Being an environmentalist in West Virginia is like being Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Every morning you wake up and there is a new over-hyped scheme proposed for the economic development of the state that is heavy on the promise of new jobs but light on the details.
On March 26, 2025, the Senate Natural Resources Committee reported out SB 801. The bill is now in the Government Organization Committee. The purpose of this bill is to ensure public access to the state’s rivers and streams for recreational purposes. SB 801 was accompanied by several legislative findings, among which were that river access […]
At the moment, West Virginia does not allow ATVs and other motorized recreational vehicles in state parks, with Cabwaylingo State Park being the one exception. West Virginia law prohobits the Department of Natural Resources from establishing any additional trail systems for these noisy, destructive vehicles in state parks or state forests. One powerful proponent of […]
Flooding is a chronic problem in West Virginia. We know this. The Legislature also knows this. Unfortunately, the Legislature has been unwilling to put any money into the Flood Resiliency Trust Fund to address the flooding problem. Now HB 3502, introduced on March 18, 2025 by a number of Democratic Delegates, offers a way to […]
Veteran watchers of the West Virginia Legislature will have noticed the trend to hide controversial bills behind innocent titles. This is the case with SB 599 introduced by Senator Patricia Rucker from Jefferson County on February 26. The title of the bill is Sound Science in Regulations Act, but the bill would impose an anti-science […]
It is hard enough to get any legislation promoting renewable energy passed in the West Virginia Legislature. But in 2025 there have been several bills introduced by hard-right legislators, the effect of which would be to undermine the development use of renewable energy. The first type of attack seeks to use the tax code. Delegate […]
The community solar concept allows consumers who cannot install their own solar panels to participate in solar energy generated at a community facility. The concept is operating in many states, but not West Virginia. Bills promoting community solar have stalled in the Legislature in 2023 and 2024 but now have been re-introduced in 2025 in […]
We have all seen the news coverage of the horrific flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina, a small city often touted as protected from the effects of climate change. The truth is that Appalachia, including West Virginia, is not immune from the effects of the warming climate. When heavy rainfall occurs, it […]
The worst time for mosquitos is usually late August and early September. But the longer it stays warm in the Fall, the longer mosquitos hang around. They aren’t usually killed off until the first frost, which comes later now in West Virginia as our climate is changing. We all know that mosquito bites cause annoying […]
Election day is November 5, 2024 all across the country. In case you haven’t heard a president will be elected. But there are also many important West Virginia local and state races to be decided. The problem is that many West Virginians don’t turn out to vote and are left with the political choices other […]
