" signs block the path to Lindy Point and many other Canyon trails. Private security guards patrol the area.

In October, 1997 The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WVHC), which at age 31 is the state’s oldest conservation organization, the WV Chapter of Sierra Club, the WV Wildlife Federation and two individuals filed a complaint with the Public Service Commission (PSC) stating the sale of the Canyon was illegal. By West Virginia law, whenever a public utility--a monopoly which must operate in the public interest--sells its assets, it must first seek permission from the Public Service Commission. APS sold the Canyon without PSC permission.

APS argued that it did not own the Canyon, rather its subsidiary, which is not a public utility, owned and sold the Canyon. The PSC refused to hear the complaint. The complainants appealed to the WV Supreme Court, saying that the subsidiary and APS all share the same offices and officers, and are therefore one integrated company. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case this October.

During the January to March, 1998 WV legislative session, WVHC and WV Sierra Club led the movement to introduce a resolution requesting that all interested parties come together to develop a plan to fairly compensate the current landowner and deliver the Canyon into the protective custody of public ownership.

Thousands of citizens called their legislators or signed petitions asking them to support this resolution. Many organizations signed on as co-sponsors of the resolution including the WV Wildlife Federation, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, the League of Women Voters, The Religious Society of Friends, the WV United Mine Workers, Affiliated Construction Trades, and West Virginia Environmental Council. The state’s major newspapers all endorsed the resolution. Representatives of the US Park Service, the US Forest Service and WV State Parks all declared that the Blackwater Canyon should be in public ownership. However, political shenanigans by legislators beholden to Big Timber were able to thwart the will of the people to squash the resolution.

WVHC is now in the middle of "Blackwater Summer." Volunteers, some costumed as caricatures of the Canyon’s endangered Virginia northern flying squirrel (Blackie), and the threatened Cheat Mountain salamander (Sallie), visit events statewide to collect "Save the Blackwater Canyon" signatures. So far, over 40 volunteers have helped collect over 3,000 signatures. The signatures will be presented to legislators in Washington, DC, and Charleston as WVHC seeks special national Natural Recreation Area status for the Canyon.

If you would like to join WVHC’s Blackwater Canyon Campaign, contact the Conservancy at WVHC, PO Box 306, Charleston, WV 25321, or call Dave Saville at (304) 594-2276, or e-mail Julian Martin at jumartin@wvwise.org.