The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley Federal officials confirmed Thursday that the decades worth of Mountain State Forest Festival commerative markers located in the plaza of the Jennings Randolph Federal Center must now be removed.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley
Federal officials confirmed Thursday that the decades worth of Mountain State Forest Festival commerative markers located in the plaza of the Jennings Randolph Federal Center must now be removed.

ELKINS — The Mountain State Forest Festival has been asked to permanently remove all its commemorative markers from the plaza of the Jennings Randolph Federal Center.

The federal government wants the markers, which are engraved with the names of each of the Forest Festival’s Queen Silvias and director generals over the years, to be removed before repaving and renovation of the plaza begins.

The Inter-Mountain confirmed that the U.S. General Services Administration, also known as GSA, has contacted Forest Festival officials and asked them to remove the markers. GSA manages federal properties around the country.

“On July 7, GSA awarded a contract to repair and replace damaged sections of the plaza at the Jennings Randolph Federal Center in Elkins,” GSA communicated to The Inter-Mountain in an email exchange Thursday.

“GSA has asked the Mountain State Forest Festival to permanently remove their commemorative pavers prior to the start of construction.

“During construction, large sections of the plaza will be unavailable to the public,” the GSA email states. “We anticipate that construction will be complete in December.”

The Forest Festival events are offered in October. Traditionally the MSFF opening and closing ceremonies have taken place on the plaza, but it seems those events will have to be moved this fall, perhaps permanently.

Each year a new marker, featuring the names of that year’s Queen Silvia and director general, has been placed in the plaza at the end of the MSFF closing ceremony.

MSFF officials told The Inter-Mountain they were “shocked” and “blindsided” by the GSA request.

“I am extremely disappointed,” Robbie Morris, this year’s MSFF director general, said.

“It is kind of sad,” MSFF Board President Cricket Leary said, adding she is still seeking more information from GSA.

“We’re waiting for another call to explain exactly what the situation is and what we need to do,” she told The Inter-Mountain.

“We’ve got a lot of questions at this point. We know they do have to be removed, but exactly when they have to be removed, and what happens once we get them out, we’re not sure.”

Leary said MSFF officials have been contacted by several residents offering help with the situation, including possible new locations for the markers.

“Learning that we have to move them is bittersweet, but the opportunities that we may have might be just as nice,” she said. “We really don’t know which direction we’re going in, honestly.”

This year’s Forest Festival is scheduled for Oct. 2 through Oct. 10 in Elkins.