
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 23, 1993                   TAG: 9306230113
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

PASSAGE OF RIVER BILL URGED

Four West Virginians testified Tuesday before a U.S. House subcommittee about a bill that would protect a 14.5-mile stretch of the New River from commercial development.

"Please pass the bill so we won't have destruction of our New River, raping of our mountains, threats to our precious water, disturbance of our wildlife and damage to our environment and economy," said Patricia Cole of Salt Sulphur Springs in Monroe County, W.Va.

Cole spoke on behalf of Common Ground, an environmental group.

Also testifying before the Natural Resources Committee's subcommittee on national parks, forests and public lands were state Sen. Robert Holliday, D-Fayette; Roger Harrison of Buchannon, representing the West Virginia Rivers Coalition; and Jim McNeely of Bluefield, representing the National Committee for New River.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., would designate as wild and scenic a section of the New River in West Virginia and Virginia south of Bluestone Lake.

That section is on one of the routes proposed by Appalachian Power Co. for a 765,000-volt power line it wants to run from Oceana, W.Va., to Cloverdale, Va. Opponents say the line would hurt the environment as well as tourism.

by CNB