For the last three years, officials at the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Tucker County alongside Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Shelley Moore Capito, have worked to secure funding for the installation of a new visitors center.
"We hope to build a state of the art, interactive, and educational experience for people, not only here at the visitors center, but also in Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge because we want our outreach to be in the valley, in Tucker County, and for West Virginia," said Ron Hollis.
Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge is a centerpiece of its community, attracting more than 53,000 visitors to Tucker County annually.
The current building was completed in 1975 but it no longer meets the needs of the visitors and employees.
"This whole network is set aside to protect and enhance the habitat of these creatures that we protect so that we can protect it for the benefit of the American people for this generation and the next generation," said Hollis.
The construction funding announced by the Department of the Interior in the fiscal year 2018 operations plan will permit the installation of the design, site development, and construction for the new multipurpose building.
Official anticipate the construction will enhance the tourism economy of Tucker County and bolster the environmental education and recreation opportunities in the area
“Having access to these funds is really tremendous,” said Hollis.
The project is still in the very early stages, but officials say the building will house refuge employees as well staff from the West Virginia Ecological field office.