Letter to the editor — Special places need funding

To the editor: Preston County News & Journal, Kingwood, WV

As the executive director of the Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission and someone who moved to West Virginia 10 years ago because she fell head-over-heels for the captivating public land, parks, rivers, rocks and trails in West By God Virginia, I ask our congressional delegation to support to sustain and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

LWCF has been a tool to continue transforming human communities by protecting the wild, ecological communities. If the LWCF expires Sept. 30, West Virginia would lose access to an incredible resource that capitalizes on our irreplaceable, uncontainable landscapes.

The places most precious to me have all been (and others, hopefully, will be) protected by LWCF: The Cheat Canyon, Canaan Valley/Dolly Sods and other areas of the Mon, New River Gorge, public parks in Preston County and Morgantown area, Twin Falls State Park in Wyoming County and countless other places I’ve enjoyed and cherished.

The LWCF has invested hundreds of millions in West Virginia. Last I checked, those investments have paid off many fold in terms of tourism revenue, not to mention the jobs created by the outdoor industry.

Until recently, I had no idea that so much of the public land in West Virginia that I enjoy and cherish has been funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I have pursued a career that depends on the funding and protection of public lands because I believe not only do such places foster a more vigorous economy, but they facilitate the health and happiness of families and communities.

These are the places that shape us and provide pivot points that anchor and compel us to share memories and skills with each other generation after generation. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Sen. Joe Manchin have both made strong statements of support for LWCF.

I implore them to do what it takes to reauthorize and fully fund the LWCF.

Emily Carlson,  Arthurdale