Taking aim

By Mallory Panuska
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT June 25, 2007 11:45 pm

— West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III wants “no child left inside” within the mountainous lands of this state.
And as a boost to enforce this catchy slogan, which encourages residents to get out and enjoy the state’s hunting and fishing facilities at a young age, the governor and a group of local officers and officials dedicated two new wildlife management areas just outside Marion County’s borders Monday.
“We want West Virginia to be a destination of the East and we can be that destination,” said Manchin during a dedication speech at the new Little Indian Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in western Monongalia County. “Our motto will be ‘no child
left inside.’”
Purchased by the state from Consol Energy for $388,000, with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) contributing half the total funds, this 1,036-acre parcel of land will be open to the public for hunting and fishing.
“This is something we are very proud of and the people in Monongalia County need it,” said Frank Jezioro, director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR).
With West Virginia’s 300-plus hunters and fishers contributing approximately $503 million to the economy annually, Jezioro said the state does everything it can to make the state a “free destination” for outdoor enthusiasts.
Through its project contribution of $194,000, the NWTF was an integral part of obtaining this property for public use.
“This is a great day for West Virginia wildlife,” said Ron Fretts, a member of the National Board of Directors and past president of the NWTF, during the dedication of the property. “This is a sure sign of what is right in West Virginia today.”
According to a press release from the NWTF, the NWTF’s project contribution came from the West Virginia State Chapter’s Hunting Heritage Super Fund, which generates funding through banquets from ticket sales, silent auctions, live auctions and raffles.
Dave Truban, vice president of the West Virginia state chapter of the organization, said that the NWTF has a stated goal to help provide adequate places to give not only men, but also women and children a proud place to hunt and fish.
And just down the road from the Little Indian Creek facility, the governor and these officials also dedicated the Pedlar WMA, an outdoor facility complete with two fishing ponds and a shooting range.
Curtis Taylor, Wildlife Resources Section chief of the WVDNR, said the Pedlar property was given to the organization by Consol. Then with money obtained from state hunting and fishing licenses, the WVDNR used nearly $900,000 to renovate the site, which will officially open this weekend.
“There is not one anywhere else in Monongalia County,” said Taylor.
And at Monday’s dedication of the facility, Manchin, a recreational hunter, was one of the first to practice his trigger finger at the rifle range.
With both locations significant because of the local lack of areas of this type, Manchin said during his address that he was grateful to everyone who contributed. This included the NWTF, Consol, and all of the state’s hunters and anglers who contribute annually to their sports.
“We are going to make this a tourist attraction of West Virginia,” said the governor. “This is a state that’s going to do it and do it right.”
E-mail Mallory Panuska at mpanuska@timeswv.com.

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