Eliminating public land access happens all the time in West Virginia...not very wild and wonderful, huh? Below are details for this particular public land closure of Ritchie County CR 30/3. To help make your voice heard and reverse the decision to close Ritchie County CR 30/3, please sign this petition.
In a meeting for public comment, with respect to the closure of Ritchie county CR 30/3, that took place in Harrisville with the WV DOT on 7/23/2020 it was brought to our (and the general public in attendance) attention that the WV Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had partnered with a company called Ecosystem Investment Partners (EIP). The DNR owns a plot of land in Ritchie county that is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) known as the Ritchie County Mines. EIP bought a plot that was adjacent to the DNR's WMA. They made a deal on the front side with the DNR to eventually sell the DNR the property at a "significant discount" (per Jerry Westfall DNR biologist). EIP is an out of state company that specializes in watershed restoration to, in return, obtain carbon credits; which they then sell to companies that need additional pollution allowances within that watershed (i.e. big oil and gas companies).
In the meeting regarding the closure of CR 30/3 there were roughly 40 attendees. Of those that voiced their position the only two that wanted to close county road 30/3 was the DNR and EIP. Closure of this road will limit the access disabled and elderly sportsmen/women and nature viewers as well as limit access by able bodied hunters because no one wants to drag a deer 1.5 to 2 miles. This is contrary to the mission of the DNR, which is to enable people to utilize land access. Furthermore, there is only one Class 2 road in this district that provides access for such persons. This means that having road access to this road is key to land users of the Ritchie Mines and surrounding areas.
Our concern is that the DNR has sold out the residents and land users to an out of state company, acting against the will of the people and not allowing the people to have a voice before a deal was made. Furthermore the DNR has NOT done its due diligence in enforcing the law because it is benefiting from the deal that it struck with EIP. EIP has left piles of brush and trees in the watershed. The photos attached show trees that are actually in the watershed, and have remained in the watershed for a duration of time approx 2 years.
We should question, as a tax paying public land users, the following: 1) What was the deal made between the DNR and EIP? 2) Why was this not public knowledge and public comment was not sought after? 3) Why has EIP been left unchecked to leave trees and brush in the watershed?
