None The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia Press Releases Search All Press Releases Randall Edwards Senior Media Relations Manager redwards@tnc.org Phone: (614) 717-2770 Ext. 30 Fax: (614) 717-2777

Land Overlooking New River Gorge Conserved and Open for Recreation

Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area will grow by 4,600 acres

CHARLESTON, WV — About 4,600 acres of forest overlooking the New River Gorge will be conserved for future generations through a partnership that includes The Nature Conservancy, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the Mountain State’s hunters and anglers, The Nature Conservancy announced today.

“Conserving this forest along the New River Gorge is a conservation success story for all of West Virginia,” said West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III. “This project is an excellent example of a wise state investment in our natural resources.  It provides a new place for public recreation, continuing to make West Virginia a destination for hunters and tourists and improving the quality of life for West Virginians.”

The rugged land, which includes excellent forest game habitat and a section of native brook trout stream, will be open to the public for hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation.

“Our partnerships with public land agencies are critical to The Nature Conservancy’s success in West Virginia,” said Rodney Bartgis, state director for The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia. “We’re happy to assist the Division of Natural Resources conserve this important piece of property.”

The property, formerly owned by Mountain Top Management, Inc., borders National Park Service lands of the New River Gorge National River for more than 4.5 miles. The landowners wanted to sell quickly, and although the state and the landowner agreed on the price, the state did not have adequate resources to buy the land all at once. The Nature Conservancy was able to purchase the land quickly to satisfy the landowner’s needs, and will hold it until the state money becomes available.

“It was important to take advantage of this opportunity,” Bartgis said. “The forested area around the New River Gorge is an important natural area in the heart of the Central Appalachian region, which The Nature Conservancy has identified as a globally important forest region.”

Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area is adjacent to Babcock State Park. Combined with the new purchase, the wildlife management area and the state park will grow to 10,000 acres of state-owned land on the plateau overlooking the New River Gorge. Tourists, drawn by the natural beauty of the New River Gorge, spend more than $75 million a year in the four-county area, according to a 2006 National Park Service study.

“This project illustrates the type of conservation achievements that can be made when the State, sportsmen and women, and organizations like The Nature Conservancy work as partners,” said Frank Jezioro, Director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. “This forestland is giving West Virginians an incredible place to hunt and fish and watch wildlife.  It includes a section of Buffalo Creek, a native brook trout stream.”

Excitement was expressed about the deal by Dave Arnold, member of the West Virginia Tourism Commission and co-owner of Class VI River Runners, one of the New River Gorge's largest rafting companies.  "I see conservation of land and economic development as symbiotic," Arnold commented. "The acquisition of this tract shows that we can strike a balance between development and conservation.  Assuring these lands will be available for enjoyment of the public spurs economic growth by drawing sportsmen to local businesses and by providing another amenity that can attract visitors to the region."

 “We are thrilled to have this important wildlife habitat in Fayette County conserved,” said Darrell Hypes, president of the Fayette Long Spurs, a local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, “This will be beneficial to the members of my organization, citizens of this county, and others wanting to visit one of the state’s most important hunting areas.”

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.