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WEST VIRGINIA MAYORS WIN ‘ENVIRONMENTAL HERO AWARD’
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by Fran Hunt, The Wilderness Society | 2007

Lewisburg Mayor John Manchester and Richwood Mayor Bob Henry Baber Honored by The Wilderness Society for Work to Conserve State’s Wild Areas

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Lewisburg Mayor John Manchester and Richwood Mayor Bob Henry Baber were honored May 17 by The Wilderness Society for their ongoing efforts to conserve key wild areas within the state. The 2007 Environmental Hero Award was presented to Mayors Manchester and Baber at an awards dinner in Shepherdstown, WV.

“Mayors Manchester and Baber are true conservation heroes who have committed themselves to permanently protecting West Virginia’s remaining wild places while working to ensure their communities’ great quality-of-life,” said William H. Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society. “The environmental hero award is presented to grassroots activists who have furthered the cause of land conservation, and Mayors Manchester and Baber epitomize the best of what this award represents.”

John Manchester’s City of Lewisburg is a thriving community of 3,700 people near the Greenbrier River in Greenbrier County. It’s a place that encourages his passionate love of wild areas and his commitment to preserve the economic, historic, and cultural assets that surround it. Manchester’s tireless efforts have convinced the county’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to support more wilderness acreage in the Monongahela.

“It’s real simple,” Manchester said, “our municipal water supply is directly dependent on the quality of the Greenbrier River. And the quality of the river is directly dependent on the protection of its watershed.” This conviction makes his support of the proposed Big Draft Wilderness Area near town a “no-brainer.”

Bob Henry Baber is a former teacher and poet laureate for the state of West Virginia and was the first member of the Mountain Party ever elected to public office when he became mayor of Richwood in 2004. Richwood, a small mill town primarily known for its timber, sits at the foot of the Monongahela National Forest and in close proximity to the proposed Cranberry Wilderness Expansion, which, if added by Congress, would make the Cranberry Wilderness one of the largest wilderness areas in the eastern United States.    

“I guess I’m an eternal optimist with a true love of wild places,” said Baber. “I see great potential for Richwood to prosper economically from having extraordinary wild places so close to our community. Like in other communities around the country, the promise of wilderness experiences can be an engine that drives local businesses.”

“We hope that the West Virginia Congressional delegation will follow the lead of Mayors Manchester and Baber and introduce legislation to protect West Virginia’s remaining wild public lands,” added Meadows. “Mayors Manchester and Baber are part of a proud tradition of West Virginia lawmakers working hard to ensure that the state remains wild and wonderful. We hope others will join their efforts soon.”

For more information on the efforts of Mayors Manchester and Baber or on the proposed wilderness areas in the Monongahela National Forest, please contact Matt Keller with the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition (304) 864-5530.