Background

In 1997, a group of concerned citizens decided to hold a meeting to address the effects of proposed power lines which would have impacted a scenic area on the Meadow River, disrupted farming and other outdoor sites along its route. A hundred people came to this meeting and provided the seed support for the birth of the Plateau Action Network. The "Meadow River: Like it is!" project first centralized the community efforts into what is now PAN. In 1998, with the help of the citizen donations and the WV Rivers Coalition to form an all volunteer watershed group PAN incorporated and obtained nonprofit status.

Guided by our mission statement to "promote responsible economic development while supporting sustainable environmental management within our watershed", PAN has been involved in a variety of projects and issues related to watersheds and the community. These issues vary from water quality issues: wastewater treatment and management, AMD (Acid Mine Drainage) and flooding and storm water management, Housing development (e.g. land use, zoning and building codes) through scenic and sensitive habitat areas, as well as long term planning within the county focusing on responsible economic development, and environmental education with outreach to the local schools and community organizations. PAN has successfully worked with local, state and federal agencies to help improve the quality of life for the citizens of Fayette County.

PAN efforts have won several awards from the West Virginia Watershed Framework for Flood Mitigation and Storm Water Management. PAN was the first recipient of the Nick J. Rahall Environmental Achievement Award in 2003 and a coalition of community groups started and chaired by PAN members received the 2nd Environmental Achievement Award, in 2004 for work on wastewater issues.

Geographically, Fayette County is divided into three distinct, physically different areas: the Valley to the west, the Plateau to the south and the river basin to the north and east. The Plateau area is home to the world-famous New River Gorge National River and New River Gorge Bridge. Its location (5 hours from 50% of the U.S. population), the abundance of outdoor activities (rafting, boating, fishing, biking, rock climbing, birding, etc.), the National park, a rich coal mining and Civil War heritage, local arts and entertainment, quaint cafes and unique restaurants have made Fayette County a premier tourist destination. The growing tourism industry is a corner stone of Fayette County’s post coal economy. PAN’s focus on water quality issues within the New River and its tributaries, long term planning, and education are to support the future success of Fayette County’s citizens by promoting responsible economic development while supporting sustainable environmental management within our watershed.

Goals and Accomplishments:

Our goals range from wastewater systems improvement, local stream AMD (Acid Mine Drainage) reclamation and increased citizenry environmental awareness and natural resource protection through developing and implementing educational programs with in our communities.

Accomplishments are measured by two AMD reclamation projects funded and implemented. Two watershed assessment projects completed. Quarterly newsletters published for 10 years.

PAN’s Current Projects:

• Just completed – Dempsey Borehole Acid Mine Drainage Remediation Project with PAN's Watershed Cooperative Agreement procuring $99,797 from OSMR&E to fix a failing borehole cap that was causing flooding and AMD going directly into Dempsey Branch a tributary of Laurel Creek.
• Wolf Creek Restoration Project – Wolf Creek is a tributary of the New River and listed on the 303.d list as an impaired stream. PAN first ventured on Wolf Creek to perform a water quality study using an Office of Surface Mining (OSM) Summer Intern in 1999. Issues found on Wolf Creek were wastewater, stormwater runoff, and industrial impacts. PAN's intervention in an ongoing AMD environmental lawsuit resulted in a 2001 settlement in which PAN and the WV DEP establishing a public-private environmental trust fund (2nd in state history). Since then PAN has worked with OSMRE, the AML division of the WV DEP, and others to design and implement a passive AMD treatment system. Recently leveraging $150,000 in grant funding for Summerlee Gob Pile AMD Treatment Phase I. Currently developing a comprehensive watershed plan for a healthier Wolf Creek with the goal of returning it to the trout stocking list.
• Wolf Creek Water Monitoring – Quarterly collection of Wolf Creek waters for water quality monitoring of stressors along its ≈5 mile run to the New River.
• Wolf Creek Park Nature & Science Center Steering Committee – PAN sits on this committee working to develop a unique learning center in south central West Virginia.
• New River Gorge-Fayette Team – PAN is a team member trained in “Balancing Nature and Commerce in Communities that Neighbor Public Lands.” for community education on smart growth and city planning.
• Working with the County Planning Commission – Addressing issues of proposed developments and their potential impacts to the New River Gorge and its natural resources.
• Fayette County Wastewater Management Steering Committee – PAN participates in this team addressing water quality/wastewater issues in our county.
• Education – Advocating Environmental Stewardship and Clean Water as values in our local schools and community.
• Adopt-a-Highway – Bi-annual clean-ups along Lansing Road.
• WV Make It Shine – Stream side clean up of trash along Wolf Creek.
• Fayette Transition Team – PAN sits on the county’s long-term planning body.
• Quarterly Newsletter – Published regularly, sent to all stakeholders/members and posted at our website.

