Assessment of Cliff Escosystem in New River Gorge, Glen Jean, WV

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The New River Gorge National River (NERI), contains over 50 miles of vertical rock walls—the most extensive in West Virginia and possibly within the entire Appalachian range. These cliffs and gorges have been identified as critical to NERI’s national significance, and contain specialized and potentially rare plant communities. The Park’s mandate is to protect these cliffs, as well as provide for opportunities to enjoy these resources. However, there is a serious lack of data pertaining to both the extent of the cliffs, as well as impacts from usage. The cliff ecosystems of NERI are potentially under threat from heavy visitor use. This interdisciplinary project will collect information about the: 1) geology of the cliffs; 2) flora associated with the cliffs; 3) visitor use and impacts to the cliffs and associated resources related to hikers and climbers. Findings from this project will be synthesized and recommendations will be used to alleviate current impacts and provide guidance on the future management of these cliff areas. This project will receive funding for two years.

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