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DAVIS -- More than $2.3 million in government funding has been announced for an education project in Tucker County.
Gov. Jim Justice announced the recommendation of 12 Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program projects that will utilize $28.6 million in federal grant funding for economic development at abandoned mine land sites across the state.
"The dollars we've invested to revive our abandoned mines are helping transform West Virginia's tourism economy," Justice said. "These lands are now becoming a whole new kind of treasure--tourism spots and job hubs. We're taking the beautiful land God gave us here in West Virginia and using it to show the world why we're one of the top tourist destinations around."
The National Youth Science Academy's Davis Campus will receive $2,337,000 to build housing for 150 campers and staff, to expand its capacity to offer year-round STEAM educational programming.
STEAM Education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry.
"These AMLER projects demonstrate our commitment to turning the environmental challenges of abandoned mine lands into economic opportunities that benefit communities across West Virginia," said WVDEP Secretary Harold Ward. "By repurposing these sites, we not only restore the land but also create sustainable tourism, recreational, and business development opportunities that can revitalize local economies for generations to come."
Justice announced AMLER funding for the Wheeling Gateway Center project in Ohio County.
The top three AMLER funding amounts announced by Justice include:
The Clear Fork Rail Trail II project in Raleigh County will receive $4.45 million for construction of approximately 9.73 miles of multi-use, recreational rail trail.
The Wheeling Gateway Center project in Ohio County will receive $4.4 million to transform the Knights Inn property into a new 20,000 square-foot visitors center. The Gateway Center will include a heritage museum, event center, and office space, along with retail stores, a marquee restaurant, and grand outdoor plazas. The Gateway will be located at the foot of the historic and now-restored Wheeling Suspension Bridge on Main Street in the heart of downtown, overlooking the Ohio River connected to the Wheeling Heritage Trail.
The TAZ Site Development project in Preston County will receive $3,957,000 for the purchase of property and an approximately 12,000 square-foot building near Bruceton Mills and the extension of sanitary sewer and natural gas to the site for future development.
Grant applications were evaluated by a committee of representatives from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), the West Virginia Department of Commerce, the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Governor's Office. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) must also give final approval of the projects and amounts awarded.
To qualify, the proposed economic development projects must be located on or adjacent to mine sites that ceased operations prior to the signing of the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act on August 3, 1977.
Administered by the WVDEP's Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation, the AMLER program has committed over $233 million in grant funding to assist projects all across the West Virginia coalfields, since 2016.