On a perfect September day, Earl Ray Tomblin, West Virginia’s former governor, stood high over Cheat Canyon and welcomed the public to the state’s newest conserved natural area. Renowned for its whitewater rapids and rich beauty and biodiversity, Cheat Canyon has long been a conservationist’s prize.

Black bears, bobcats, bats and large-flowered Barbara’s buttons are just some of the fauna and flora you’ll find in the area. The endangered Indiana bat calls Cheat Canyon home, and it is the only place on the planet where the flat-spired three-toothed snail, also called the Cheat threetooth, can be found. One of the world’s rarest land snails, it’s categorized as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The canyon affords many opportunities for recreation — rafters and kayakers tackle the class III-IV rapids of the Cheat River, anglers lure smallmouth bass, hunters track deer, turkey and bears, and hikers and birdwatchers explore the surrounding wilderness. As local resident Amanda Pitzer puts it, “The Cheat is our playground!”

A Long-Awaited Victory

Despite several past attempts to save the Cheat stalled, the community continued to rally for this natural area’s protection. In 2014, TCF, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, purchased 3,800 acres of forestland, cave and riverbank along a seven-mile stretch of the Cheat River. More than $7 million was raised for the project through a variety of public and private sources, including gifts to The Nature Conservancy, mitigation dollars and public grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and the West Virginia Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund.

Over the next few years, a large portion of the land will be transferred to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and managed as part of the complex of public recreation lands on the lower Cheat River. When the project is complete, nearly all of the remaining areas of the canyon that have not yet been preserved as part of Cooper’s Rock State Forest and Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area will be conserved.

Why This Project Matters

Successful landscape-level conservation depends on the strength of partners. By leveraging resources and working together, we can save treasured places like Cheat Canyon. Protecting this area will maintain its incredible scenery and diversity of wildlife and provide greater public access for recreational activities in the canyon.