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Poll: West Virginians express support for national park funding

A majority of West Virginia voters believe national parks such as the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve benefit the economy. (Photo by Steven Allen Adams)

CHARLESTON — With the state having its first national park for more than a year, a majority of West Virginians support continued funding and improvements for the National Parks Service and the country’s system of outdoor recreation and conservation.

According to the results of a survey released Monday by the National Parks Conservation Association, 85 percent of respondents said national parks are helping the economy. Across party lines, 84 percent of Republicans and independents and 88 percent of Democrats believe national parks help the economy.

“From the thundering waterfalls at New River Gorge to the breathtaking panoramic views at Harpers Ferry, our West Virginia national parks are worth fighting for,” said Samantha Nygaard, West Virginia program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, in a statement Monday. “This polling makes it clear that West Virginians of all political stripes want their elected officials to do just that.”

Respondents were asked a variety of questions about what they consider to be the best reasons for protecting national parks. When asked whether it was to ensure that national parks are safe for recreational activities, 41 percent were very convinced and 40 percent were somewhat convinced. When asked whether it was to provide exceptional visitor experiences and repair worn-out facilities, 41 percent were very convinced and 40 percent were somewhat convinced.

West Virginia recently marked one year since the New River Gorge National River was renamed the New River Gorge National Park and Reserve, making it the 63rd national park and 20th national reserve.

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito attended the official unveiling of the new signage for the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve last May. (File Photo)

Originally designated a national river by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, the New River Gorge Park and Preserve Designation Act, signed into law by former president Donald Trump, creates the new 7,021-acre park. The bill also sets aside 65,165 acres for a nature preserve, opens up 368 acres for hunting in the Grandview area and maintains another 301 acres in the Lower Gorge for hunting.

The survey results came out the same day Gov. Jim Justice and officials with the state Department of Tourism were in Fayetteville, a mile from the New River Gorge Bridge, announcing that Mountain Shore Properties LLC would take three former schools in the area and convert them into a boutique hotel, apartments and townhomes. The project is estimated to cost $15 million, providing additional accommodations near New River Gorge National Park and Reserve.

“We’ve got it going on here … we have the latest national park,” Justice said during a press conference announcing the project. “I believe West Virginia has the four most beautiful seasons … we abound in natural resources. We should be proud of that.”

According to data released by the Department of Tourism at the beginning of the year, visitation to the New River Gorge Park and Preserve in 2021 was up by 30 percent over the previous year. According to the National Park Service, the New River Gorge Park and Preserve recorded approximately 1.7 million visits in 2021.

Speaking at the Fayetteville announcement Monday, Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby said with the first national park, Yellowstone, being chartered in 1872, West Virginia was blessed to finally get its own national park.

“This doesn’t happen very often and it’s a big, big deal,” Ruby said. “What I think is really cool about it is, as you know, this park spans multiple counties. We’re seeing growth in every area. It’s all across the entire park.”

According to survey results, 31 percent of respondents said they have visited a national park over three years ago, 29 percent said they had visited a park less than a year ago, and 22 percent said they visited a park over the last one to three years.

When listing the biggest obstacles to visiting a national park, 37 percent listed the COVID-19 pandemic as a hindrance, while 29 percent listed limited mobility, 25 percent listed being too busy or not vacation time, and 21 percent said it takes too long to get to a park. The COVID-19 issue was a top concern for respondents older than age 55, while being too busy was the primary issue for respondents between the ages of 18-54.

Respondents were asked about other reasons to protect national parks. When asked about the role of national parks in slowing climate change and protecting animal habitats, 38 percent were very convinced and 30 percent were somewhat convinced. When asked about whether more funding was needed to weatherize buildings and protect historic sites, 37 percent were very convinced and 31 percent were somewhat convinced.

“West Virginians know the value of clean air, clean water, and the wild and wonderful national parks in our backyards,” Nygaard said. “Visitors to our great Mountain State know it too, contributing millions to our booming tourism economy, supporting numerous local businesses. This new data shows that despite political differences, our parks and outdoor spaces have the power to bring us together.”

A vast majority of respondents said they’d think favorably of a U.S. Senator or member of the House of Representatives that supports protecting and strengthening national parks, with 51 percent extremely favorable, 29 percent very favorable, and 17 percent somewhat favorable. Among Republicans, those combined categories totaled 98 percent and the Democratic total was 99 percent, while the total among independents was 96 percent.

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., introduced the New River Gorge Park and Preserve Designation Act in 2019. Third District Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives with 1st District Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., and 2nd District Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va.

“Chelsea and a lot of the other leaders with the governor came to us in Washington…and said really, a national park designation would really change the face of this region, so we got to work,” Capito said Monday at the Fayetteville event. “A lot of people want a national park for a lot of obvious reasons now. It grows your tourism, it grows your development, and the attractiveness of your region. We were able to push that across the finish line … it’s a great source of pride for me.”

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, voted on last year by Manchin, Capito, and McKinley included $1.7 billion for the National Park Service. Funding includes $350 million to reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife; $1.4 billion for improved access projects in parks; and $35 billion for wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water infrastructure projects.

President Joe Biden released his $5.8 trillion budget proposal for the next fiscal year, which includes $2.76 billion for the National Park Service operations budget, a 2.9 percent increase over the previous fiscal year according to National Parks Traveler.

Respondents were asked to gauge their support for a hypothetical federal funding bill based loosely on the failed Build Back Better bill that could include $550 billion in new spending, including additional funding for national parks. In that hypothetical, 75 percent said they supported the federal bill and 13 percent said they opposed it. Support was higher among Democrats with 89 percent and new state residents with 81 percent. Republican support dropped to 67 percent and independent support dropped to 63 percent.

According to Axios last week, Manchin expressed support for re-opening discussion on a new version of Build Back Better. The new version would include $500 billion for climate, $1 trillion in new revenue, with half of the new revenue coming from increases in corporate taxes and savings from empowering Medicaid to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Manchin chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“We are grateful to members of the West Virginia delegation who have taken a stand for our parks in Congress many times,” Nygaard said. “Now, we are urging Congress to push for additional federal legislation that will fund our national parks, protect our communities and natural resources from climate change, and give West Virginians good jobs conserving our outdoor wonders.”

When asked how much respondents think climate change is affecting their communities, 35 percent said some and 19 percent said a great deal, while 29 percent said not much and 16 percent said not at all. When asked what ways respondents have noticed climate change, 41 percent said they noticed fewer snowfalls and shorter freezing periods, 36 percent said they notice more severe storms, 33 percent said they noticed flooding, and 30 percent said they noticed longer periods of hot weather.

The poll was conducted by TargetPoint Consulting, a Republican-leaning polling firm, between Feb. 5-9 with 300 registered voters across the state using online surveys. The National Parks Conservation Association is a non-partisan advocacy group with 1.6 million members and supporters dedicated to persevering national parks.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.

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