Contact Information
 

OSM/VISTA: Scott Fanello Supervisor: Jesse Purvis Sponsoring Organization: Address: Phone: E-Mail: U.S. Congressional Districts: County: Fayette, Raleigh, and Summers

Background:

The central Appalachian coal country, including the five counties that include New River Gorge National River, Bluestone National Scenic River and Gauley River National Recreation Area, has a long history of resource extraction (mostly coal mining, but also timbering) that left behind a legacy of poverty and sub-standard environmental conditions that arose from a use-it-and-leave-it land ethic.  Part of this legacy is often non-existent to inadequate treatment of human domestic waste.  This has led to a well-documented widespread degradation of water quality.

With the decline of the local coal industry, creation of the three parks, and the emergence of environmental tourism as a viable industry, a new perspective on land and water stewardship is emerging on the New River Plateau.  However, this change is occurring slowly, and will probably require more than one generation to become fully established. 

The National Park Service (NPS) was established in 1916 and is the nation’s steward for special places set aside for present and future generations because of their unique and important natural or cultural resources or connections to significant historical events.  New River Gorge National River (1978), Gauley River National Recreation Area (1988) and Bluestone National Scenic River (1988) are units (parks) of the NPS created to preserve important central Appalachian river resources in their natural condition.  The parks lie within Nicholas, Fayette, Raleigh, Summers and Mercer counties and are visited by interstate travelers and local residents of cities such as Beckley, Fayetteville, and Hinton. The NPS has identified degraded water quality, particularly that caused by inadequate treatment of human waste, as a significant issue affecting river and stream resources and their use in and around the three parks.

A number of watershed groups (e.g. Plateau Action Network, Dunloup Creek Watershed Association) have emerged in the local area (many of which have or have had OSM/VISTA members), and others are in the formative (or re-formative) stages.  Local political jurisdictions have embraced improved water quality as a quality of life factor that will improve the desirability of this region as a vacation and permanent residence location.  Towards this end, a number of projects have been completed, started, or planned that will improve local water quality.

The watershed groups, local political jurisdictions, regional development entities and state and federal agencies that are interested in improved water quality often operate independently.  These groups frequently have much to offer each other in terms of experience, lessons learned, and enthusiasm.  Improving communication and coordination between these groups can yield even greater success than if they are operating independently.

Goals and Objectives of the OSM/VISTA

For this project, the OSM/VISTA member will facilitate communication between NRGNR and local groups and individuals interested in water quality and other water resource-related issues (e.g. flooding), and also to act as a conduit for information between the various non-NPS groups.  By maintaining this open communication pathway, each group will have access to methods, successes, and cautions from other groups.  This will increase efficiency of each group, and the groups taken as a whole.  It is expected that increased efficiency will lead to increased success in improving water quality (and hence the local quality of life). By increasing the capacity of groups adjacent to the watersheds of the three parks the National Park Service will have expanded its own capacity to serve these watershed.

This  is the first year of a three year OSM/VISTA program for the three parks. Current projects include connecting the water monitoring programs (data and techniques) of all the local watershed organizations into one accessible online site, using this larger monitored range to apply for new sources of funding, working to secure funding to implement the wastewater treatment plan for Winona, WV. The OSM/VISTA will work to connect the watershed groups within the New River Gorge Watershed such as Plateau Action Network, Greenbrier River Watershed Association, Dunloup Creek Watershed Association, Arbuckle Creek Watershed Association and Bluestone River Conservatory to expand water monitoring, find new funding, increase outreach, grow membership, and work together in shared volunteer events. Another major project goal involves finding funding to hire an executive director to serve one of the watershed groups and act as a full-time support base for all the groups within the region. Education projects include finding a home base within the park for education programs and summer camps that can be used by local watershed groups, school teachers, and outfitters interested in reaching out to the low-income sector, and helping students in Mount Hope High School design service projects along Dunloup Creek and connect with the Dunloup Creek Watershed Association. Lastly, the OSM/VISTA will research opportunities to separate sanitary from storm sewers, thus reducing storm runoff to local streams.  

Community Support and Grants

Current watershed partnerships with the three parks include Plateau Action Network, Piney Creek Watershed Association, Dunloup Creek Watershed Association, Arbuckle Creek Watershed Association, Bluestone River Conservatory, and Greenbrier River Watershed Association.  Other partnerships include local communities, counties, state agencies, development authorities, and other federal agencies.