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Land Ownership Rights Threatened by the Legislature

The ability to acquire cheap, fertile land drove much of American history. Ordinary people – many of them recent immigrants – could obtain land on which to sustain families with very little more than hard work. Land in America is generally…
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Conservation West Virginia Sets 2026 Legislative Priorities

Conservation West Virginia is an active participant in the West Virginia Environmental Council, a consortium of groups in the state with common environmental goals. Some groups are focused entirely on raising public awareness about important…
Ed Bowes
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Environmental groups warn Morrisey’s ‘50 by 50’ plan risks costly overbuild

Morrisey's plan outlines a massive build-out of baseload electricity — primarily coal, natural gas, and nuclear — alongside new transmission investments and long-term resource planning. But to longtime energy engineer and board member for…
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Governor, Legislature Yank Local Control of Data Centers from WV Residents

Governor Morrisey and the Legislature have just told local people it doesn’t matter what we think. The Legislature passed, and the Governor signed into law, HB 2014 authorizing data centers consuming massive amounts of electric power and water…
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Legislature Seduced By Economic Possibilities of Large Data Centers

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.
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Safe Public River Access Proposed in Senate Bill

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…
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Bills Introduced to Permit ATVs and Motorized Vehicles Throughout State Parks and Forests

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…
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New Bill Seeks to Fund Flood Emergencies

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,…
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A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Senator Rucker’s Anti-Science Bill

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…
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Attacks on Renewables Proliferate at Legislature

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…