Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that West Virginia counties will receive a total of $1,332,099 through the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program.

“This significant investment in rural counties and school districts across West Virginia is fantastic news for our entire state. Our rural communities have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and will need the resources provided by the Secure Rural Schools program to provide essential services to our students as they begin returning to their classrooms. I thank Forest Service Chief Christiansen for her strong commitment to swiftly distributing the Congressionally-appropriated SRS payments and I look forward to continuing to work closely together to ensure West Virginian students are provided with the opportunities they need to succeed — no matter where they live,” said Chairman Manchin.

Chairman Manchin has previously called on Congress to pass a long-term reauthorization of the SRS program and, in 2019, secured a 2-year extension to the SRS program in the Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations package, which provided more than $1.7 million last year for counties in West Virginia with Forest Service lands. There is a total of 1,046,600 acres of Forest Service land in West Virginia. 

In addition to the $1,332,099 in payments to counties, the extension will also be providing the National Forests in West Virginia an additional $173,936 as well. This funding will be used for recreation and restoration projects on the Monongahela National Forest and George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, and Webster counties. Local public advisory groups will select the projects that the Forest Service undertakes with this funding.

Individual Awards Listed By County:

Pocahontas – $355,384

Randolph – $258,295

Pendleton – $193,066

Webster – $141,645

Greenbrier – $129,409

Tucker – $100,903

Hardy – $67,447

Nicholas – $42,965

Grant – $32,599

Monroe – $29,202

Preston – $6,065

Hampshire – $4,008

Mercer – $65

Barbour – $8

Click here for additional details concerning funding and allocation amounts by program and by county. The numbers at the link do not reflect the requisite 5.7% reduction due to budget sequestration.

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