MORGANTOWN, WV — Gov. Joe Manchin was on hand  to help dedicate
    the state's two newest Wildlife Management Areas.

    The Pedlar WMA, which has two fishing ponds and a shooting range.
    two fishing ponds and a shooting range.

    "As the population continues to grow and houses encroach on rural lands due to
    urban sprawl, land access for hunters continues to decrease in the United States,"  
    said NWTF CEO Rob Keck. "As a result, many hunters across the nation depend on
    state- and federally-owned public hunting lands for a place for them and their families
    to hunt." For years, we've been working to improve access to hunting lands with great
    success.

    The Federation, a national nonprofit conservation group, has been working for
    years to improve access to hunting lands with great success. So far the NWTF has
    contributed more than $8.3 million to purchase nearly 400,000 acres of land for public
    hunting nationwide.

    "The future of conservation is linked to the future of hunting," said Dave Truban,
    NWTF's West Virginia State Chapter vice president. "Hunters care about the
    outdoors. There has to be good, public hunting areas to ensure the future of
    hunting and conservation."

    The NWTF's contribution to the project came from the West Virginia State
    Chapter's Hunting Heritage Super Fund, which generates money through Hunting
    Heritage Super Fund Banquets, at which chapters and volunteers raise money through
    ticket sales, silent auctions, live auctions and raffles.

    The money generated is combined with donations from corporate sponsors and
    individuals concerned about wildlife conservation. Partnerships with these
    corporations, individuals and wildlife agencies result in a three to one match for
    every dollar a state chapter puts in its Super Fund.

    "About 15 years ago the NWTF's West Virginia state board of directors decided to
    put a lot of emphasis on improving hunting opportunities in The Mountain State,"
    said Curtis Taylor, WVDNR Chief of Wildlife Resources Section. "Since then, the
    NWTF's volunteers have helped purchase nearly 1,500 acres throughout the
    state. They're an exceptional group of sportsmen who are committed to the future
    of hunting and fishing in West Virginia."

    Since 1985 nearly $1 million has been raised and spent by West Virginia chapters on
    projects within the state through the Super Fund and national project fund research
    dollars. In addition to helping purchase land, the NWTF's West Virginia chapters have
    spent more than $120,000 to improve wildlife habitat, spent nearly $50,000 to help fund
    wild turkey research and spent more than $60,000 on scholarships and NWTF
    conservation education boxes for schools.

    "The NWTF is more than a conservation organization," said Keck. "It's a group of
    people who care about their country, state and local communities and who give
    back to those communities. The West Virginia chapters are excellent examples of
    the best of the NWTF."

    West Virginia's NWTF chapters also conduct outreach events designed to
    introduce women, youth and people with disabilities to conservation, hunting and
    the outdoors. The events provide outdoor activities such as shooting, archery,
    fishing and hunting, from expert instructors in a safe, controlled environment.

    NWTF projects have been completed on:

  • Cecil H. Underwood WMA
  • Center Branch WMA
  • Cheat WMA
  • Elk River WMA
  • Frozen Camp WMA
  • Jug WMA
  • Lewis Wetzel WMA
  • Monongahela National Forest
  • Nathaniel Mountain WMA
  • Sleepy Creek WMA
  • Stonewall Jackson Lake WMA
  • Summersville Lake WMA
  • Wallback WMA
More Places to Hunt in West Virginia
West Virginia State Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation