Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge is seeking public review and comment on a Draft Compatibility Determination for “Wildlife Observation & Photography” conducted by non-service personnel. The refuge proposes permitting research, where it does not compromise the mission and operations of the national wildlife refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will accept comments received or postmarked on or before June 11, 2025.
The Service prepares Compatibility Determinations to ensure that public and economic uses of national wildlife refuges do not interfere with or detract from the purposes for which each refuge was established. Compatibility Determinations also describe how these uses would contribute towards achieving refuge purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Copies of the Draft Compatibility Determination can be found at the refuge’s website (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/canaan-valley) and hard copies are available at the Visitor Center.
Comments or requests for additional information may be made by email to roberet_frank@fws.gov or U.S. Mail to 6263 Appalachian Hwy, Davis, WV 26260, Attn: Refuge Manager.
All comments received from individuals become part of the official public record. The Service’s practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents can request that we withhold their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments.
