ELKINS W.Va. (WVDN) – On Jan. 15 and 16, at the historic Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia, community members from twelve gateway towns across eight Monongahela National Forest counties braved the winter weather to meet with regional stakeholders and outline the implementation of the Mon Forest Towns Partnership’s $1.89 million Appalachian Regional Commission POWER award.
In addition to funding personalized grant writing for towns, collaborative regional marketing with local visitor bureaus and the WV Department of Tourism, and small-business technical assistance and loans through Woodlands Development & Lending, POWER will provide towns with a variety of resources to advance their signature downtown-to-forest connectivity projects over the next three years. Josh Nease, the Partnerships Executive Director, stated, “Each of our towns are united by shared values in the face of shared challenges, but each of our towns also have unique needs and identities. While some towns need planning support, others have a plan but need assessments and technical assistance to fill in the gaps, and some have completed plans and assessments but need help bringing those projects from the drawing room to the downtown. We aim to empower towns wherever they are on the outdoor recreation development spectrum with resources tailored to their specific needs.”
Throughout the retreat’s activities, which included panel discussions with local funders, capacity-building breakout sessions, and town-to-town itinerary exercises, volunteer representatives had the opportunity to learn from the ever-growing community development network. Nease remarked, “Of the numerous benefits Mon Forest Towns brings to the table, we frequently hear one of the most valuable for our communities is simply providing a time and space for our partners to come together and learn from one another. Whether it’s a conversation between mayors, volunteers, or committed community members in wildly different fields, our shared mission provides a launchpad for ideas: what strategies worked, which haven’t, and where can we connect to leverage our natural and cultural assets?”
City of Elkins representative, and MFTP Board Chair Jessica Sutton added, “The partnership has provided an incredible opportunity for us to advance our local projects, support our fellow MFT partners and shine a positive light on our slice of Almost Heaven. We are proud of our work and that our collaboration has become a model that others want to emulate.”
The Mon Forest Towns Partnership, established in 2019 after two years of conversations between community members, Monongahela National Forest administrators, and WVU Extension, is driven by the need for community input in sustainable outdoor recreation development. To learn more about the partnership, its programs, and how to get involved, please visit monforesttowns.com or contact info@monforesttowns.com.
