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When contacting the West Virginia Congressional Delegation or the Governors office, the most effective methods are phone calls, letters and faxes. Emails don't carry as much weight as the others. Feel free to use the points below in your letter but be sure to personalize it as much as possible. It will be more effective that way. Please email us a copy of one of your letters so we can compile them.

-I am writing to ask you to support protection of significant new wilderness areas on the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). Currently, just 78,000 acres - less than 9% - of the MNF is protected as Wilderness, well below the average for eastern National Forests. Wilderness areas protect the headwaters of our rivers, the source of clean drinking water. Also, forested watersheds control rain runoff to minimize flooding. They provide ideal locations for hunting, fishing, backpacking and other forms of outdoor recreation in scenic and natural settings.

-It has been 20 years since any new wilderness was designated in West Virginia . Our current areas are a major tourist draw. We are fortunate in WV to have wild areas left in the East that qualify for Wilderness. Economically, we should take advantage of this opportunity to better compete with surrounding states for tourism dollars, as well as prevent overuse of our current areas.

***(Describe personal connection/experiences in wilderness areas or wild places on the Mon National Forest here.)***

-Now is the time to designate additional wilderness areas in our state. Benefits associated with designated wilderness are far reaching for the people of West Virginia , our wildlife populations and the land itself. Protecting our last few remaining wilderness areas will ensure that present and future generations can use and enjoy parts of the forest in their natural state.

-I strongly urge you to support efforts to designate new wilderness areas on the MNF and hope that you will be a leader in crafting legislation that will preserve our last remaining unprotected wild places.