Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is encouraging West Virginians to submit letters encouraging the U.S. Forest Service to prioritize deferred maintenance projects in West Virginia for funding in Fiscal Year 2021.

The U.S. Forest Service is requesting public feedback on which projects should be prioritized for funding in Fiscal Year 2021 by Sunday, September 13, 2020. This funding was secured when Senator Manchin’s historic Great American Outdoors Act was enacted last month, providing $9.5 billion over five years to address the deferred maintenance backlog on our country’s public lands.

“I encourage all West Virginians to reach out to the Forest Service to help ensure that the deferred maintenance needs of the Monongahela National Forest are prioritized and adequately addressed,” said Senator Manchin. “Projects like replacing the Red Creek Bridge for the Dolly Sods Wilderness or rehabilitating the Lake Sherwood Campground need urgent attention and support. Clearing this backlog is crucial if we want to support the outdoor recreation that makes our state all the more wild and wonderful.” 

To submit a public comment in support of a project:

• Visit http://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?project=NP-2652
• Mail U.S. Forest Service’s Washington D.C. Headquarters (Sidney R. Yates Federal Building, 201 14th St SW, Washington, DC 20227)

To view a list of West Virginia defered maintenance projects under consideration:

• Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r9/home/?cid=FSEPRD796841

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