HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 22
(By Delegates Buchanan, Claypole, Fleischauer, McGraw, Prunty,
Fragale, Underwood, Rowe, Dempsey, Caputo, Butcher, Compton,
Damron, Davis, Flanigan, Hubbard, Hunt, Kuhn, Leach, Linch,
Louisos, Sparks, Spencer, Thomas and Tucker)
"Requesting the Division of Natural Resources to work with
interested and affected parties to formulate a comprehensive plan
for acquiring the Blackwater Canyon for the citizens of West
Virginia and visitors."
WHEREAS, Tourism is the mainstay of the economy of Tucker
County bringing 2 million visitors and $40 million in economic
resources, including $270,000 in hotel and motel taxes; tripling
over the past ten years; and
Whereas, Blackwater Falls State Park is one of the jewels of
the West Virginia state park system, with many scenic views of the
falls and canyon, bringing 750,000 people a year to the park who
spend $2.5 million there annually; and
Whereas, Scenes and views of the Blackwater Canyon constitute
a veritable icon of the best of Wild, Wonderful West Virginia; and
Whereas, The Blackwater River in the beautiful Blackwater
Canyon drops 136 feet per mile on its wild tumble 8 miles to
Hendricks, creating spectacular views of mountainsides and
waterfalls; and
Whereas, The Blackwater Canyon has been world famous since the 1850s when it was featured in the writings and drawings of West
Virginia's own Davis Hunter Strother (Porte Crayon) in national
publications regarding the features on the area and other writers
and artists have used this unique setting in many state and
national promotional articles which has spread its fame across the
nation and its outstanding resources have made it the site of the
annual Blackwater Wildlife Pilgrimage since the 1960s; and
Whereas, The unique features of the Canyon attract hunters,
fishermen, hikers, bikers, boaters, picnickers, birders, botanists,
writers, artists and sightseers to West Virginia's remote vastness
where Porte Crayon said "perhaps in all this broad lands of
ours...no scene more beautifully grand ever broke on the eye of
poet or painter..."; and
Whereas, The West Virginia Division of Environmental
Protection and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources have
spent $1 million to clean up the Blackwater River to create a trout
fishery and have begun treatment of the North Fork of the
Blackwater River that will create more than 10 miles of new trout
stream in the canyon; and
Whereas, The rail trail through the scenic canyon from Thomas
to Hendricks will add an estimated $1.2 million to the local economy and forms a critical link in a trail system extending from
Washington, D.C., through Tucker County to Lewisburg and beyond;
and
Whereas, The rail trail is the linchpin of a trail system
linking Canaan Valley State Park, Blackwater Falls State Park,
Thomas, Davis, Hendricks, Parsons and Elkins for the premier trail
of the east, thus boosting the economies of all five towns and
surrounding areas; and
Whereas, The Blackwater Canyon contains an abundance of
wildlife including black bear, wild turkey and bobcat, as well as
endangered or threatened wildlife species such as the Cheat
Mountain salamander and the northern flying squirrel along with
rare plants in a steep and protected habitat for them; and
Whereas, State and national conservation organizations and
state and federal agencies have expressed great interest in
preserving the Blackwater Canyon as a recreational resource for
this and future generations; and
Whereas, A large part of the land in the Blackwater Canyon has
recently undergone transfer status and land use changes which
raises concerns and creates anxiety about the future of the Canyon
and presents a unique opportunity for dialogue on the future of the
area between the various interested parties; therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates
That the West Virginia House of Delegates requests the
Division of Natural Resources to assemble a special task force of
affected parties and representatives of interested organizations to
formulate a comprehensive plan to be submitted to the Speaker of
the House of Delegates by the first day of December, 1998,
regarding acquisition of the Blackwater Canyon as a recreation,
wildlife and scenic resource for the citizens of West Virginia.