From the Field

Mountain – Dominion Golf Tournament

On September 8, the states of Virginia and West Virginia were once again in conflict. This time it was not the Civil War, but the Mountain – Dominion Golf Tournament. This annual event is held somewhere near the states’ borders and each state takes turns playing host. This year the Tournament was held at Glad Springs near Beckley as West Virginia hosted. About twenty golfers and colleagues enjoyed the camaraderie and the golf that helps us enjoy our relationship with our neighbors. Participants include NRCS employees, retirees, District Supervisors, friends, and family.

For the second year in a row West Virginia won the friendly competition. West Virginia now enjoys a one match advantage in this struggle for the “Old Pine Slab” that has been going on since 1999. Next year the match will be held in Virginia next fall. All West Virginia NRCS employees, anyone in the Conservation Partnership, friends and family are invited to attend and participate.

For more information contact Greg Stone at the Beckley-South Area Office

Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Area

Dry Hydrants for Woodland Protection
The US Forest Service has provided reimbursement of up to $1000 towards the installation of dry hydrants for woodland protection. With most of southern WV being wooded, Mountain RC&D has taken advantage of this opportunity by taking 23 applications, and working with local field offices to install 10 sites. To date $9084.00 has been earned by area landowners while providing 20,000 acres of protection for forestland.

Distributing almost One Million Dollars Worth of Donated Materials and Services
This year Mountain RC&D has received and distributed almost one million dollars worth of donated materials and services to people in need through out the Councils 12 county area. Project Sharing was lead by Board members Kaye Ballard of Fayette County and Donald Crookshanks of Greenbrier County.

Planning and Stream Protection on the Elk River Watershed
Going outside the box and taking a risk is just what Mountain RC&D did when it entered into Cooperative Agreements with Wolfpen Knob Development Corp. and NRCS to facilitate planning and stream protection on the Elk River Watershed. Under the agreement NRCS is developing conservation plans that identified stream protection practices, and Wolfpen Knob Development has agreed to install the practices as part of its mitigation plan. With great risk can come great rewards and ours will be the meaningful protection and improvement of 6 miles of stream in the Elk River Watershed and NRCS being reimbursed for it’s planning expenses.

For more information contact Mike Gasper at the Mountain RC&D Office.

Potomac Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Area

Newest ADT Kiosk in US – Grant Co., WV
The Potomac Headwaters RC&D recently completed the fifth of six information kiosks to be established along the route of the American Discovery Trail (ADT) that passes though the area. The ADT is a coast-to-coast trail that runs from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reves National Seashore at San Francisco, CA. The trail traverses 6,356 miles (including two alternate routes in the middle of the country, from Indiana to Nebraska). The ADT enters West Virginia at Green Springs, but follows along the border on the C&O Canal Tow Path starting at Harpers Ferry. It exits at Parkersburg.

This newest of the WV Kiosks is at Dolly Sods National Recreation Area in the Monongahela National Forest in Grant County. Marcie Beyersdorfer, Earth Team Volunteer / VISTA Person, is responsible for getting it built. Actually she and a willing volunteer (her husband Jeff) built it this past summer. Funds, about $500, was provided by the Potomac Headwaters RC&D. Marcie obtained permission, after some very long delays, from the US Forest Service to add on to their existing kiosk.

Previous to this summer, four other kiosks were built on or near the ADT at Green Springs (Hampshire Co.), Paw Paw (Morgan Co.), Greenland Gap (Grant Co.), and Fort Ashby (Mineral Co.). One more remains to be completed at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park (Jefferson Co.). The five completed kiosks cost about $10,000 in cash and volunteer services. Funds and labor were provided by the RC&D Council and several partners (Green Springs Recreation Park - $2,600 and Appalachian Forest Heritage Area - $1,000). Each kiosk provides local information to the “through hiker” regarding emergency care and other services.

State-Wide Dry Hydrant Cost-Sharing at about Half-Way Mark
The Potomac Headwaters RC&D has paid out just over $23,500 of cost-share funds for installation of 27 dry fire hydrants. There has been about a 150-percent match provided as in-kind services from land owners, fire departments, other volunteers, and USDA-NRCS technical assistance. The $50,000-grant from the US Forest Service was awarded to the PH RC&D about two years ago, to be administered for the entire state. Certain counties have been rated as high priority, based on providing fire prevention opportunities in the forest-urban fringe. Cost-sharing on each installed dry hydrant is provided at 100% of actual cash outlay or up to $1,000. For more information about the program contact Jennifer Boserman, VISTA Water Resources Specialist for the PH RC&D, at 1-304-267-8953 Ext 3321.

To date, 10 dry hydrants have been installed in the Mountain RC&D, 9 in the Potomac Headwaters RC&D, 4 in the Wes-Mon-Ty RC&D, 3 in Great Kanawha RC&D, and 1 in Little Kanawha RC&D. There are approximately $26,500 of grant funds remaining with 24 applications being approved.

It needs to be emphasized that the NRCS technical assistance provided by field offices is what makes the dry hydrant installation project possible. Without it, each hydrant installed would cost 50-100 percent more.

Little Kanawha Resource Conservation and Development Area

Work Progresses on Trail Around North Bend Lake

The Little Kanawha RC&D is actively working on a 20-mile hiking, biking, and equestrian trail around North Bend Lake in Ritchie County. The trail showcases significant land forms, historic features, and scenic vistas. The RC&D has secured $237,000 for the project through the West Virginia Department of Highways, Recreational Trails Program. The council has hired a work crew ranging from two to six workers. This crew is working by hand daily on the trail and has completed approximately five miles.

For more information, contact Kurt Simon at the Little Kanawha RC&D Office.

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