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Picture yourself driving along one of West Virginia's scenic rural roads. As your car reaches the top of a small hill, you pull over and get out to enjoy the view. Behind you stretch miles of destruction and a muddy river in the distance. Beyond that, you can see the deep, serene shades of a forest under attack.
By writing this letter, I am asking the Department of Highways to reconsider their plan to cull the trees along rural West Virginia roads, and investigate what is really causing maintenance issues on these roads, which is a much better use of taxpayer dollars.
West Virginia's rural roads endow communities with substantial benefits, such as higher property values and increased tourism revenue.
Protecting rural roadways allows local communities to preserve their unique charm, build civic pride, and attract positive growth to the area.
I understand the need to improve safety on our rural roads, but not at the expense of destroying the very canopy that gives West Virginia its designation.
The natural beauty of these trees in all four seasons and the canopy that they make is undeniably an important natural feature in West Virginia.
These trees are not just aesthetically beautiful; they are key structures in protecting the environmental and ecological balance within our beautiful state, every tree is an essential asset.
Rural roads are an effective method of maintaining the rural character of scenic roads. Protection from actions resulting from the repair, maintenance, reconstruction, or paving of any rural road involves the cutting or removal of trees or the tearing down, destruction or alteration of stonewalls, or portions of stone walls, within the public right of way.
All such road work should be subject to a public hearing before proceeding.
Safety is everyone's concern. However, environmental safety is of benefit to all. Rural roadway trees improve our lives by benefiting our economy, our environment, and our health.
Trees provide shade and serve as windbreaks. Trees control erosion and reduce runoff, resulting in lower stormwater management costs. Trees clean the air and water by capturing pollutants that lower air and water quality.
West Virginia tends to bring to mind an image of hot, lazy summer afternoons with the locals trying to stay cool by drinking iced tea on the front porch, fanning their faces from the scorching heat on streets.
The image of a West Virginia rural road similarly brings to mind slow, lazy Sunday drives in the countryside.
The protection, preservation and enhancement of scenic resources is critical to the state and promotes and enhances the health, quality of life, prosperity and welfare of all citizens.
Good Day!
Robert Ware
French Creek