In 2007 the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy celebrated its first forty years, as documented in David Elkinton’s excellent and thorough book Fighting to Protect the Highlands: The First Forty Years of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy”. At the fall meeting that year, held at the Cheat Mountain Club on Shavers Fork, former presidents and members were recruited to attend the anniversary of the group’s founding.

Charleston filmmaker and Conservancy board member Bob Gates documented the event. This fast paced 58 minute video converses with many of the attendees and summarizes the accompanying panel discussion.

Attendees talk about the founding of the WVHC and the issues they delt with. A few tall tales are thrown in too. The panel discussion focuses on the many successes and some of the failures through the four decades of the Conservancy’s activity. Successes include saving the Canaan Valley from being turned into a pumped storage reservoir and working on Monongahela National Forest issues including wilderness designations. Fighting mountaintop removal coal mining remains an up-hill struggle.

West Virginia Library Commission film librarian Steve Fesenmaier reviewed the video as follows: “I found the 58 minute documentary to be fascinating, including interviews not only with the founders of West Virginia’s oldest environmental organization but also many other West Virginia activists from a wide spectrum of activities.”

Seen in the video are: newcomer Mike Buransky, longtime member Perry Bryant, former president Bob Burrell, founder and wilderness activist Rupert Cutler, “Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide” author Allen deHart, former president and ‘40 Years’ book author Dave and Jan Elkinton, stream expert Don Gasper, a fleeting shot of filmmaker Bob Gates, founder Lou and Jackie Greathouse, first president Tom King, Julian Martin, Helen McGinnis, former president John Purbaugh, coal issues activist and former president Cindy Rank, outdoors enthusiasts Ray and Mary Ratliff, Buff and Jean Rodman, current president Hugh and artist Ruth Blackwell Rogers, Monongahela National Forest activist Dave Saville, techno whiz Jim Solley, summer interns James and Susan Tawney, and former president Frank Young.

This video makes an excellent introduction to the book and should interest viewers to look up the details of the stories alluded to in the film. It provides a snapshot of the impact the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy has had on the environment of West Virginia.