Report: National Park generates $96.1 million in economic output, supports over 1,000 jobs

Charleston, W.Va. – In a recent report, the U.S. National Park Service’s (NPS) 2022 National Park Visitor Spending Effects report found that the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve generated $96.1 million in economic output and supported 1,044 jobs in West Virginia over the past year.

In 2022, over 1.5 million park visitors spent an estimated $79.3 million in local gateway regions while visiting the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, with 88.1 percent of visitors from out-of-state. In total, West Virginia benefited from $133.8 million in economic output across all NPS units in the state.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was established through the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Designation Act, legislation which was introduced by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

The legislation, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, led to the redesignation of the New River Gorge National River as the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

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Investor, entrepreneur Vaught to hold BAF workshop on how to write grant proposal

Local investor and entrepreneur Chris Vaught will share insights on how to craft grant proposals that maximize chances of success in a workshop on Sept. 12, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Beckley Area Foundation (BAF), 1210 S. Kanawha St., Beckley.

In addition to key strategies, tips, and best practices, the session will also provide a detailed inside look into how applications are considered from the evaluators’ perspective.

Vaught is immediate past president of BAF and has been involved in local grantmaking for over a decade, working with area non-profits and community foundation grants.

This will be the second of four Grantseeker workshops that BAF will be presenting over the next seven months.

?Registration closes on Sept. 8.

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BSU receives $444K grant from National Institute of Health

Bluefield State University has received a $444,000 Academic Research Enhancement Award from the National Institute of Health.

Dr. Tesfaye Belay, a BSU professor of biology, authored the grant, which provides funding over three years for supporting research, creating research opportunities for students, and strengthening the research environment at the university. The funding will support examining the relationship between cold-induced stress and sexually transmitted diseases in a mouse model.

As a fellow of the West Virginia Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), Dr. Belay received several sub-awards from NIH. The BSU faculty member and 13 Bluefield State students published scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals through those awards.