In southern West Virginia, we have to think seriously about the highest and best use of our land. That phrase often gets used in real estate and economic development circles, but at its core, it is a practical question: how do we make the most of the assets we have in a way that creates long-term value for our communities?
In the New River Gorge region, one of our greatest assets is our public land.
On any busy spring or summer weekend, visitors come here for the scenery, the trails, the water, and the experience of being in one of the most beautiful places in the country. They are not thinking about deferred maintenance, aging wastewater systems, road conditions, or failing public facilities. But those of us who work in economic development have to think about those things, because they directly shape whether this asset continues to perform for our region.
When our public lands are accessible, safe, and well maintained, they create real economic return. Visitors stay in our hotels and cabins. They eat in local restaurants. They book rafting trips, shop in small businesses, and support jobs across multiple sectors. That activity matters in a rural region like ours, where every dollar spent can ripple across the local economy.
That is why the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 was such an important investment. Thank you to Congresswoman Miller and Senator Shelley More Capito for voting “YES”. It created the Legacy Restoration Fund and gave federal land agencies resources to address long-overdue maintenance on public lands. In West Virginia, those dollars have helped support critical infrastructure and preservation projects while reducing deferred maintenance that, left alone, only becomes more expensive over time.
But the larger point is this: maintaining public lands is not just about recreation. It is about land strategy.
Highest and best use does not mean every acre must serve the same purpose. It means understanding what each asset is best positioned to do and making smart decisions accordingly. In some places, the highest and best use of land may be industrial development. In others, it may be housing, commercial investment, agriculture, energy, or tourism. In the New River Gorge region, our public lands are already proving their value as economic anchors, and it would be shortsighted not to protect and strengthen that role.
As a regional economic development leader, I believe our job is to think broadly and plan wisely. We should be able to support entrepreneurship, outdoor recreation, industrial recruitment, and future opportunities without treating those priorities as mutually exclusive. Good regions do not thrive by putting all their hope in one sector. They thrive by recognizing the value of all their assets and pursuing the right use in the right place.
That is why continued investment in public lands matters.
If roads close, facilities decline, or visitor access becomes unreliable, the businesses that depend on that traffic feel it first. Trips get canceled. Seasonal revenue is lost. Momentum slows. And in rural communities, where margins are often thin, that has real consequences. Continued maintenance funding helps protect against that uncertainty and helps ensure that one of our region’s strongest existing assets continues to create return for local people.
The America the Beautiful Act would extend that work and allow states like West Virginia to continue addressing needed repairs before small problems become bigger ones. That is not just responsible stewardship. It is sound economics. As any property owner knows, delayed maintenance does not save money; it usually costs more in the long run.
As Congress considers the future of the Legacy Restoration Fund, I hope lawmakers will see this issue for what it is: not simply a parks issue, but a competitiveness issue for rural regions like ours.
In southern West Virginia, we need the flexibility to pursue the highest and best use of all our land assets. Public lands are one of those assets. They already generate value, support businesses, and contribute to the identity and economy of our region. Keeping them strong is not about limiting our future. It is about protecting one important part of it.
Because if we are serious about building a stronger regional economy, we have to be serious about taking care of the assets that are already working for us.
Keeping our public lands maintained is good stewardship. It is also good business.
