surgent wrote:Very few national parks have come into being without controversy. Read the histories on how Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains NPs came into existence. There are still people miffed about this, even now.

Sometimes the place will be a Natinal Monument for so long that its transition into a National Park is somewhat smooth, e.g. Joshua Tree, Death Valley.

The usual problem is that National Parks try to (a) be contiguous with as few private land enclaves as possible, and (b) try to purchase or secure surrounding lands, usually to preserve watersheds or other aspects that would preserve the proposed park in the long term. These things can take years to happen, not to mention all the studies that need to be done.

In the very long term, it would help the local economy. But people often think only as far as next week, so it's tough to get everyone excited about these things. I hope it goes somewhere. My time in WV has been limited, but I love the rugged mountain scenery and wild rivers when I have been there.

Florida Frank wrote:Fond memories of a couple of backpacking trips through the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. Also an introductory spelunking trip a bit further to the south during college - something like the Sackett cave system. It is unique for the east coast. Though tough economic times to get something like this through congress. There is a lot of private land interspersed throughout, which would make a contiguous park of any large size very challenging if not impossible.

Florida Frank wrote:There is a lot of private land interspersed throughout, which would make a contiguous park of any large size very challenging if not impossible.