The West Virginia State Park system is one of the more complex state park systems in the nation. The 1990s have been challenging times. Following a two-year attempt to close major portions of the system by the West Virginia Legislature, they then authorized a comprehensive $44 million expansion program.

The proposed session, “An Overview of the West Virginia State Park System—Current Issues and Challenges: would be applicable for presentation during the Recreation Working Group sessions. More than 200,000 acres of West Virginia has been set aside as state parks, state forests, and wildlife management areas. These sites offer West Virginians and visitors areas of pristine scenic beauty, natural wonders, and historical significance as well as recreational enjoyment. They are scattered throughout the state and are vastly diverse in their offerings. There is the pampered resort atmosphere of Pipestem to the quaintness of the Old Inn at Cacapon; ski slopes at Canaan Valley Resort to the windswept rock formations of Beartown; the quiet reverence inspired by Cathedral’s grand hemlocks to the hustle and bustle of a family gathering at Chief Logan; the now peaceful Civil War battlefield at Droop Mountain to the belching, smoking Shay steam locomotives of Cass Scenic Railroad. Additional topics to be discussed include the mission statement, recent trends in revenue and occupancy, the current political divide over the role of the West Virginia State Park system, i.e., the system’s mission has always been one of service and stewardship while serving a secondary role of providing economic stimulus to rural areas. Recent critics have suggested that the state parks system is “mismanaged” because it should be generating a “profit.” In addition, the system administers the state forests while silvicultural management is the responsibility of the Division of Forestry. This dual responsibility has lead to conflicts as to how these areas are to be ultimately managed.

New knowledge, skills, or insights that participants will gain from session: 1) Participants who are already familiar with the state park systems in the West will have the opportunity to compare and contrast those systems with that of a very complex one in an eastern state. 2) The session will also focus on political controversies over political land management because of two state agencies being assigned dual responsibilities.