Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that 14 West Virginia counties will receive a combined $1,684,201.95 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Secure Rural Schools program to support public schools, roads and watersheds and to reimburse counties for providing emergency services on national forest and grasslands. Chairman Manchin secured this funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that reauthorized Secure Rural Schools through fiscal year 2023. Chairman Manchin recently moved a three-year extension of the program through the Committee.

“West Virginians are proud to host some of the most beautiful federal forests and public lands in the country. I am proud to have secured an extension of the Secure Rural Schools program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because it is so important to the West Virginia communities that provide crucial services on these federal lands. From supporting education to fixing roads, it is critical that we maintain Secure Rural Schools funding and I have advanced legislation to do just that,” said Chairman Manchin.

Individual awards to counties listed below:

• $446,859.79 – Pocahontas
• $360,583.12 – Randolph
• $229,471.19 – Webster
• $174,310.67 – Greenbrier
• $147,515.73 – Pendleton
• $122,937.25 – Tucker
• $70,363.44 – Hardy
• $53,596.51 – Nicholas
• $35,047.12 – Grant 
• $31,195.24 – Monroe
• $8,097.65 – Preston
• $4,112.63 – Hampshire
• $102.60 – Mercer
• $9.00 – Barbour 

For more information from the USDA Forest Service, click here.