Ding Dong the Bill is Dead (We Hope)

After several weeks of intense public pressure, it appears that the trees at Watoga State Park, and all of West Virginia’s state parks are safe!

SB 270 was introduced in the very first days of this legislative session and was introduced by the request of Governor Justice who, along with Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher, thought the best way to pay for maintenance and upkeep at our parks was to cut their most majestic trees and sell them by the board foot. (Or, was it for forest health? Or, for new trails? We still get very confused.)

But, all of you rallied to save our most pristine woodlands from their terrible fate! Calls, emails, letters to the editor, visits to legislators, expert testimony in committee… all of these were ways that you came together to say, “Save our state parks!”

On the very day that the Gazette-Mail published yet another opinion piece opposing the bill, we saw this press release from Senator Mike Woelful, one of the most outspoken critics of the bill in the legislature.

Crazy things have been known to happen under the big, gold dome, but with crossover fast approaching and this kind of statement out in the ether, we feel pretty good about pronouncing this bad bill DEAD!

Congrats on all your hard work!