PAN has an office space in Fayetteville and has gained its second AmeriCorps OSM/VISTA (Office of Surface Mining/Volunteer in Service to America) sponsored by Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team (ACCWT). PAN volunteers continue to build relationships and community capacity to make a difference, and continue to be visionaries, educators and voices of the community; and where necessary, an intermediary between government, business and community citizens.

Our OSM/VISTA has:

• Submitted two grants to secure $150,000 for the implementation of the proposed $ 296,300 AMD Restoration Project -Phase I for the Summerlee Gob Pile at the headwaters of Wolf Creek. With grants accepted, the construction is to begin this summer. PAN was been working for 6 years to get this project underway. In 2001, a MOU was crafted and signed by PAN and 16 agency and government stakeholders to ensure a restoration effort to return Wolf Creek to trout stream status. This is the first phase of the reclamation.
• Generated over $11,000 in funds to support an eight person team of Fayette County decision makers, stakeholders and community leaders in attending a 4-day training about “smart” economic development in relation to the value of our natural resources, “Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities that Neighbor Public Lands ” coordinated by the Conservation Fund. Team members represented The New River Gorge National River, Fayette County Commission, Fayetteville and Ansted City Councils, National Parks Conservation Assoc., Chamber of Visitors Bureau, Southern WV Convention and Visitor Bureau, town business, a housing developer (4000 acres adjacent to park lands in the New River Gorge), and a PAN Board Member. Upon the team’s return, they had found common ground and are committed to working together on implementing a unified vision for county wide planning to improved economic development and quality of life while preserving and enhancing our natural resources.
• The New River Gorge Heritage Festival Parade participation. Our Vista had a vision of PAN participating in this new local event as the "green" and ""creative" entry. Most organizations traveled by auto, we were all on bikes or unicycles, she invited local children to ride- decorating their bikes and helmets with streamers and local wild flowers and vegetation. She made small decorative posters: one with our logo and the other 3 on what PAN does; water monitoring, education about the value of our natural resources, and water quality. And one poster with our theme for the Parade "PEOPLE POWERED". It was a blast, everyone was proud of getting out there in a positive local event (16 volunteers). We are planning to make this an annual event.
• Increased our visibility by inviting the local television news reporters to events and writing Press Releases with photos about what our organization is accomplishing and getting them published.
• Is currently involved in compiling the Wolf Creek Residents file for outreach to landowners along Wolf Creek to improve understanding about what our organization hopes to accomplish with cleaning up Wolf Creek (trout stocking and breeding) and engaging residents through education to join in on protecting and improving the water quality of Wolf Creek.

Partners and Contributors:

• Our members
• WV Dept. of Environmental Protection, Division of Water (WVDEP)
• WV DEP Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation (AML&R)
• Dept. of Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement(OSM)
• US Dept. of Agriculture USDA)
• Farm Service Agency
• Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
• National Park Service (NPS)
• United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Army Corps of Engineers (COE)
• WV Soil Conservation Agency (WVSCA)
• WV Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR)
• Southern Soil Conservation District
• Fayette County
• Town of Fayetteville
• Fayetteville High School
• West Virginia Professional River Outfitters Association (WVPRO)
• Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School
• National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)
• Downstream Strategies
• Working on People's Environmental Concern (WOPEC)
• ACCWT
• Patagonia
• Local Businesses