By John McFerrin, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy

The April Board meeting of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy featured a possible threat to the organization, both an old and a new threat to places we hope to protect, and the end of an era for the Board. Mixed in with that were the mundane, “businessy” things that we always do. 

The threat to the organization comes in a widespread rumor that President Trump will shortly sign an Executive Order requiring that any non-profit organization which works on “climate” should be investigated and possibly have its non-profit status revoked. Since we, along with hundreds of other organizations, are within that category, it was prudent that we be prepared. Right now, it is only a rumor; maybe nothing will happen. Maybe it will. 

The steps we took were to hurry along with things we had already begun because they are good ideas, whether we were ever investigated. We had just finished adopting a conflict-of-interest policy. We were even working on a records retention policy and are close to finalizing it. We have been arranging to have an audit done and will be proceeding with that. 

The new threat to places we hope to protect is the proposal to build a gas fired power plant and a data center in Tucker County, between Thomas and Davis. The only publicly available information is an application by the developers of the power plant for an air pollution control permit. Since the proposed power plant has no plans to connect to the general electricity grid, it is a sure bet that it would be producing electricity for a data center. 

There has been an uproar in Tucker County, including a town hall meeting with 300 people present and about 100 more people participating by Zoom. Many people have made comments on the proposed air pollution permit. We are going to oppose the project as well. 

There are already at least two data centers proposed for southern West Virginia. There was discussion of whether we should oppose all data centers throughout the state. The discussion included why we would oppose data centers. Is it just that it is an expansion of fossil fuel use, or is it something else?

The Board’s sense was that we did not have enough information to decide on blanket opposition to data centers. We determined to gather more information and make a decision on the more general question once we are better informed. 

The investment policy is still in progress. The original motion expressing our intent to adopt an improved investment policy said that we should do it within 60 days. Now the 60 days have come and gone, and we still have not accomplished that although we have effectively complied with the policy: we are now only investing in government securities which do not finance any fossil fuels. The Finance Committee will keep working on it and have a policy within six months. 

The old, but still threatening, project is Corridor H. There are two sections of Corridor H that are actively controversial right now—the section near Wardensville and the section from Parsons to Thomas/Davis. Near Wardensville, the Department of Highways thinks it is close to being able to make dirt fly. Now that it is so close, there is more interest than when construction was an abstraction that might happen someday. There is currently an Environmental Assessment (like an Environmental Impact Statement only smaller and less thorough) that is out for comment. Threats to the national forest and the national forest and to the Wardensville water supply remain.

Things are quiet in the Parsons section. This is probably because of a change in administration. The new administration does not know what it wants to do; if it does it is not sharing anything publicly. 

We had the usual business things: the treasurer reported that we are doing well financially. We are getting several new members. 

The Fall Review planning is moving along. It will be Halloween weekend at Blackwater Falls State Park. The committee is lining up speakers. The committee is going to plan some outdoor activities. We cannot just sit and learn all the time. We need to get outside for a different kind of fun. 

The end of an era came when Buff Rodman announced that she is retiring from the Board. We gave her a round of applause and expressions of appreciation for her years on the Board and all her contributions. Buff’s parents—Sayre and Jean—were highly active in the early days of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. Legend has it that Buff attended Board meetings as a toddler, although there is no documentation of this. Only later was she elected and became an actual voting member. Her leaving the Board serves as one of the last links to that long ago time when the Conservancy was young.