Will Help Make the Blackwater Canyon a National Park(This article appeared in the Charleston Gazette on August 26, 1999)

A national conservation group has thrown its support to the movement to make the Blackwater Canyon a national park.

The National Park Trust announced its endorsement Wednesday during a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

"West Virginians have shown overwhelming support for the creation of the Blackwater Canyon proposed park," the trust said in a report. "Over 13,000 West Virginians have signed the ‘Save the Blackwater Canyon’ petition."

The Washington-based trust is a land conservancy dedicated to preserving America’s national system of parks, wildlife and historic monuments.

On Tuesday, the trust released a report which showed that more than 200,000 acres of privately held land within the boundaries of national parks are in "imminent danger" of being lost to development or sale.

At Loon Lake in Alaska, a public university has subdivided land around a pristine lake, one of the state’s most important protected waterfowl areas. Lots are for sale to the highest bidder, and Congress has prevented the federal government from buying back the land.

In Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, a family has subdivided its holdings and is preparing to sell the property with the blessing of local government officials who favor economic development.

The 200,000 acres exist because of a slowdown in funding that began in the 1980s, when the Reagan administration greatly cut back on purchasing private land within the parks. Although purchases of private lands have increased in the most recent years, the number of privately owned acres within the parks has increased as well.

At the trust’s press conference, Judy Rodd of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WVHC) said that Blackwater Canyon, private land within the boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest, is another example.

In February 1997, John Crites of Allegheny Wood Products bought 3,000 acres. Crites has been logging the area, and developed plans for a 600-acre condominium resort.

"Since that fateful day in 1997, when the canyon was sold out from under us, the citizens of West Virginia have spent countless hours in the battle to protect this special place," Rodd said. "This is the same sort of fight that led to the Grand Canyon National Park and many others.

"The citizens of West Virginia see that a national park will permanently protect a special area and will bring economic benefits to the state," Rodd said.

"We are asking the West Virginia congressional delegation to introduce a bill in Congress asking for a special resource study of the Blackwater area, the first step to the creation of a national park."

The National Park Trust has given the conservancy $8,000 to help educate the public about the proposed park.