New proposed project for Hatfield-McCoy Country

Hey guys and gals.

Awhile back I heard about a proposed project in our area called the Guyandotte Water Trail.

I figured Hatfield-McCoy Riders would be interested in this as to a large part, the inspired it!

You see, the Hatfield-McCoy Trails have been a bigger success than anybody could have imagined 11 years ago, and because of the trails and their riders many communities in Southern West Virginia have recieved a major economic shot in the arm.

The primary purpose of this project is to give tourists something extra fun to do when they are in our area riding the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, in terms of fishing, canoing and kayacking. If this proposal goes through, it will go for about 120 miles from RD Bailey Dam to around Huntington and there would be a boat docking area every five to seven miles. There would also be maps, historical land markers and so forth .

Just like Hatfield McCoy the purpose of this is tourism and economic development through outdoors recreation. IE bait shops, convenience stores, guide services and boat and kayak rentals, etc....

The people who came up with the idea told me point blank that the purpose of it was threefold. to increase tourism and give our riders more to do while in our area, to promote economic development and to lure the locals into doing more to take care of our streams and stamp out pollution and litter.

You see, the people behind this project hope that if it DOES catch on, that the local people will have more respect for our streams and start taking better care of them instead of littering. People have noticed the litter problem is no where near as bad around here as it was ten years ago, and a lot of that is credited to Hatfield-McCoy.

IE we have you, our riders coming to visit us, and many of our locals want to put our best foot forward, so to say, by littering less to make the area nicer so you will enjoy it and come back.

Hatfield-McCoy has done so much for the counties it rests in. 11 years ago, some of our more booming and bustling towns were almost Ghost Towns, but you, our friendly riders have changed that. In my town (Logan) we have an eight screen movie theater now, plenty of restuarants, a museum in our park and a new archery and shooting range too. All things that did not exist before the Trails.

We have so many things for riders to do and for the general public to do that did not exist before thanks to the success of Hatfield-McCoy. I am hoping this project becomes a reality so that we can thank our riders by giving them even more reasons to come to Hatfield-McCoy Country!

When you come to Hatfield-McCoy, you are not just having fun on one of the best outdoor recreation trails on earth. You are also pumping millions of dollars into the local economy and creating jobs that help ordinary folks like me buy groceries and pay bills.

If the Guyandotte Water Trail becomes a reality, (and I hope it does), consider this a way of folks working on it saying, "Thanks, and come back!"
I hope that the project is a success and that it comes to fruition and that you, our visitors will enjoy it and see it as a thanks and another fun thing to do while in Hatfield-McCoy Country!