Canaan Valley Institute took its name from the Canaan Valley Task Force, which came together in the early 1990s to find ways to protect the environmental integrity of the Canaan Valley in Tucker County, West Virginia, right in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands.
After a long standing proposal to build a hydroelectric power project that would have flooded much of the wetlands area of Canaan Valley was denied by the Environmental Protection Agency, local residents were faced with the question of just how to best use the land. And how would they actually go about making this decision regarding its use?
The Canaan Valley Task Force was composed of residents and landowners; representatives from local businesses, development, and recreational interests; local government officials; federal and state agency officials; conservation and environmental group representatives; and the public at large. This diverse group, with potentially competing priorities and interests, was able to build a successful working partnership. The process used by the Canaan Valley Task Force brought different interests together to tackle controversial and sensitive issues like outdoor recreation, habitat protection, economic growth, and property rights. Based on a decision-making process that allowed an adequate voice and provided access to all critical information, this method enabled those with a stake in the issue to make the best decision possible and to determine the future themselves.
In many ways, Canaan Valley Institute is the next chapter in the legacy left by the Canaan Valley Task Force. Our organization was created in 1995 under the sponsorship of US Congressman Alan B. Mollohan to assist communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic Highlands in their efforts to identify issues and implement locally determined solutions. Since then we have provided assistance to over 400 groups in a four state area, including West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
Canaan Valley Institute still utilizes the process that worked so well for the Canaan Valley Task Force in our everyday work--to identify issues, build strong working partnerships, and develop sustainable solutions that work for communities and their watersheds.
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