May 26,1999
Honorable Cecil Underwood
Governor, State of West Virginia
State Capitol Building
Charleston WV 25305

Dear Governor Underwood:

Yesterday, members of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WVHC) delivered several boxes to West Virginia's congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. These boxes held petitions signed by more than 13,000 West Virginians who want to protect Blackwater Canyon as a state and national treasure.

Our more than 13,000 petition signatures, and Sierra Club's more than 5,000 signers show overwhelming public support for protecting Blackwater Canyon.

We are asking you to join the effort to have Blackwater Canyon become a national park. Specifically, we request that you ask and assist the West Virginia congressional delegation to

encourage Congress to authorize a U.S. Department of the Interior "Special Resources Study" for the Blackwater Canyon area. We are informed that a Special Resources Study, paid for by the Department of the Interior, may develop one or more proposals for protection of special resources; and Blackwater Canyon is certainly a special resource.

Some officials, including West Virginia's Director of State Parks, have suggested that Blackwater Canyon be annexed into Blackwater Falls State Park. We would not oppose State Park annexation. But with the support of the Governor (and the legislature) -- and West Virginia’s congressional delegation -- the National Park Service and the United States Congress would find it difficult to not consider the citizen pleas to protect this special natural resource.

With your considerable public respect and political influence, Governor, you, perhaps more than anyone else, can get the political ball rolling to protect Blackwater Canyon for all West Virginians. Your fellow West Virginian's would be proud that you had taken the lead on this one issue of overwhelming importance to West Virginia's citizens.

However, time is critical. As we consider this matter, the Canyon's owner admits to using the agencies of state government to assist in artificially inflating the value of the Canyon. The longer we wait, the more potential exists for the owner to practically blackmail state or federal agencies into an artificially high valuation of canyon properties, under threat of further development not in the public interest. For the best public value, we must act now.

The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy stands ready to lend our volunteers' efforts to assist you in taking a leadership role on this issue. We have considerable statistical and other information to offer in support of the Special Resources Study for protection for Blackwater Canyon.

Please feel free to contact the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy for support in developing public policy for protecting the Blackwater Canyon. All of West Virginia is special. Blackwater Canyon stands out as among the jewels of unprotected special places. Now that jewel is threatened with industrial and commercial development that would destroy its natural qualities as a premier tourist attraction, recreation area and wildlife habitat.

We need your help.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Frank Young , President

West Virginia Highlands Conservancy