Fayette County comes together to restore Plum Orchard Lake
FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WVNS) – Fayette County community members have come together to restore one of their cherished parks.
More than 200 residents of Fayette County signed a petition to bring attention – and hopefully resources – to restore a local gem. Plum Orchard Lake is a place where many locals have fond memories. Memories of playing on the park’s playgrounds, roasting smores with their families at the campgrounds, and learning wilderness skills like shooting, hunting, and fishing.
But the park that so many knew and once enjoyed, is an unrecognizable shadow of its past. It has had many of its facilities removed – and what was left behind has fallen into disrepair.
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Plum Orchard Lake was originally opened on June 22, 1963, by the State of West Virginia’s Department of Natural Resources, as a public fishing area. With time, facilities were added including roads, boat launching ramps, a playground, a shooting area, and campgrounds – with those facilities being managed and maintained by the State Parks and Recreation division of the Division of Natural Resources, formerly the Department of Natural Resources.
But the park’s fate and state changed in 2015, when its management was transferred from West Virginia’s Parks and Recreation to its Wildlife Resource division of the DNR.
Plum Orchard Lake was transferred from the state’ Parks and Rec division to its Wildlife Resource division as part of former Earl Ray Tomblin’s state-wide 4% budget cuts in October 2015. As a result, its designation changed to Wildlife Management Area. WMAs are funded by payments from hunting and fishing licenses, as well as federal funds, which prohibit recreational facilities like playground, campground, and picnic areas on wildlife managed land.
David Perry and the over 200 Fayette County residents signed a petition, which was sent to the Secretary West Virginia Department of Tourism, Chelsea Ruby; Governor, Jim Justice; and other state and local representatives, requesting a meeting to discuss Plum Orchard Lake.
West Virginia House of Delegate Eric Brooks, representing the 45th district – where Plum Orchard is located – was one of the recipients of the letter; he has joined the effort to bring attention and resources to local park and told 59News, “I did submit an email, a request, to Director McMillion about what the plans were from the department, on the facility. Are they going to be putting some money into it’s upgrades. I know there’s a big push now with our parks and I just want to know where Plum Orchard Lake stood in that process.”
When 59News reached out to the State of West Virginia Communications Department confirmed the Departments of Tourism and Natural Resources have received the petition and responded:
“We greatly appreciate community input and understand the concerns.
Plum Orchard is a Wildlife Management Area, not a State Park and we are obligated to follow specific federal regulations that guide our management practices. These regulations are essential for ensuring the long-term health and sustainability of the area’s wildlife populations and habitat.
However, this input is valuable to us and we want to assure the residents of Fayette County that we will carefully consider public feedback when making decisions about Plum Orchard. We will certainly take their comments into account as we move forward with future management plans.”
Whatever the future holds, the community of Fayette County hopes the park will be a reflection of its past.
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