5-18-2006 |
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RIVER TRIP TO HIGHLIGHT WATER RESOURCES The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) will host a “South Branch Awareness Float Trip” Saturday, June 10. The public is invited to take part in the trip to learn about the importance of the South Branch of the Potomac River as a water resource to West Virginia and its downstream neighbors. Other co-sponsors include West Virginia Conservation Agency, Potomac Valley Conservation District, West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection, South Branch Watershed Association of Hampshire County, Eagles Nest Outfitters, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. “The South Branch is an historic and important waterway,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “It provides a water source for our nation’s capital and it feeds the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has been very active in working to protect waterways throughout the state for future generations.” WVDA Environmental Coordinator and trip organizer Matt Monroe said the trip will begin at Eagles Nest Outfitters near Petersburg around 9 a.m. and will end at Brighton Park near Moorefield at around dinner time. Participants will be treated to an educational picnic lunch, a cookout afterward in Moorefield, and a shuttle back to their vehicles. Monroe said a variety of representatives from government agencies will take part in the trip and he is hoping for a good turnout by the public as well. “This trip is free, and besides being educational, it should also be a lot of fun,” Monroe said. “We’ll have a chance to see areas where best management practices are needed, as well as areas where they have already been implemented.” Anyone interested in taking the trip should be able to paddle a canoe for a day-long trip. RSVPs are mandatory so that adequate food and boats can be arranged. For detailed information or to register, call Matt Monroe at 304/538-2397, 304/257-8972 or mmonroe@ag.state.wv.us no later than June 2. A rain date has been set for June 24.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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