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2014 Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Conference - Registration Ends August 30th!
by Duane 15 Aug '14

15 Aug '14

http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=caab40630ee041ae7f83e1691&id=22f1b11609… West Virginia Water Research Institute Registration Reminder The Future of Mid-Atlantic Water Infrastructure: Challenges and Solutions September 24 & 25, 2014 National Conservation Training Center Shepherdstown, WV Registration Deadline Approaching The registration deadline for the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Conference is Saturday, August 30, 2014. This year's event will take place at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV on September 24 & 25, 2014. Don't miss this truly exceptional event focused on the region's future water infrastructure challenges and solutions! 2014 Mid-Atlantic Water Conference Registration Rates General Registration - $179.00 Speaker Registration - $149.00 Student Registration - $79.00 Sponsorship Information Why Sponsor the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Conference? The 2014 Mid-Atlantic Water Research Conference is a regional event that will be attended by influential researchers, policy makers, regulators, and agencies. It will be an excellent educational opportunity where the latest information, technologies and research on water resources will be presented. Over the two-day period (September 24-25, 2014), this Conference will host an elite group of environmental professionals seeking knowledge and sharing ideas around water infrastructure in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Sponsorships enable more diverse groups and individuals to participate at the Mid-Atlantic Water Research Conference. Through continued participation in this program, we may continue to offer lower registration fees, while providing a top-notch Conference experience. Sponsorship Levels Platinum Level Sponsorship - $2,500 Evening Reception (1 Available) Gold Level Sponsorships - $2,000 Registration Reception Silver Level Sponsorships - $1,000 Networking Breaks Bronze Level Sponsorships - $500 Scholarship Fund See image below for additional sponsorship level benefits For more information about sponsorship opportunities or to download the sponsorship fact sheet, visit: www.midatlanticwc.org/sponsors/ Conference Program Highlights Keynote Speaker Gerald Kauffman - Director, University of Delaware Water Resources Agency Special Presentation Water Resources Research Institutes' 50th Anniversary Earl Greene - Acting Chief, Office of External Research Coordinator, Hydrologic Networks and Analysis, USGS Plenary Sessions Titles Infrastructure Challenges in the Mid-Atlantic Region: What Water Infrastructure Challenges are You Facing in Your State? (NIWR Center/Institute Directors) Protecting Water Infrastructure from Energy-Related Incidents Concurrent Sessions Titles Infrastructure Protection Through Strategy, Policy, and Legislation Drinking Water Treatment Methodologies Green Infrastructure Management and Design Planning and Response to Climate Change and Flooding Implications for Drinking Water Safety Nationwide: The Elk River (WV) Chemical Spill Tools to Plan, Finance, and Manage Stormwater The Water and Energy Development Conundrum Planning for Our Future Water Supply Water Degradation from Stormwater and Treatment Options To see more information about the session topics, speakers, and abstracts, visit: www.midatlanticwc.org/event-info/conference-agenda/ Lodging Information National Conservation Training Center Special Conference Rate - $83/Night *Rooms are Limited* To make reservations, call the NCTC Hotel Reservation phone number at: (877) 706-6282 (Toll FREE) OR (304) 876-7900 *Also be sure to mention you will be attending the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Water Conference to receive the discounted rate* Other lodging options are available on our Conference Website Hosted By The Mid-Atlantic Water Resources Research Institutes West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University Virginia Water Resources Research Center at Virginia Tech Water Resources Research Institute at the University of the District of Columbia Delaware Water Resources Center at the University of Delaware Maryland Water Resources Research Center at the University of Maryland New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute at Rutgers University New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center at Pennsylvania State University September 24-25, 2014 National Conservation Training Center Shepherdstown, WV www.MidAtlanticWC.org Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Hop On The Bus to Pittsburgh This Thursday, July 31 EPA Hearing, Rally, Comments
by Duane 29 Jul '14

