This is a reminder that if you are interested in submitting comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the proposed Big Run Pumped Storage project, the deadline for this round is December 28th. This comment period is for the pre-permit, which covers preliminary activities like surveys and planning. We want to foster public involvement […]
This past spring, citizens made clear that commercial timbering in state parks was not an acceptable solution for the parks’ maintenance backlog. Now, with a new legislative session on the horizon, people are thinking about alternative funding sources that could be used to preempt any more bad ideas from the legislature. Recently, Robert Beanblossom, who […]
The candy darter, a small colorful fish found only in West Virginia, has been added to the Endangered Species list by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The candy darter gets its name from its bright red stripes, and is found in the Bluestone, Greenbrier, Gauley and New Rivers. It was first documented in 1931 in […]
We’re getting into the holiday spirit with a reception at the Buxton and Landstreet Gallery on December 14th. Learn more about Friends of Blackwaters’ programs, chat with staff, and admire the artwork. The reception will run from 4 to 6, and there will be live music and light refreshments. There is no cost involved with […]
On February 7th, 2019, join Friends of Blackwater for a fun night of winter films at Whitegrass Ski Touring Center in Canaan Valley. The doors will open at 5:30 and dinner will be available from the Whitegrass kitchen. We are once again featuring films about winter recreation from the Winter Wildlands Alliance. The image below […]
We just found out that the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge will not be moving forward with commercial timbering. Thank you to everyone who participated in the comment period! The press release we put out on this good news is below. You can also read the Refuge’s response to comments here. The Canaan Valley National […]
After 18 months of monitoring and a series of meetings with state, business and non-profit partners, we are closing in on a first draft of the Beaver Creek watershed-based plan. In order to receive grants from the EPA targeting restoration of the waterway, we have to have a watershed based plan, so this is the […]
In September, Friends of Blackwater has hired Langan, Inc. and Hedin Environmental to design a replacement for the wetland anoxic limestone drain (WALD) mine drainage treatment system, just downstream of the FOB office, on the North Fork of the Blackwater. The WALD was an experimental system that was installed to treat acid mine drainage entering […]
Way back in 2003, two “Blackwater heroes,” Attorney Kitty Dooley and Supreme Court Justice Larry Starcher, partnered with FOB Board member Tom Rodd to launch the J.R. Clifford Project. The goal was to celebrate and publicize the story of John Robert Clifford (1848-1933), West Virginia’s first African American attorney. In the 1890s, Clifford represented the […]
On September 25th and 26th, non-profits from around the state met at Canaan Valley Resort for the West Virginia Non-Profit Association’s annual leadership summit. There were panels and workshops throughout the gathering, including one featuring Friends of Blackwater. The “New Approaches to Volunteerism” panel included Kelly Stadelman of the Tucker Community Foundation, Danny Swan of […]
