Into the Canyon - Newsletter of Friends of the Cheat Fall 2022
Board of Directors and Key Personnel
Amanda Pitzer, Executive Director; Owen Mulkeen, Associate Director; Madison Ball, Conservation Program Director; Garrett Richardson, Monitoring Technician; Valorie Dixon, Bookkeeper; Beth Warnick, Media and Outreach Specialist; Lisa Maraffa, Program Assistant and Events Producer
Board Members
Interim Chair: Charlie Walbridge, Treasurer: Miranda Peddicord, Secretary: Rich Dennis, Sarah Hinnant, Connie Miller, Ben Hogan, Rick Chaney, Zach Fowler, Michael Strager, Dani Martin, Chris Wade, Justin Reedy
Blue Gold Breaks Ground on Cheat River Trailhead
by Owen Mulkeen, Associate Director
The Cheat River Trailhead construction has officially commenced with Blue Gold Development (BGD) mobilizing to the site with some big yellow machines on October 17th.
The $1.3M project begins with earth work and drainage repairs to manage the water flowing through the site. The maintenance shed and security fence also have been erected within the first month of the project. This “paves” the way for FOC to receive the materials for the pavilion and bathrooms from Romtec, which will be housed on site until BGD erects them in the springtime. New access gates have been installed, along with jersey barriers on the trail to keep the site secured from unwanted visitors. So if you have been accustomed to visiting this site to access the river or walk on the trail, please be advised that this property is closed until further notice.
Inflation, inflation, inflation, perhaps you have heard about the historic highs in the market right now? In the “before times,” when we originally scoped our Cheat River Trailhead & Cheat River Rail-Trail projects and developed cost estimates, prices were a bit different. As a result of current inflation rates, we are seeing 30% increases in construction costs.
As a result, when it came time to bid out the Trailhead project this spring, we had to add a lot of deductive alternatives. Meaning - we didn't have all the funds to build to the fullest possible design intent, and would have to sacrifice some things here and there to get the project done. But, to our amazement, after all the bids came in, and, as projected, the total bid price was over our original award amount, WV Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) was able and willing to fill the gaps and provide the extra funding for all our added deductive alternatives (i.e paving the parking lot, utility building, landscaping,and signage), as well as pay for full-time construction oversight. This is a huge win for this project and will truly make the Cheat River Trailhead as destination-worthy as originally planned. FOC extends our sincere gratitude to the team at WVDEP AMLYER for helping execute this amazing project.
Additionally, we extend our gratitude and appreciation to the Preston County Commission (PCC), which awarded FOC $150,000 for aggregate to complete two miles of rail-trail. These funds came from the ARPA funding that the PCC had the pleasure of dispersing to a multitude of worthwhile projects that were in need of financial support. It should be noted, this is the second round of support the PCC has given to FOC this year. PCC provided $12K in support to our Keith Pitzer Memorial Fund for a combined $47,500 cash match for our WVDOH Rec Trails Program grant ($247,500 total) to purchase the pavilion and bathroom materials. #partnershipgoals
A Huge Thank You to our Donors!
Cheat Watershed Sponsors: Walbridge Family Foundation, Charlie Walbridge, Eliza Walbridge, Margeret Walbridge, Patrick & Lisa Ward, Thomas & Hope Covey, Sunrise Sanitation, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Robert Uram
Cheat River Sponsors: Vince Luzentales & Michelle Salter, The Reed Foundation, the Szilagyi Family Foundation. Richard Volkman
Stream Stewards: Susan & Don Sauter, David Brisell, Toddi Steelman & Joe Sinsheimer, John & Emy Hinnant, Paul & Betty Connelly, Healthberry Farm, Jen Sass & Michael Graham, Robert Moore, The Oakland Foundation, Megan & Bill Carlson, Meredith Pavlick, Giles Wright, Stratford Douglas & Jodie Jackson, Newton Gorrell, Hoffman Construction Company, John Guilfoose
For the period July 6 through Oct 31, 2002
Canyon Contributors: Greg Edwards & Judy Stapel, Ann & Jack Clough, Margot Stiles, Jennifer Sass & Mike Graham, Ann & Cecil Tickamyer, Tim & Connie DeBerry
Narrows Navigators: Evan Mirapaul, Kelly Miller & Brent Laubaugh, David & Robin Barnett, Miranda Peddicord, Marc Glass, Judith Cronauer & Gerard Lechowick
