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The following bits of information are driving factors behind why we have taken up this fight for our rights, homes, and happiness.
LAST UPDATED: April 24, 2004
 | The Big Lie - In order to suppress opposition, for years many people were told by planners they would not have to give up their homes and lives - then just before announcing the acquisition of property in 1999, planners changed their story at the last minute! Only a dedicated 4.5 year fight by the citizenry prevented the 1999 plan, which took all the land between the road and the river and in some cases could have forced conservation easements on all remaining landowners, from implemented. |
| The Parkway planning is being executed, controlled, and influenced by big business, big government, and interests outside of the state, including: |
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Virginia Tech University
Land Developers in Maryland
Survey Crews from Lexington, KY
Missouri Department of Conservation
| The parkway will force the poor, retirees, longtime residents and home owners in the valley to give up their homes and land for a scenic parkway. | |
| The National Park Service wants to remove all people from the "View Shed" of the parkway. That means all homes or buildings that can be seen from the Parkway are to be taken by the government, abandoned, and then destroyed. | |
| In several other areas of the valley where the National Park Service has "bought people out" with grand promises of investing in and improving the valley, the Park Service now claims it does not have enough money to do what it promised to care for and maintain? If it can't afford what it already has, does it make sense for NPS to take on yet more land? | |
| The New River Parkway Authority refuses to answer questions from the public about the plan at regular monthly meetings. | |
| The parkway will introduce more traffic, more pollution, and higher sustained highway speeds along the route of the parkway. | |
| Environmental Impact - The government completed its environmental impact study at a cost of $2.5M over ten years in July 2003. That same government, allowed the public less than 60 days to comment! | |
| The parkway plan is supposed to preserve the beauty of nature of the valley, yet one influential Maryland Developer wants to build an exclusive and upscale resort right in the middle of it. | |
| The parkway plan, under the auspices of saving the valley, may actually destroy it's rural character and pristine nature. | |
| Our government is telling residents that they will only be compensated for their physical property value, yet the land and homes are being taken because of their scenic value and location; at the same time our government is wasting tax payer dollars in other places in the Valley. Those landowners willing to sell should be compensated in part because of the location, much the same as ocean front property has more value than that which is inland. The owners not willing to sell should be allowed to stay. | |
| Many species of animal, including ducks, Canadian geese, toads, great blue heron, green heron, beaver, eagles, and minks, have returned to the valley after years of being gone. The new plan threatens to drive them off again, and at the same time destroy other native species of plant and animal life. | |
| Did
you know the National Park Service (NPS) wants to return ALL parks to
pre-Columbus era noise levels? That would allow no tourists, industry, cars trucks, buses, phones, lights (they make noise), people, and in the case of the New River Valley, no trains either. Is that economic development or government gone mad? So why, then, we must ask, do they insist on building this road? The NPS claims to be singularly qualified to determine acceptable noise level. Wonder if one of their rangers was present when Columbus landed? | |
| The plan envisions extending the road all the way to Princeton, which as currently defined would mean eventual removal of all people from the valley for over 30 miles. | |
| Isn't the Parkway supposed to promote economic progress and development? We are told that the Parkway is being built to Hinton to benefit the economy of the town. Why then does the route by-pass the historic district and the heart of the City of Hinton? | |
| In its Meeting Brochure for the 11 January, 2001 meeting, the WV Dept. of Highways states that the NRPA "is developing a Land Management System (LMS) to guide development in the New River Parkway Corridor". This ignores/glosses over the real issue: We, New River Friends, applaud the idea of constructively protecting future development, but we, New River Friends, are already here, and have been for generations in some cases, and want to remain in harmony and peace! | |
| Members of our group have reported that the National Park Service representatives have stated intent to eventually take all the land on the Route 20 by-pass at Hinton, including the businesses. To the best of our knowledge, no one from the NPS or the NRPA is denying this. Would this really help the area's economy? | |
| The designated route number for the road is WV 125. | |
| As is typical at most meetings about the Parkway, at the May 2002 public SDEIS meeting 33 people made comments.........5 FOR the parkway and 28 AGAINST THE PARKWAY!! Now, where are all those people the government claims are for the project? | |
| The road is being built with a combination of state and U.S. federal tax dollars. |
