While others debate the uses of the Mountain State’s abundant natural resources, the West Virginia Army National Guard is taking action and paving the way to community and economic invigoration through the use of reclaimed post-mine land.
By Amy Arnett
In 2013, the West Virginia Army National Guard (WVNG) reported an economic impact of more than $426 million, and more than $14 million of that total directly impacted the State of West Virginia via construction, education and other expenditures. One of the guard’s senior leaders, Major General James Hoyer, has made it his goal to ensure WVNG continues to affect West Virginia in a meaningful and productive way.
One of the strategies Hoyer has employed in growing the guard’s presence in the Mountain State is its use of post-mine land. The guard’s unique approach to development uses the available tracts of land in as many ways as possible, creating the maximum effect on the economy and the state’s overall well-being.
Reclaiming Resources
In the late 90s, a former surface mine site off the West Virginia Turnpike near Memorial Tunnel in Kanawha County was available for development; WVNG purchased the land with additional training grounds and housing in mind. The property has been transformed into an advanced mobility training area where military outfits can practice operating Humvees and mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, also known as MRAPs.
The site officially opened in 2011, after years of planning and development. The additional training space encouraged creation of what is now a total of five West Virginia training facilities in Kanawha, Clay, Nicholas, Raleigh and Logan counties.
A site in Fola, WV, formerly owned by Consol Energy, provided a unique opportunity for the guard’s next reclaimed mine land project. “The terrain closely mimics what our pilots have encountered in Afghanistan and certain areas of Africa,” says Hoyer. “It has become a drop zone, and it allows us to do a unique drop where planes fly higher, out of ground artillery range, and make a drop using precision mechanisms.”
Mining’s impact on land leaves it in a condition that makes it ideal for the guard’s training. In Logan, WVNG built a combat assault landing strip (CALS) as part of the reclamation process, a project that would have cost millions of dollars to build on a different property. The CALS allows training for military pilots—including several special forces groups that have traveled to Logan from all over the country—to practice landing on an unfinished airstrip. The strip is located near Logan County Airport’s paved runway that was also built on post-mine land. In addition to the landing strips that offer shared use for the guard and the community, WVNG secured two fire trucks for use at their training operations. When not in use by the guard, Logan’s volunteer fire department has access to the two vehicles for local emergency services.
“We look for ways to leverage military training needs and benefit the community,” says Hoyer. “Does it create 1,500 jobs? No, but it creates opportunities that will grow into others.”
Producing Results
While researching development opportunities in the Mountain State, WVNG Director Jeff Wood looked into the U.S. geological survey. He found information on West Virginia’s natural aquifer and began working on ideas for how to leverage the resource.
“We thought about it, and we couldn’t easily send water to places, but we can send it in the form of tomatoes, potatoes and other produce,” says Hoyer.
According to Walt Helmick, the commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, West Virginia consumes more than $7.3 billion in food annually, yet the state produces less than $1 billion of it. “While West Virginia was once an agriculture state before the development of the coal, steel, glass and chemical industries, it now has the chance to return to those roots and begin growing crops to cut into that large gap between consumption and production,” says Helmick. “It is a $6 billion opportunity.”
“Post-mine land offers a unique opportunity for development because the properties are typically large, flat tracts,” Helmick explains. Working together with the Department of Agriculture, WVNG has developed four agriculture projects on properties that also feature training facilities. Apiary operations, or bee farms; production of crops such as tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce and planting fruit-producing trees are examples of the efforts being made through partnerships that go far beyond the guard’s reach.
A Golden Opportunity
The state fruit of West Virginia is the Golden Delicious apple, and the Grimes Golden Delicious originated in Clay County, WV, not too far from the Fola drop zone location. The connection struck the development efforts like lightning, and plans quickly formed to start bringing production of the Golden Delicious back to where it began.
Working together with the Clay County Development Office and West Virginia State University, the guard has planted apple trees on the property in Fola. From grant money for research to man hours spent ensuring the trees grow properly and produce fruit, the operation has become a statewide effort to honor West Virginia’s agricultural heritage.
Along with bringing back a native cultivar, the guard aims to capitalize on the consumption-production gap highlighted by Helmick. At the guard’s ChalleNGe Academy, an educational program for at-risk youth, Hoyer estimates $11,000 is spent on lettuce alone to feed the resident students.
“If we can produce lettuce on-site, that’s more money we can invest in other areas,” says Hoyer. “We partnered with the Kanawha Institute for Social Research and Action to build a high tunnel at the academy.” The ChalleNGe curriculum also includes the business aspects of agriculture in addition to growing food.
Similar examples exist throughout the state where food is brought in large quantities to facilities such as prisons and camps. The guard wants to create a model of success for agricultural endeavors in the Mountain State, and the first steps are taken on their own land. In addition to the ChalleNGe Academy’s high tunnels, which are a type of greenhouse for crops, cultivation for crops and produce is taking place in Charleston.
The guard hopes its trial and error with what will work in the region will serve as a model for potential farmers. “If someone is interested in starting an agricultural business, our infrastructure is in place for them to incubate their project before they invest thousands of dollars,” says Wood.
Injecting sustainable practices that bring opportunities to West Virginia in every industry is the overview of the WVNG’s projects. In the future, they hope to expand produce operations, giving local restaurants and communities an agritourism angle and providing an in-state food supply to an entire work force.
“If we already have manufacturing, oil and gas and we can create agriculture to support their food needs, we’re creating another industry. We bring national security training to West Virginia, but we’re also bringing industry,” says Hoyer. “Is economic development supposed to be our business at the National Guard? I’m sure some people would ask why we’re doing this. Our primary focus is we want to be a part of the catalyst to make West Virginia a better place, so if we can get engaged, that’s within our purview.”