29 Jul '14

> From: "Chuck Wyrostok" <wyro(a)appalight.com> > Date: July 29, 2014 > Subject: Hop On The Bus to Pittsburgh This Thursday, July 31 EPA Hearing, Rally, Comments > > The U.S. EPA needs to hear from you > > They recently proposed a "Clean Power Plan," that goes a long way to cleaning up the nasty emissions from coal-fired power plants. The fossil fools in the coal industry are freaked out and fighting back. Let’s show our elected officials that people in the Appalachian region are serious about moving to cleaner energy sources that will revitalize communities and protect our waters from the devastating impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining and dangerous fossil fuels. > > Every single one of us deserves to have our voices heard on this issue. We are impacted whether we live near a mountaintop removal site or a coal-fired power plant or a Marcellus fracking site. > > While the rules will greatly reduce CO2 emissions, they encourage other dirty energy sources such as fracked gas and nuclear. They don’t address coal exports or the health impacts of mountaintop removal. And, get this… the plan leaves the specifics of compliance up to the individual states, such as West Virginia, where most leaders are stuck in a 20th century mindset. > > EPA is having hearings around the country, including this Thursday in Pittsburgh > Show the EPA you want Climate Action Now! The Sierra Club has Climate Action Buses leaving from towns in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania early on the morning of July 31, this Thursday. The buses will arrive in Pittsburgh while one of the hearings is going on there, delivering you to a noon Climate Action Now rally right near the hearing location. The hearing is at the William S. Moorhead Federal Building, Room #1310, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh (map) > > Unless you have already registered to testify, all the spots are taken. However, you do not have to speak at the hearing to take the bus. Sierra Club will be taking video testimony outside the hearing in order to submit that to the EPA. > > Buses depart from Cleveland OH (stopping in Akron), Columbus OH (the Wheeling, WV stop has been cancelled), WV Bus (Leaving Charleston 6AM stopping in Weston, Clarksburg, and Morgantown WV), Harrisburg PA, State College PA > > If you plan to ride the West Virginia bus originating in Charleston, please call Sierra Club’s Bill Price at 304 389 8822 to reserve your seat. Spots are filling up quickly. > > Here’s the Charleston-Pittsburgh schedule: > > Charleston: 5:15 AM Departure from Kanawha Mall, McCorkle Ave., Kanawha City; please arrive by 5 AM > > Weston: 7 AM Departure from the Market Place Mall/Shopping Center; get there by 6:45 AM > > Clarksburg: 8 AM Departure from the Meadowbrook Mall; get there by 7:45 AM > > Morgantown: 9 AM Departure from the Morgantown Mall; get there by 8:45 AM > > Bus will depart Pittsburgh at approximately 6 PM for return trip. > > Whether you’re going to Pittsburgh or not, please tell the EPA to retain the good parts of the proposal, such as promoting efficiency and renewable energy, drop the dirty fuels support, and put some real teeth in the rules. EPA has already heard from nearly 300,000 people. Please comment online. Written comments are due by October 16. > > Come to Pittsburgh. > > It doesn’t matter where you live, global warming impacts you. And it certainly matters what we do about it as a nation. > > Thanks. > > > Chuck Wyrostok > Outreach Organizer > Sierra Club, WV Chapter > T: 877 252 0257 > E. outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com > www.marcellus-wv.com > > Water is Life...Keep It Clean > > Whenever there is a huge spill of solar energy, it's just called a nice day..... >

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Rodney Bartgis resigns from Nature Conservancy
by Duane330＠aol.com 29 Jul '14

29 Jul '14

Nature Conservancy’s W.Va. director resigns Jul. 21, 2014 @ 09:37 AM _The Associated Press_ (http://www.herald-dispatch.com/archive/x298797465/The-Associated-Press) CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The longtime director of the Nature Conservancy’ s West Virginia chapter has resigned. Rodney Bartgis had led the state chapter for 12 years. He left his position on Friday. The 54-year-old Bartgis tells The Charleston Gazette that the Nature Conservancy’s West Virginia chapter recently completed two multimillion-dollar conservation projects. He says it’s a good time for him to step back and think about what he wants to do for the rest of his career. The recent projects are the acquisition of a segment of the Cheat Canyon and the acquisition of property in Randolph County.

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Fwd: Rodney Bartgis retiring from The Nature Conservancy
by Duane 08 Jul '14

08 Jul '14

> From: Rodney Bartgis <rbartgis(a)TNC.ORG> > Date: July 8, 2014 4:54:16 PM EDT > To: <Duane330(a)aol.com>, >roddj(a)hotmail.com>, <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu>, <achester(a)hsc.wvu.edu> > Cc: Beth Wheatley <ewheatley(a)TNC.ORG> > Subject: Transition > > After working so closely with all of you on the Cheat Canyon project, I wanted to let you all know that after more than 20 years with The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia (which is so hard for me to believe!) and 12 as state director, I am stepping down July 18th. I will stay involved in land conservation in WV as the (volunteer) chair of the Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund, the state program that helped fund Cheat Canyon. I am going to take time to step back and reflect upon what I want to do next in my career – perhaps take on another role with TNC or maybe head in a different conservation direction. Regardless, I have had a most rewarding career and a wonderful journey so far. Completing the protection of Cheat Canyon has been a huge part of that and I want to thank all of you for what you have done to help save the canyon. > > While my office phone and email will change, my cell (below) will stay the same. West Virginia Nature Conservancy has a terrific staff and its future is in great hands. Should you have any Conservancy questions, please feel free to reach out to Beth Wheatley (copied) and always feel free to reach out to me directly whenever! Warmest regards, Rodney > Please consider the environment before printing this email > Rodney Bartgis > Director > > rbartgis(a)tnc.org > (304) 637-0160 Ext. 103 (Phone) > (304) 704-6455 cell > nature.org > > The Nature Conservancy > West Virginia Field Office > 194 Airport Road > Elkins, WV 26241 > > > > >