Confluence Crew: Jill MacNeice & Thierry Rosenheck, Christopher Kiehl & Ann Corey, Constance Ramirez, Ethan Gore, Rence & Barbara Callahan, Amy Skeens, David Maribo, Peggy McDevit, Ann Pancake, Dan Henninger, Jim Fitzpatrick, Bill Buda, Richard Best, Bruce & Kathy Jenkins, David Davis, Mark Barger, JC Moses, Charles & Lee Mullett, Mike Strager, Susan Gordon, Lawrence & Susan Miller, Fred Wright, Erin Hartman, Katherine Avery, Alan Andrews, Wickliffe & Laura Walker, Dr. Antonia Chadwick & Jeffrey Sarsfield
Five Forks Friends: Terezie Palmer, Adrienne Marshall, Peter Armbruster, Bronnie Stroud, C. Mark Eakin, Dallas & Jana Wolfe, Donald Shelters, Casandra Perry, Scot Meadows, Lucretia Lee, Patricia Kelly, Elizabeth Clough, David Cummins, Tom Batchelor, Barbara & Paul Bauer, Meredith Kiger
Good Ole Friends: Marcia Hamm, Damon LeMaster, Joan Breiding, Carol Burdick, Greg Dick, Gary Schubert, Janet Ady, Natalia Ekberg, Linda Blanchard, Nikki Forrester, Kaitlyn Snyder, Stephen Bodnar, Robert Tinnell, Ryan Snyder, Justine Miller, Anthony Varvoutis, Jay Paxton, Beth Meininger, Toni Hartley, Russell Buberniak, Diane & Ed Rader, Sean O’Malley, Kent Mason, Thomas Dulz, Shirley Hill, Bobbie Sue Burnside & Robin Myers, Martha Summers, Donald Case, Colleen & Daniel Caldwell
Swim Guide Donors: Adam Webster, Theo, Colette, Sera, & Nico Zegre
In Loving Memory of Greg Green: John Leonard, Karen Oleksak, Colleen Laffrey
In Loving Memory of James Batcheider: Adrienne Marshall
In Loving Memory of Thomas Bobo: John & Kathleen Crane, Jeffrey Rossetti, Jim & Alyson Armstrong, Jane Riffe, Carol Burdick, William & Marie Alsop, Nancy Abrams & Dr. Stan Einzig
In Memoriam: Thomas Bobo
Thomas Frederick Bobo, 75, of Kingwood, died Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at Mon Health Medical Center in Morgantown. He was born May 22, 1947, in Morgantown, and was the son of the late Fred O. Bobo and Elizabeth "Betty" (Evick) Bobo.
Tom was a 1965 graduate of Kingwood High School and served in the U.S. Army Reserves 354th Ordinance Company. At the age of 19, he started working for the Albright Power Station, from where he retired. Tom was a member of the St. Sebastian Catholic Church, Kingwood Lions Club, and Preston County Country Club in Kingwood. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed playing golf and spending time with family and friends. Tom was always be remembered as the biggest tall-tale storyteller who loved pulling your leg.
New Friends of the Cheat Documentary
by Beth Warnick, Media & Outreach
Since late summer 2020, FOC staff have had the pleasure of working with WV native filmmaker, Robert Tinnell, and his students at George A. Romero’s Filmmaking Program in Monessen, PA, on a short film encapsulating the inspiring comeback story of the Cheat river, and the work and evolution of FOC over the last 28 years. What could have comfortably fit into an 8 episode series was expertly distilled into 26.46 minutes, and the film debuted on WV Public Broadcasting on September 4th to an estimated audience of over 10,000.
Understanding that not everyone interested in viewing the film was casually hanging at home over labor Day weekend, or has cable for that matter, we reached out to the folks at the historic Metropolitan theater in Morgantown, WV, to book a free public screening event - generously sponsored by WV River Coalition, American Whitewater, the Mills Group, and Cheat River Farm.
To our surprise and delight, FOC fans packed into the Met Theater on Thursday, September 22nd (a WVU game night, in fact!) for a double feature: the 1999 FOC film, Catalyst for Change, written and directed by Dan Henninger and Dale Rongaus, followed by the Friends of the Cheat Story.
Post event, staff and attendees relocated to the Apothecary Cafe at its wonderful new location on the corner of Spruce and Pleasant, for the official after-party. It was an excellent evening all-around, and we were especially touched by those who traveled from afar to be there.
Meet Robert Tinnell
Robert Tinnell is a writer/director/producer with experience in a variety of media. Recent projects include: producing two films for Lifetime and adapting his Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel, FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES, into a feature film starring Madison Iseman, Skyler Gisondo, Joe Pantoliano, and Paul Ben-Victor. In late 2017, he produced the feature film, BACK FORK, for writer/director/star, Josh Stewart. Tinnell’s initial claim to fame was as producer on the notorious cult classic SURF NAZIS MUST DIE, and as a producer of music videos, including the classic MTV Award-winner, STRAIGHT UP by Paula Abdul. As time passed, he became better known for his work as a director and screenwriter on feature films including KIDS OF THE ROUND TABLE, and FRANKENSTEIN AND ME.
