By Steve Keenan, The Fayette Tribune
OAK HILL, W.Va. — West Virginia has welcomed a few more friends over since the local National Park Service entity was re-designated a year ago.
By virtue of a congressional omnibus package passed by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 27, 2020, the New River Gorge National River — originally created in 1978 — became the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the 63rd National Park and the 20th National Preserve in the United States.
Legislation to pave the way for the change in designation was spearheaded by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and U.S. Representative Carol Miller (R-W.Va.).
According to information supplied by Capito’s office at the time, the New River Gorge Park and Preserve Designation Act created a 65,165-acre preserve and a 7,021-acre park; opened up 368 acres to hunting in Grandview for the first time ever; kept open 301 acres of the Lower Gorge following requests from local hunters; authorized the NPS to bid on additional land for the preserve that amounts to 3,711 acres; and authorized the NPS to acquire up to 100 acres for parking only, which is needed as the area has seen an increase in visitors…