An editorial from The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — When the Hatfield McCoy ATV Trail opened in 2000, the hope was to enhance outdoor tourism for nine southern West Virginia counties that were feeling the economic decline of the coal industry.
One of those nine counties was Wayne County, and it is good to see that local officials have not forgotten that.
The trail system now includes 700 miles of trails running through six counties – Wyoming, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Logan and Boone – and according to a study by the Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research, the network contributes more than $22 million a year to the West Virginia economy.
Trail ridership has steadily increased, and permits for 2016 are expected to top a record 40,000 this year…