By Rick Steelhammer, Charleston Gazette-Mail
TUCKER COUNTY, W.Va. — The Monongahela National Forest plans to buy a 2,700-acre tract of Tucker County forest land in the Blackwater Canyon area. The purchase from Allegheny Wood Products owner John Crites and family, was announced in a social media post by Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., on Tuesday.
“This is a huge win for the Mountain State and the nation, as people are able to enjoy more of the true treasures of wild and wonderful West Virginia,” Manchin said in a statement released through the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, of which he is chairman.
The acquisition, expected to be completed by the end of this year, “will bring into public ownership one of the most scenic areas in West Virginia,” Manchin said, and will provide public access and outdoor recreational opportunities to a five-mile stretch of the Blackwater River, including a segment of the Blackwater Canyon Trail.
Much of the tract can be seen from the Lindy Point scenic overlook of Blackwater Canyon in Blackwater Falls State Park. The acquisition borders the state park and existing Monongahela National Forest land in the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District.
Manchin said that, according to a recent Forest Service appraisal of the tract, the purchase price is expected to be about $14 million.