“With apologies to Norman Maclean for borrowing and reworking his signature concept, there have been a number of rivers running through my life, not least of which has been the Cheat. My earliest memories dovetail with the watershed and I forever fascinated with the way it claws its way up into the high mountains of my home state of West Virginia. Having watched the river endure so much at the hands of extractive industries and ‘progress’ in general, and finding myself frequently grieving for the heavy damage inflicted on such a rich, biodiverse watershed, it has been tremendously rewarding to watch Friends of the Cheat take on so many seemingly insurmountable challenges - and win. Inspired by their hard work and success, I looked for an opportunity to chronicle their history, their successes, and their vision for the future of restoring my home waters in a documentary. And thanks to advances in digital technology, the hard work of students at George A. Romero’s Filmmaking Program, and the enthusiastic support of FOC, I was able to realize that ambition. I hope everyone who watches the film will consider supporting organizations like FOC, because they are needed now more than ever.”
#Giving Tuesday Campaign and FOC Story Watch Party
This #GivingTuesday, Friends of the Cheat is again raising funds for our Education and Outreach program and Cheat River Conservation Program, specifically CAPABLE and our Swim Guide Initiative.
Through our Education & Outreach program, FOC strives to cultivate responsible stewards to care for our beloved watershed. We work with community schools, partnering organizations, and stellar programs such as WVU's Adventure WV - and we're working to expand our online educational resources for grades K-12.
Education and Outreach also funds our physical and digital quarterly newsletters, and multimedia content creation, like the new(ish) FOC activity booklet, or the staff time used to work on the new FOC documentary film. It may not be as sexy as remediating acid mine drainage - but communicating our current work and ever-growing roster of programs and projects with our community and supporters nation-wide is a core part of our mission.
The Cheat Aquatic Pollution and BaseLine Ecological (CAPABLE) Monitoring Program is a volunteer initiative to collect vital statistics on the health of the Cheat watershed in streams that are at risk for impacts, and watch for illegal activity that could pollute our streams.
Through our Swim Guide Program, we monitor water quality for harmful bacteria at 12 popular public Cheat River access points. Results are posted to the theswimguide.org, spring through fall.
We'll send out an email prior to Thanksgiving with more details - but you can bookmark our #GivingTuesday donation information and a link for The Friends of the Cheat YouTube Watch Party now!
New! FOC Holiday Silent Auction December 9-13
FOC is excited to announce a new holiday/winter-themed online silent auction, starting Friday, December 9th. We’re gathering gifts from local businesses, artists, and organizations, but also taking advantage of the fact that it's NOT Cheat Fest season, and flexing our own maker-skills.
You’ll have the chance to bid on Madison Ball’s famous (in our office) homemade perogies and cabbage rolls, and an assortment of resident baker Beth Warnick’s goodies, including various pies and cakes, sweet buns, and cookies. Long-time amateur jewelry maker, Amanda Pitzer, is crafting a pair of pyrite earrings, and her partner, Jeff Mitchell (jack of all trades, master of bread), is donating a couple loaves. Dog whisperer Lisa Maraffa is putting together a pup-centric basket full of treats, holiday burrow toys, and a “deck the paws” dog bowl.
We already have gifts lined up from Black Bear Burritos, High Ground Brewing, Bare Mountain Studios, and Cheat Hill Farm, with more on the way. Watch your inbox, or follow the FOC Facebook and Instagram accounts for auction links and more item descriptions. All silent auction donations benefit FOC’s General Fundraising Campaign, which fills funding gaps across our myriad of programs and projects. Happy bidding!
Riparian Tree Planting Program Update
by Madison Ball, Conservation Program Director
This winter, Friends of the Cheat will complete two years of tree planting efforts along the Cheat River and priority tributaries on private lands. Since our first planting in 2021, we have planted over 3,000 native tree species on 12 properties along the Cheat River, Indian Run, Clay Lick Run, and Clover Run.
The goal of the program is to establish native trees along the river and streams, which is referred to as a “riparian buffer”, and provides many ecosystem services, including:
- Reducing erosion as the roots hold the soil in place
- Keeping the water cool for our coldwater species by shading the stream
- Slowing down flow in flood conditions, reducing infrastructure damage downstream
While having no trees along the river or stream may give a “better” view of the water, it can lead to intense erosion and even significant loss of the stream bank, as roots from grass or lawns alone are not strong enough to keep the soil in place.
A healthy riparian area should look just like a healthy forest, with a variety of native tree and shrub species. The wider the buffer between the river and human infrastructure, the more benefits it provides for fish, wildlife, and humans.
