Friends of Blackwater has been rallying our supporters to help advocate for public lands and endangered species. Over the years, we have been working to protect public rights to take advantage of the opportunities our public lands offer.
To get more details about our advocacy, view the posts below.
We are very concerned about a Forest Service plan in the works called the Upper Cheat River project. It covers 86,138-acres, nearly 10% of the entire Monongahela National Forest, and is located north of Parsons in Tucker, Barbour, and Preston Counties in the Upper Cheat River watershed. Within this project area are older growth forests, […]
On October 29th, Friends of Blackwater and the Center for Biological Diversity sent comments to Mon Forest Cheat/Potomac district ranger Jon Morgan about the proposed Grassy Ridge project. FOB and the Center are primarily concerned with the proposed project’s impacts to West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (WVNFS)and their habitat. First, the project’s proposal to clear […]
Hi! Allow me to introduce myself to this beautiful community. My name is Cheyenne Carter. Raised outside of Elkins I have been skiing, hiking, biking, boating, horseback riding, and foraging in this area since I was a little girl. When it was time to go to college I left for Southern Maine Community College for […]
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Mining and Reclamation, 47 School Street, Suite 301, Philippi, WV 26416, will hold an online Public Hearing from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 as result of the comments and petition signatures submitted by Friends of Blackwater and you! The conference may […]
On August 4th, the President signed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law. The GAOA is groundbreaking legislation that will improve trails, campgrounds, and other recreation in public lands across the United States. Now that it has become law, the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund will be created and the Land […]
As part of their ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, over the past few months Southern Partners Fund – a community foundation based in Atlanta, GA that supports grassroots community organizations in pursuit of racial, economic, and environmental justice – has been graciously promoting the organizations they work with via email and their website. Southern […]
Friends of Blackwater recently signed onto a letter drafted by the Center for Biological Diversity that opposes S. 4057, the Litigation Relief for Forest Management Projects Act. This bill would compromise species protected by the Endangered Species Act by exempting the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management from consulting with scientists when new […]
Friends of Blackwater is disappointed to inform you that the Pillar LLC permit for the undergound injection well next to Horseshoe Run has been reissued for an additional 5 years. Thank you for your participation in the fight to stop this permit in its tracks- over 50 people attended the public hearing for this permit, […]
The Keystone Surface Mining online public hearing may be over, but the fight for clean water never ends! The draft NPDES permit for the Keystone permit site has been released and Friends of Blackwater is reviewing it for errors or short comings. This discharge could be the difference between life and death for many aquatic […]
The following is a summary of Friends of Blackwater’s official comments to the DEP regarding the Keystone Surface Mining and Reclamation permit. Please let these guide your comments during the online public hearing on June 10th from 1-5 pm (plan on joining at 1 pm). Friends of Blackwater has written an EPA approved Beaver Creek […]
On June 10th, 2020 from 1-5 PM, the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection Division of Mining and Reclamation will host an informal conference regarding the proposed Keystone surface mining and reclamation permit on Corridor H North of Davis, WV. Due to concerns about the coronavirus, the public hearing will be hosted by the DEP […]
Recently, Friends of Blackwater and 206 other groups across the country signed onto support a letter to the US Congress that calls for and the support of the creation of thousands of environmental jobs to conserve and restore public lands, protect endangered species and other wildlife, and restore critical protections provided by the Clean Water […]
