By: Mat Cloak
The Parsons Advocate
The most recent sale of a 25-acre parcel of land owned by Vandalia Heritage Foundation located off Corridor H put a portion of the area’s most popular trail, Moon Rocks, on private property.
“Moon Rocks is synonymous with mountain biking in Tucker County,” Brian Sarfino, Tucker County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Marketing Manger, said. “It’s iconic to West Virginia, and people from Canada to Florida come here for that.”
The Moon Rocks trail is pivotal feature of two popular mountain bike events, the Blackwater Classic and the Canaan Mountain Bike Festival. Sarfino estimated about 400 visitors came to the area this year for the two events.
West Virginia University Rural Tourism Specialist Doug Arbogast ran impact studies at each of this year’s events. Detailed within each study is the economic impact the events brought to the area through money spent on lodging, groceries, restaurants, bars, fuel, vehicle rentals, retail shopping, and recreation expenses. For example, during the weekend of the Canaan Mountain Bike Festival, $19,274 was spent on lodging.
“As for our recent sale, we are unaware of any negative impact on Moon Rocks, which is near Brown Mountain, but understand a portion of one of many trails may be located on this recent parcel,” Laura Kuhns, Vandalia Heritage Foundation President and CEO, said.
“Again this is not in fact “public” property, although we continue to allow access to roughly 900 acres of property that is neither posted nor gated,” Kuhns said. “Please allow me to reiterate: our funding carried no requirement to do so, but we have chosen to do so. It is unfortunate that this is apparently being mischaracterized when we may provide some of the last publicly accessible land in the county.”
In 2003, Vandalia paid $2.25 million for 1,129 acres of land in Tucker County from Monongahela Power Company. The money for the purchase came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
According to a 2006 New York Times article, “As for Vandalia, 92 percent of its $31.5 million in grants since 1999 arrived through federal earmarks. Separately, the 2004 tax return for the organization shows that 96 percent of its $8.5 million revenue was from government grants.”
Similar tension between Vandalia and residents of Tucker County arose during the period of initial acquisition. Many in the community felt that Vandalia did not solicit input from the residents of the county.
Regarding the most recent property transaction, Kuhns said, “We have no other requirement beyond this to ‘inform the community’ in advance or otherwise.”
Some Tucker County residents feel as though Vandalia does not have public accountability. “Land that is important to this community, both culturally and economically, that was acquired with public money became under the jurisdiction of those without public accountability,” Davis resident Matt Lambert said.
In 2006, when former Representative Alan Mollohan misrepresented his assets, complaints were issued by the National Legal and Policy Center that charged Laura Kuhn’s husband, Donald, with receiving property deals as a real estate broker for the organization that Laura controlled. According to the new property owners of Parcel F, Donald Kuhns was the contact point for the mot recent sale.
The new owners of Parcel F contacted Vandalia Heritage Group after seeing the “Acreage Available” sign on Corridor H.
The owners of Parcel F plan to put a cabin on the property. They intend to work with their lawyer to allow recreational right of way through their property. “We are just trying to figure out the law on the matter,” the property owner said. They intend to restrict hunting and trapping on their property.
According to Kuhns, Vandalia Heritage Foundation began selling parcels off Corridor H in 2012. There are two larger parcels directly off the highway that the Foundation owns. “We are considering developing a live performance venue on some of the “front” acreage (bordering Corridor H) and have been exploring the feasibility of this project and how to fund it,” Kuhns said.
Kuhns stated the sales pay “significant” real estate taxes, and “partially because it fulfills our preservation purpose.” “When we have sold land, the majority of the proceeds cover the real estate taxes and any proceeds beyond that have been reinvested in our charitable purpose mission,” Kuhns said.
In January 2017, the city of Clarksburg sued Vandalia Heritage Foundation over approximately $25,000 in overdue fire service protection fees. Clarksburg filed suit in 2012 for $35,000 in unpaid fire fees.
As reported by The Parsons Advocate, recent Vandalia Heritage Foundation property transactions include “0.066 acre to Ella LLC, $0” and “Tract D 30.0 acres to TC’S Shooting Range, LLC, $25,000.”