Across the 12 properties, we have established new riparian buffers, extended existing buffers, and increased the species diversity in buffers that had been previously logged or thinned, or had dead or dying stands of trees.
We are looking to work with landowners that own properties along the Cheat River and the following priority tributaries in Preston and Tucker Counties: Horseshoe Run, Clover Run, Licking Creek, Saltlick Creek, Buffalo Creek, Minear Run, and Wolf Run.
Once a landowner expresses interest in our program, we meet on site with them to view the property and address any concerns they may have. We then create a site plan specific to their properties that includes site elevation, eco-region, the dominate soil type and plant communities - which informs us of the tree species we will purchase and plant. Once approved by the landowner, FOC purchases the trees and plants them, and continues to monitor their growth to make sure the planting was successful.
If you are landowner interested in these services, reach out to Madison Ball at madison@cheat.org.
The pandemic whiplash has continued with an inspiring, and exhausting series of convenings, events, and conferences. I had the fortune to travel to Washington DC for the Just Transition Fund’s (JTF) revived convening. It was one of the best gatherings of its kind I have ever participated in. Community development practitioners, funders, government staff, and elected officials engaged in timely conversations and workshops designed with the intention to solve big problems and challenges facing communities in economic transition. It was a rare time where I felt like I didn’t have to raise my hand much because others in the room already “got it” and my story was not unique. FOC has a lot to learn from the folks JTF is gathering!
Rachelle Thorne, Executive Director for the Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission (PCPARC) joined me in DC. I was relieved to have a co-pilot into the city and someone to pal around with. Upon arrival, we immediately dashed to a Ukrainian cafe in the Adams Morgan district which was the first of many great meals. How surprised were the both of us when we bumped into FOC friend and former E.D. of PCPARC, Emily Carlson, back at the conference hotel. There were a bunch more friendly WV faces there too. I love the small world factor of West Virginia!
Madison and I attended the West Virginia Mine Drainage Task Force Symposium in Morgantown where we re-connected with many colleagues engaged in restoration and the River of Promise over the years. Now “retired” from their agency positions, Roger Calhoun and Mike Sheehan were present and eager to hear the latest on the Albright dam removal effort. I had the chance to sit with Tom Shope, OSMRE Regional Director, during lunch where we discussed how the agency is preparing for the tremendous expansion of AML funding. We also clinked glasses with David Petry, Nick Revetta, Sheila Vulkovich, and many more!
Next on the itinerary was the Appalachian Regional Commission’s conference at Rocky Gap State Park in beautiful Mountain Maryland. I had seen a lot of stunning color around Mon/Preston/Tucker counties and the drive east over Keyser’s Ridge did not disappoint! I got to spend time with FOC allies from across Appalachia, catch up with Chris and Donnie Davisson on the “good old days” at Lick Run Tavern, and be in the room for a fireside chat between Governor Larry Hogan and legend Cal Ripkin Jr. But, the real highlight was meeting my hero Del McCoury and his wife Mrs. Jean. Like a river, our lives do not follow a straight path. Moments and people weave together, and I never could have imagined that my work with Friends of the Cheat would actually bring me to a confluence with Del, the man whose family and festival has helped shape much of my adult life. (And, for anyone in the know, I absolutely did show the McCourys and DelFest promoters our outrageous and nerdy Del-grammite poster!)
My Del-energy kept me going as I hustled back to our first, full in-person meeting of the Mountaineer Trail Network Board of Directors. And, the very next day, the FOC team welcomed Marsha Walton and David Waters with PBS’s This American Land. Stay tuned to FOC news to know when our episode debuts online and across the country on hundreds of public television channels across the country.
Unfortunately, we had to use some of our film time explaining the importance of Congress passing the STREAM Act. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the US House (391 Yeas - 9 Nays), the Senate has failed to take up this bill. Without the STREAM Act, communities will be unable to fully realize water quality improvements to streams impacted by pre-law mining. Time is running out and we are now looking at trying to get this done in the Lame Duck session. Congress must fix this!
To close out on a high note, let me extend my congratulations to the Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission for being named “Organization of the Year” by the Preston Chamber of Commerce. Ten years ago, FOC started dreaming with early PCPARC Board members about tearing down the railroad maintenance shop buildings along Sisler Street in Kingwood. Now that area is a lovely community trailhead park and PCPARC has been awarded over $250K in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the Preston County Commission to expand their parks at the other end of the WV Northern Rail-Trail in Tunnelton. FOC is fortunate to have a great partner in PCPARC and PCPARC is lucky to have their E.D. Rachelle and all their dedicated volunteers. If you live in Preston County, check out their offerings from wellness classes to summer camps and consider getting involved. Learn more at: https://www.pcparc.org/