Wildlife Refuges, Management Areas

WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va. — Hidden in plain sight, the islands in the Ohio River in West Virginia are a Noah’s Ark for wildlife that has managed to escape development elsewhere. As the Ohio River became cleaner in the 1980s, thanks to legislation like the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, wildlife started to return, … Read more

DAVIS, W.Va. — An almost 2,000-acre property purchased by The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia is preserving habitat adjoining the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and will ensure access to outdoor recreation in the Canaan Valley. Thomas Minney, director of the conservancy in West Virginia, says the ‘Big Cove’ tract in the northern end of … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources will introduce 40 new elk to the Mountain State’s growing herd in 2024 and create a visitors center and observation tower in Logan County to help wildlife enthusiasts observe the animals in a natural setting. According to Gov. Jim Justice, who announced the effort during his … Read more

LOGAN, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources is reviewing bids for constructing an elk viewing tower and visitor center to be built in the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan County. According to Gov. Jim Justice, the state has awarded $2.5 million from its Abandoned Mine Lands grants fund. A popular attraction for … Read more

MANNINGTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has entered into a long-term agreement with Mannington, West Virginia, to allow public hunting, fishing, and trapping on nearly 114 acres in Marion County. The property has been incorporated into the existing 1,259-acre Dents Run Wildlife Management Area. The 10-acre Mannington Lake is also included … Read more

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources has launched a citizen science project to identify the distribution of river otters across West Virginia and is asking members of the public to report sightings through an online survey. The survey can be completed online or by using the Survey123 mobile application. To learn … Read more

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources over the last two years has added more than 31,200 acres to the state’s public lands in the northwestern state with the creation of seven new wildlife management areas and the expansion of another four. Jerry Westfall, a wildlife biologist for the division’s sixth district, a ten-county area … Read more

Waterfowl hunters who wish to hunt from a shooting station in the controlled waterfowl hunting zone of McClintic Wildlife Management Area, near Point Pleasant, West Virginia, must submit their application by midnight Aug. 11, 2019. According to Kem Shaw, wildlife biologist for the Division of Natural Resources Wildlife, hunting is by permit only on a … Read more

They may be cute, they may seem cuddly, but young wild animals are best left alone—for their sake as well as ours, says Tyler Evans, a wildlife biologist at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center. Human interactions with young animals spike in the spring, and the result is rarely good. “This season provides an excellent opportunity … Read more