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County Commission supports historical designation effort

The Inter-Mountain photo by Tim MacVean Randolph County Commission President Mike Taylor, left, receives a plaque of recognition from Purple Heart recipient Benny Shifflett, second from left, after the commission signed a proclamation designating Randolph County as a ‘Purple Heart County’ in support of active military and veterans. Also pictured are Randolph County Commissioner Chris See, right, and Terry Feight, second from right. Shifflett said roughly 28 counties in the state are designated as Purple Heart counties and his goal is for all 55 counties in West Virginia to become a Purple Heart county.

ELKINS — The Randolph County Commission approved and signed a letter of support for the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area and their efforts to be designated as a National Heritage Area.

AFHA Executive Director Phyllis Baxter explained that while the organization is working toward the National Heritage Area designation, they have been prominent in the region for more than a decade.

“As I believe you know, the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area is a regional initiative. We work in conservation, community development and various tourism over an 18 county region — 16 counties in West Virginia and two in Western Maryland,” Baxter said during Thursday’s Randolph County Commission meeting. “We have been operating and working on projects for 15 years now and we’ve done conservation projects like invasive species awareness, tree plantings and things like that.”

Legislation designating an 18-county region as a National Heritage Area is now making its way through Congress, and the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area has launched a campaign to show strong local support for the designation, according to a press release from AFHA.

Baxter said the national designation will have a significant impact on economic and tourism development in the area.

Baxter

“This designation will not only bring national recognition for our Appalachian Forest Heritage story, but also technical assistance through the National Park Service and funding for local conservation, heritage, and tourism development projects,” she said in the release.

AFHA has been working on this effort for many years, from the approval of a National Park Service feasibility study in 2006, through bills introduced in three different sessions of Congress.

For the original feasibility study more than 150 private, government and non-profit agencies and individuals wrote in support of this designation. The AFHA is soliciting that type of support once again to show that residents, organizations, and communities in the region are in favor of the designation.

“This year our designation bill is further along in the process than ever before,” Baxter said in the release. “We have bills active in both the senate and the house, and the senate bill has been heard and approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.”

Currently there is bi-partisan support from representatives in the region for the legislation.

“Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the primary sponsor of S. 401 and is doing what he can to get it included in a Senate vote. Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; Ben Cardin, D-Md.; and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., are supportive co-sponsors,” Baxter said in the release. “The House bill, HR 3142, introduced by Congressman David McKinley, R-W.Va., 1st district, and was also co-sponsored by Congressmen Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., 2nd district; Evan Jenkins R-W.Va., 3rd district; and John Delaney D-Md,, 6th district, whose districts all include AFHA counties.

“We need to let our legislators know that an Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area is important to our region and that we appreciate their efforts and support,” she continued.

Baxter added during the meeting that the commission has previously signed a letter of support for the efforts of AFHA.

“The Randolph County Commission gave us a previous support letter in May of 2007 and we are just going and doing another round of support letters now so that we can let our congressmen know and let the public know that we still think this is important,” she said during the meeting. “This designation will bring us national recognition, will help with our tourism efforts and will help bring (United States) National Park Service technical assistance and some funding.”

At present, there are 49 National Heritage Areas, including the National Coal Heritage Area and Wheeling National Heritage Area in West Virginia. National Heritage Areas are designed to provide national recognition and leverage federal funds to benefit local project and communities.

“It is important to understand that the NHA program is a grants and outreach program for the National Park Service, not a land management program,” Baxter explained in the release. “There are no new regulations or management controls associated with the designation. For areas that have achieved this designation, the benefits are extraordinary.”

Baxter said she believes community support is important and urges individuals to contact their legislators and send letters of support for AFHA.

“We are encouraging everyone to show their support by contacting their legislators directly, or by sending a new support letter to AFHA” she said. “Becoming the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area will help us conserve and strengthen our forest heritage identity and share this amazing legacy with others.”

Information about the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area designation campaign is available at www.appalachianforest.us.

Appalachian Forest Heritage Area (AFHA) is a regional, grassroots partnership based in Elkins, WV that promotes rural community development through heritage tourism and forest conservation. The Appalachian Forest Heritage Area includes Barbour, Braxton, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Morgan, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur and Webster counties in West Virginia; and Allegany and Garrett counties in western Maryland.

In other business:

• Commissioners approved the signing of a third-party contract to allow Terradon Corporation – based out of Nitro, Lewisburg and Fayetteville — to supervise the new 911 center project on behalf of the county.

The amount of the service is $31,535 and part of the original bid for the project.

• Commissioners approved and signed a support letter for a Beverly Water Board grant application.

• Commissioners took no action but said they will continue to support the Whitmer Water Association as all their officers recently resigned.

Paula Teter is currently serving as the president and working to recruit new officers. A meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 8 at the Whitmer fire house and area residents are urged to attend.

• Commissioners approved the re-hire of Zachary Stell to the position of DRC officer in the North Central Community Corrections office effective April 16.

Stell will be paid $25,000 per year with full benefits.

Stell previously served as a temporary, full-time, non-benefited employee.

• Commissioners approved the transition of Robert Petrice from part-time to full-time employment in the Randolph County 911 Center, effective Monday.

Petrice will be paid $13.34 per hour with full benefits.

The next Randolph County Commission meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on April 19 in the Commission Room of the James F. Cain Courthouse Annex.

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