By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
A 50 year dream for the Nature Conservancy came true Thursday, June 12th with the unveiling of the Dobbin Slashings Preserve. The unveiling was held at the Canaan Valley State Park Pavilion with speakers Executive Director of the Nature Conservancy Thomas Minney, Frank Durst of Walmart and Tom Kelsch of the Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
“We are here to celebrate that Dobbin Slashing is now in conservation ownership for perpetuity,” Minney said. “And one of the most amazing places in West Virginia, the Central Appalachians, the Appalachians and the world is now under conservation.”
Dobbin Slashings is comprised of 1,493 acres located between the Monogahela National Forest Dolly Sods Wilderness Area and Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Other names for the area include Head of Red Creek and Red Creek Watershed.
“Don’t forget that wonder that you felt. That is what kept you in the seat today is the wonder you felt,” Minney said.
Minney spoke about the history of Dobbin Slashings and the struggles faced in bring the land to conservancy.
“About 100 years ago, that place burned to the ground,” Minney said. “The trees were gone. Slashings in Dobbin means something and we’ve left that name intact because of the story we are able to say of going from destruction to redemption to resiliency.”
The vision for the area is for people to travel from Bear Rocks Preserve through public lands in Dolly Sods to Dobbin Slashings and into the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The acquisition of the land provides connecting trails and future trails to the other parks in the area.
“This a connector on the landscape,” Minney said. “We can connect nearly 80 miles of trail.”
The Nature Conservancy has been vested in Dobbins Slashings for over 40 years, Minney said. However, there are others in the area who have had an interest in the area for decades beyond. The area has been a project for conservancy for well over 50 years, according to Minney.
The project was a collaboration with the Walmart Acres for America campaign and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Minney also credited the organization’s supporters, board and partners with fulfilling the project.
“20 years ago, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Walmart established a partnership to try to sustain this country’s amazing natural heritage and the program is called Acres for America,” Kelsch said.
Acres for America is the largest corporate contribution towards land conservation with Walmart pledging over $100 million to Acres for America. The program has three goals: sustaining fish and wildlife populations by protecting critical habitat, opening up opportunities for the public to get out and enjoy the great outdoors and supporting local economies that are dependent on outdoor recreation, forestry and agriculture, according to Kelsch. The program has protected over 2 million acres of wilderness.
