SANDSTONE, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined the National Park Service (NPS) and The Conservation Fund to announce the addition of 963 acres to the preserve portion of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve near Sandstone, W.Va. The added acres, which are poised to greatly increase the amount of public land available for hunting and outdoor recreation activities while yielding a variety of other public benefits, are in an area commonly known as Irish Mountain.
“When I drafted the bill redesignating the New River Gorge National River as the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, I knew that the redesignation would have a positive economic impact on the region, but I also recognize the importance of looking out for the sportsmen and sportswomen of West Virginia. Throughout the process, I hosted roundtables with hunting and fishing groups to assure them that I would defend the longstanding tradition of these activities around the New River Gorge. Before the bill even passed, The Conservation Fund’s West Virginia team told me that they would expand the preserve for the sportsmen community by utilizing the LWCF process. I am beyond thankful for the efforts of The Conservation Fund and all of the work that they put in to make this 963-acre land acquisition possible. I am committed to continuing to enhance the New River Gorge experience for visitors and sportsmen, and I look forward to working alongside partners like The Conservation Fund to do so,” Senator Capito said.
“The familiar John Denver lyric, ‘Life is old there, older than the trees,’ is emblematic for the New River Gorge,” The Conservation Fund Vice President and West Virginia Director Joe Hankins said. “This is a place with ancient geology, a cultural history of immigration, hard work and community — and a river that flows through the very heart of West Virginia. The Conservation Fund is honored to help assure that a family land legacy will continue, now permanently conserved and newly made part of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. We are grateful to the congressional delegation for the LWCF funding and to the Department of the Interior and National Park Service for the partnership to preserve this special place.”
In 2020, Senator Capito fought for the inclusion of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Designation Act—legislation she authored that redesignated the New River Gorge National River as the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve—in the year-end legislative package. The legislation was signed into law on December 27, 2020
Photos from today’s event are included below:
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Expansion Announcement in Sandstone, W.Va. on Monday, April 3, 2023.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Expansion Announcement in Sandstone, W.Va. on Monday, April 3, 2023.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Expansion Announcement in Sandstone, W.Va. on Monday, April 3, 2023.
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