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Industrial park on Cheat Lake serves oil and gas industry
by Duane330＠aol.com 25 May '14

25 May '14

FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014 WV-DEP files case against area developer DAVID BEARD TheDPost.com MORGANTOWN — The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is asking Monongalia County Circuit Court to assess $25,000 per day penalties against a Morgantown developer for alleged environmental violations at a Cheat Lake-area industrial park. DEP’s Division of Water and Waste Management filed the “complaint for enforcement” Thursday, May 22. It issued 12 notices of violation (NOVs) from Sept. 16, 2010, through May 9, 2013, to defendant LPG Land & Development Corp., based on Fairchance Road (Monongalia County 857). Paul Panson is LPG’s president. The 18-acre industrial park is sited between Fairchance and the Mon-Fayette Expressway, just north of the Interstate 68 and Mon-Fayette interchange. An LPG representative said Thursday that management hadn’t seen the complaint yet and couldn’t comment.

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Cheat River at Parsons, WV
by Duane 15 May '14

15 May '14

Over five (5) inches of rain has fallen in five days. More on the way. The Lake Lynn Dam should be busy making power and passing water. See also: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?03069500 Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Cheat Canyon deal more than a conservation win
by Duane 30 Apr '14

30 Apr '14

The State Journal (opinion): Cheat Canyon deal more than a conservation win Posted: Apr 25, 2014 10:32 AM EST Updated: Apr 25, 2014 10:38 AM EST Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, is a member of The Nature Conservancy — West Virginia Board of Directors. He is managing member and broker of West Virginia Commercial LLC. He has been involved in commercial and investment real estate for more than 30 years, and he also is general partner of McCabe Land Co. LP. He has served in the West Virginia Senate since 1998, and is a special project consultant to The State Journal. The recent announcement in the newspapers across West Virginia that seven miles of the Cheat River Canyon had been acquired by conservation groups, all of which would be managed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, made headlines. The sheer magnitude of the acquisition is hard to imagine in today’s age. The common mindset is that conservation groups, environmental organizations, state and federal agencies and large private land owners must somehow fight over everything and default to win-lose scenarios. This Cheat Canyon acquisition illustrates that combativeness does not have to be the primary approach taken in solving key issues facing West Virginia. With the private sector working in earnest along with key nonprofits and appropriate state and federal agencies, all with a common goal, one of the state’s most iconic natural areas has been preserved for future generations. An editorial from The Intelligencer of Wheeling recently observed, “The (Nature) Conservancy is successful in large measure because of a philosophy of working with landowners, not treating them as adversaries.” This point should not be underestimated. This is exactly how the Cheat Canyon was able to be preserved. The owner, The Forestland Group LLC, was able to negotiate in private and work through myriad details to accomplish both its business objectives and its community obligation to help preserve this pristine and irreplaceable natural wonder. The Conservation Fund, along with The Nature Conservancy, did much of the heavy lifting in identifying financial resources, negotiating through the concerns of the state and federal agencies, clarifying land title issues and putting in place the necessary management and oversight of the wildlife management area and nature preserve. The details of this highly complex transaction do not need to be covered here as the newspaper reporters from the major state newspapers did a fine job with the specifics. What is important is seeing how, with the right perspective, the ability to negotiate in strictest confidence, the maintenance of trust between the parties, and the reliance on experts in the necessary areas of expertise can accomplish what many might believe are unattainable goals. This, of course, needs to be accompanied by the financial wherewithal to fund the project. The cobbling together of multiple funding sources was no small part of the equation. Saving the threatened threetooth snail, which has as its only habitat the Cheat River, allowed for funding to come from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. West Virginia’s relatively new Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund played an important role as well as West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection funding. Of major significance was $3 million in private funding from the estate of Charlotte Rude which was provided through The Nature Conservancy. The Sunday Gazette-Mail of Charleston headlined the transaction as the “New River Gorge of Northern West Virginia.” It is an apt description signifying the importance of this accomplishment. When these seven miles of the Cheat River are joined with the Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area and Coopers Rock State Park, the DNR will provide wildlife management for most of the length of the Cheat River Canyon. This is every bit as significant as the careful management of the New River Gorge. If West Virginia is forever to be “wild and wonderful,” these areas must be preserved. A recent editorial from The Dominion Post of Morgantown stated “the transfer of this property overlooking the Cheat River to the DNR will truly benefit the public. Not to mention the flora and fauna that inhabit these 3,800 acres.” The significance of this most important transaction is not just what was accomplished, it was how it was accomplished. We must find ways to take our disparate interests and work together, expand the trust equation within the working groups and find ways to enlarge our financial base so working capital is more readily available for those projects which are truly important to the long term viability our state. We have much to be proud of with the sale and purchase of the 3,800 acres in the Cheat River Canyon. Thank you for a job well done to The Forestland Group, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, the DNR and all the other interested parties that made this happen. You have set an example we can follow for years to come. Thank you for showing us how to create a future in which our children can be proud. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NOTE: In my opinion, there is a continuing need for public concern regarding the policies and practices of the WV Division of Natural Resources in the Cheat Canyon, including the Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area and the Coopers Rock State Forest. See the recent petition on Change.org: "WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin: Reclaim the Trail System at Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area." View the petition here: http://www.change.org/petitions/wv-governor-earl-ray-tomblin-reclaim-the-tr… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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OOps ...... FOC J-Burg Project web-site
by Duane 17 Apr '14

