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Mountain Report: More Elk Viewing in Virginia

Elk viewing is to be improved in the Virginia mountains.

Ten community projects in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia will receive a total of $10 million in federal grants to reclaim and repurpose old coal mining sites.

In Wise County, $500,000 will go towards a large solar project to provide energy to the Mineral Gap Data Center, and in Russell County, $269,000 will help build a mountain bike and ATV trail to boost outdoor tourism. “The cleanup and new uses of the sites will create jobs, draw visitors, and enhance the quality of life,” said Congressman Morgan Griffith, who helped secure the funding. The largest grant, $2.2 million, will go toward developing an eco-tourism facility in Buchanan County for viewing the elk that have been recently reintroduced into the region. governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2019/march/headline-839054-en.html 

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The article above appears in our May/June 2019 issue.

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