From its majestic mountains to its raging rivers, and comforting scenic countryside, West Virginia's "Wild and Wonderful" beauty is a sight to behold.
During my tenure in the United States Senate, I have looked for opportunities where I could be helpful in preserving West Virginia's cultural, historical, and environmental heritage.
I have long supported efforts to provide permanent protections for our most treasured lands. In 1964, I voted for the original federal Wilderness Act that resulted in the protection of nine million acres of road less land. Now the Wilderness Act has grown to cover 107 million acres in 45 states.
The 1964 Wilderness Act also established the National Wilderness Preservation System that allows Congress to designate federal lands as part of the national system.
It has been over 25 years since the last federal designation in West Virginia. Recently, the West Virginia Congressional delegation worked on legislation to designate additional areas in the Monongahela National Forest for wilderness protection. These include Big Draft, Roaring Plains West, and Spice Run. Existing wilderness areas Otter Creek, Dolly Sods, and Cranberry were also designated for expansion.
The "Omnibus Public Lands Management Act," enacted on March 30, 2009, added a significant amount of land to areas protected as wilderness. As a result, future generations of West Virginians, and all Americans, will be able to enjoy the benefits of God's creations. In addition, the vast majority of Monongahela National Forest will continue to be available for timber harvesting operations, wildlife and fish management, and recreation -- the multiple uses envisioned when the National Forest System was first created.
West Virginia is also home to many great landmarks that are significant parts of our nation's history. On September 19th and 20th in 1862, the Eastern Panhandle was the site of The 1862 Civil War Battle of Shepherdstown. The Battle brought to an end the Army of Northern Virginia's Maryland Campaign and was a significant factor in General Robert E. Lee's decision to retreat further into the Shenandoah Valley.
The "Omnibus Public Lands Management Act" calls for the National Park Service to conduct a study that will help determine the national significance of the Shepherdstown battlefield and surrounding areas. The study will determine the suitability and feasibility of making the Shepherdstown battlefield an official "National Civil War Battlefield."
This legislation also includes a special study to look at designating certain historic areas of Matewan, a battlefield of another type. Matewan is the site where, in 1920, attempts to unionize by coal miners led to the shootout between miners and coal company detectives. In the aftermath, thousands of miners joined in the largest armed insurrection in the United States since the Civil War.
