Dear Editor,
I would like to voice my opinion and concern about the WV Land Trust purchasing the land that is out on route 48/93 outside the town of Davis. I believe that anyone that lives and works here in our county, has come to the realization that our county is becoming more and more land locked by government organizations.
We have the Monongahela National Forest, the National Wildlife Refuge, and the Canaan Valley and Blackwater state parks and more government organizations that own land in our county. The area that the Land Trust folks plan on buying is one of the few pieces of land that is…. would have been available for purchase by private parties for personal or commercial use, and guess what, they would pay taxes on the land instead of using tax money.
I am not against the purchase because I was hoping on purchasing more land out there for my own use, but I am concerned for our area. Our area is stagnant and has practically no place to grow. I understand preservation, and enjoy walking the Canaan Refuge often, but we need industry in our area, and housing.
Most working people of our county work 2-3 minimum wage jobs, that is based around tourism, and still just get by. I believe that no matter how much we promote tourism and keep spending tax money on hiking and bike trails, it still won’t help out our working-class folks. We need industry where a person can “climb the ladder”.
The Land Trust purchasing the land isn’t the reason we are stagnant, but with the purchase, I think it will put one of the last nails in the coffin of the hope to expand and grow our local economy.
TC Helmick
resident and business owner
Davis, WV