West Virginia

Much of West Virginia’s once-threatened landscape—more than 36,000 acres, from the ecologically rich Canaan Valley to the popular Cheat Canyon—has been protected thanks to the Fund and its partners.

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Situated at 3,200 feet above sea level, the Canaan Valley is the highest valley of its size east of the Rockies. There is a rich and unusual diversity in this wetland valley, where high altitude and a cold, humid climate have produced 40 types of ecological communities. The refuge supports 400 plant and 280 animal species, including the endangered Cheat Mountain salamander and the Appalachian northern flying squirrel.

The Conservation Fund was instrumental in establishing Canaan Valley as the 500th national wildlife refuge, and has preserved more than 14,500 acres here since 1994.

Most recently, in 2011, we assisted the Fish and Wildlife Service in two separate projects adding nearly 600 acres to the refuge.  These acquisitions complete a multi-phase effort to protect one of the largest undeveloped areas of land within the refuge boundary. Now, two areas of the refuge are connected, securing a significant ecological corridor with the Monongahela National Forest and establishing a critical link in the Heart of the Highlands Trail.

Identified by the USFWS as a top acquisition priority, the properties provide ideal nesting habitat for grassland-dependent and forest dwelling migratory song and game birds including American woodcock, golden-winged warbler, indigo bunting, scarlet tanager and Canada warbler. This addition to the Refuge, together with a 120-acre tract conserved in 2008 will ensure enhanced water quality of Flat Run—a high quality, year-round water source and tributary of the Blackwater River.

Click here for the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge website.

How does a rural community known for beauty and small-town ambience gracefully become a yearly destination for 350,000 visitors?

As the new host of the Boy Scout Jamboree West Virginia's New River Gorge region will enjoy an economic boon, but the communities face a tough challenge: Can they develop the necessary infrastructure and benefit economically from the event while retaining their rural character and natural landscapes? The Fund's Conservation Leadership Network is helping.
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