Photo by www.birthplaceofrivers.org
By Dan Heyman/Public News Service – WV
RICHWOOD, W.V. — A new Birthplace of Rivers National Monument could help Richwood recover from this summer’s devastating floods, according to local officials.
Richwood Mayor Bob Henry Baber said it’s difficult for the city council and the local chamber of commerce to focus on much beyond immediate flood recovery right now. But he said they’re all unified behind what would be the state’s first national monument.
“We all know that our future for the long haul lies in tourism,” Mayor Baber said. “And the Birthplace of Rivers – that title, that name, that designation – is critical to realizing that vision.”
Presidents often create new national monuments near the end of their terms. The city of Richwood would be the closest town to the portion of the southern Monongahela National Forest that would be converted into a national monument.
Conservation groups backing the designation estimate it would bring 50,000 more visitors and more than $5 million a year to the area…
Read the full story at www.publicnewsservice.org
Learn more about the proposal to create a Birthplace of Rivers National Monument at www.birthplaceofrivers.org
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