17 Apr '14

OOps! I left something out! Here's the link to the FOC's J-Burg donate page that I left it out of the first email: http://www.cheat.org/recreation/river-access/jenkinsburg-river-access/jenki… You can also send checks to: Friends of the Cheat, Jenkinsburg Project, 119 S. Price Street, Suite 206 Kingwood, WV 26537 Or you can call them: 304-329-3621 Thanks! See you all May 3rd at the 20th Annual Cheat Festival! Charlie Walbridge, Preston County. Stoned in the Cheat Canyon? Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Access Road in Cheat Canyon
by Duane330＠aol.com 17 Apr '14

17 Apr '14

Help FOC Improve the Jenkinsburg Access Road to the Cheat and Big Sandy! Everyone who paddles the Cheat Canyon and Lower Big Sandy Creek knows about the poor condition of the Jenkinsburg Access Road. This road has continued to deteriorate each year causing real problems for paddlers and outfitters running shuttle. Large potholes, muddy ruts, washouts, clogged culverts, steep drop-offs and high rocks are hard on vehicles, especially the smaller cars most of us are driving. Although Bull Run Road is a county road and should be maintained by the state, recent budget cuts combined with severe winter weather damage to primary roads make it unlikely that hard-pressed highway crews will give it much attention. Friends of the Cheat has received permission from the Highway Department to repair the road ourselves. They offered to contribute 100 tons of stone fill if Friends of the Cheat pays for the labor. Kevin Ryan, Friends of the Cheat’s project manager, completed a GIS inventory of road conditions and lined up a contractor to do the work well before Cheat Festival Weekend. We will use a jackhammer to knock down the most troublesome rocks and fill in the worst ruts with stone. The road will still be rough, but more easily passable by ordinary vehicles. Friends of the Cheat borrowed $5,000 so we could get this work done fast. We’re depending on you pay off this debt and to send a message to the State of West Virginia that the river and road are valued by the paddling public. Your donations will matter when we approach the Governor and Legislature to appropriate funding for more extensive improvements. Anyone who donates $100 or more will get a FREE friends of the Cheat membership or have their current membership extended one year. Please forward this to any interested friends. Thanks, everyone!! Charlie Walbridge Friends of the Cheat Road Fund 119 S Price St, Kingwood, WV 26537 (304) 329-3621

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Endless opportunities for education, fun, excitement - Opinion - The Daily Athenaeum
by Duane 16 Apr '14

16 Apr '14

Boaters rescued from Cheat River Canyon A group of boaters were rescued from Cheat Canyon after spending a night on the banks of the Cheat River. Officials retrieved the five boaters Monday morning. Officials say four people were in a raft and one in a kayak Sunday afternoon when they went through a stretch of class 5 rapids known as the Coliseum. The group had been having issues with their raft before the rapids and decided it was best to get off the river and paddled to shore. The group stopped on a stretch of river between Masontown and Albright and built a fire along the banks. One of the boaters climbed up the canyon far enough to get a cell phone signal and call 911. Officials got the call around 8:10 Sunday evening but it was already getting too dark to attempt a vertical rescue. The boaters spent the night on the river bank and firefighters repelled down the canyon Monday morning and found the stranded group. One man was treated for an injured wrist and a woman was treated for hypothermia. All five were co-workers and EMT's and paramedics. See also: http://www.thedaonline.com/opinion/article_b75e5a96-c463-11e3-a377-001a4bcf… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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