The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

June 30, 2009

Manchin says BSA, state will be good partners

By Jackie Ayres

Gov. Joe Manchin said Monday’s announcement that the Boy Scouts of America selected the New River Gorge region for the location of a National Scouting Center “speaks volumes” for West Virginia.

BSA said it has entered into a purchase and sales agreement with the Meadow Creek Coal Corp. for more than 10,000 acres of land in the Glen Jean-Mount Hope area.

BSA chose the Garden Ground Mountain site after assessing 80 proposals from 28 different states.

Manchin said he flew to Dallas and met with the Boy Scouts in the early stages of the bid.

“We made our presentation, and I felt good about it. There was an awful lot of competition,” Manchin told The Register-Herald Tuesday afternoon.

BSA is currently in the process of submitting an application to the Fayette County Commission for rezoning the property, which they say will provide them the flexibility to grow for the next 100 years, and potentially add more than the high-adventure base, should the opportunity present itself.

In the interim, Manchin says West Virginia has to be prepared for the next steps.

“The government of the state of West Virginia has to be a good partner to people willing to make investments,” Manchin said. “I know as a state, we have to help them upgrade the infrastructure for the visitors and people who will be participating, and we’ll be committed to doing that. We’ve got to make it happen. We can’t expect them to make it happen.”

Manchin credits the hard work of the committee who worked on the project, and enthusiasm of the land owners in pleasing the BSA.

He says the acquisition of the National Scouting Center is a “good opportunity to show off our state.”

“I think we’re going to open a lot of the world to West Virginia — especially the New River Gorge and Fayette Station,” Manchin said.

He also says the BSA is a perfect fit for West Virginia.

“It’s part of our culture, who we are. Everything they represent in the Boy Scouts is everything we want in our families and our children,” Manchin said.

“There is nothing I see that’s a downside here. I see all upside. Everything is good.”

— E-mail: jayres@registerherald.com

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