GLEN JEAN, WV (WVNS) — Community members are invited to attend a meeting to discuss the proposed demolition of deteriorating and extra buildings in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The public is invited by the National Park Service (NPS) and the proposal is a part of a bigger project in the park that is funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund and will focus on restoring historic structures, address deferred maintenance needs, educe unnecessary operational costs and maintenance burdens, and invest in park infrastructure.

The meeting will be at Bank of Glen Jean at 23 County Route 25/9 in Mt Hope from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 11, 2024, and information will be given relating to the proposal to demolish 35 excess and deteriorating structures. Of the 35, 21 are considered historic and are listed or eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

For anyone who cannot attend the public meeting, additional information and materials can be found on the National Park Service planning website until January 15, 2024.

Removing dangerous structures, proper disposal of associated building debris, and restoring the sites to where they are in the proper conditions with the surrounding areas are all a part of the NPS proposal. Influences relating to the removal of these buildings from the park will be evaluated through the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act compliance processes.

The NPS acquired many of the buildings and structures through land acquisition within established park boundaries. A lot of them were not planned to be reused by the National Park Service and are currently dilapidated, overgrown, and abandoned safety hazards that are at risk of trespassing, vandalism, and are difficult to maintain. Getting rid of the unneeded structures would allow maintenance needs to be taken care of, and would also get rid of yearly maintenance and law enforcement costs, which would then give staff members time to focus their attention and financial resources on maintaining other resources and facilities so that they can be enjoyed by park visitors.

Structures that are being considered for demolition include:

The National Park Service hopes to complete the cultural and environmental review process for the project midway through 2024, with the aim to execute the demolitions as early as fall 2024.

The Great American Outdoors Act is part of a focused effort to address the major backlog in maintenance in national parks. The fund is supported by energy development revenue and provides up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to the National Park Service so that significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation, opportunities are provided for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors can be made.