CANAAN VALLEY – There's growing support from West Virginia congressional leaders to build a new facility for the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Tucker County.
Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito are committed to making this a priority.
The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1994. It works to preserve the unique wetlands and uplands of this high elevation and moist valley. Now there's discussion about maintaining its visitors center with a proposed new facility.
"It's basically the visitors bureau. People stop, they want to know about nature, they want to know what all the valley has what West Virginia has to offer. They just don't have the space," said Sen. Joe Manchin, (D) West Virginia.
The National Youth Science Foundation received federal approval to create a STEM education center at the Canaan Valley Institute in Davis. This was after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service passed on moving there.
"When they did that, I made a commitment, and I think Shelley Capito and myself are working and doing everything we can to make sure they get the resources to build a new center down in Canaan Valley," Manchin said.
"Fish and wildlife already has a presence there, and this is where they're based out of in the Canaan Valley. I think it's a good place to reinvigorate, we've got Corridor H coming in there. We have a lot of people coming in to ski and round year activities, it's a perfect spot," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) West Virginia.
Manchin would like to see a facility capable of being a greener, friendlier, environmental building. Manchin said this would show what West Virginians can do with the resources they have.
"We do energize the whole world, the whole country, if you will. With that being said, we can be an innovator and leader in the whole renewable technologies, and geo thermal is a tremendous opportunity for us to show. We're basically talking about solar and wind," Manchin said.