Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed to further expand a congressional plan to add the first new wilderness areas to the Monongahela National Forest in nearly 25 years.

Manchin wants to add 4,000 acres to the proposal announced in January by Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-W.Va., and the rest of West Virginia's congressional delegation.

"Conserving West Virginia's special places for this and future generations is one of my top priorities," Manchin said in a statement last week.

The key question now for the wilderness proposal is whether it will gain support from Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

The three new areas included in Manchin's proposal are all within Capito's district. A spokesman said Capito and her staff are still reviewing the matter.

"We have yet to see maps thus far on that, so as for taking a concrete up or down, we need to get some more information," said Jonathan Coffin, Capito's press secretary. "She's not going to rule out any proposal."

Manchin announced his proposal last week after nearly a month of intense efforts by Division of Natural Resource officials to remove two areas - Spice Run and Cheat Mountain - from the congressional delegation's plan.

Drafted by Rahall, the congressional plan would add 47,000 acres to the Monongahela's existing 78,000 acres of wilderness, an increase of about 60 percent.

Rahall is chairman of the House Natural Resource Committee, which has jurisdiction over public lands such as forests and wilderness areas.

Rahall's plan called for expanding three existing wilderness areas, Cranberry, Dolly Sods and Dry Fork. It would also create four new wilderness areas: Big Draft and Spice Run in Greenbrier County, Cheat Mountain in Randolph County, and Roaring Plains West in Pendleton and Randolph counties.

The proposal had the support of Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Alan Mollohan, all D-W.Va., and Capito.

But DNR officials and Manchin initially supported only the Dry Fork and Cranberry expansions.

DNR officials especially wanted to remove from the congressional proposal plans for the new Cheat Mountain and Spice Run wilderness areas.

DNR officials did not return phone calls last week.

Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed to further expand a congressional plan to add the first new wilderness areas to the Monongahela National Forest in nearly 25 years.

Manchin wants to add 4,000 acres to the proposal announced in January by Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-W.Va., and the rest of West Virginia's congressional delegation.

"Conserving West Virginia's special places for this and future generations is one of my top priorities," Manchin said in a statement last week.

The key question now for the wilderness proposal is whether it will gain support from Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

The three new areas included in Manchin's proposal are all within Capito's district. A spokesman said Capito and her staff are still reviewing the matter.

"We have yet to see maps thus far on that, so as for taking a concrete up or down, we need to get some more information," said Jonathan Coffin, Capito's press secretary. "She's not going to rule out any proposal."

Manchin announced his proposal last week after nearly a month of intense efforts by Division of Natural Resource officials to remove two areas - Spice Run and Cheat Mountain - from the congressional delegation's plan.

Drafted by Rahall, the congressional plan would add 47,000 acres to the Monongahela's existing 78,000 acres of wilderness, an increase of about 60 percent.

Rahall is chairman of the House Natural Resource Committee, which has jurisdiction over public lands such as forests and wilderness areas.

Rahall's plan called for expanding three existing wilderness areas, Cranberry, Dolly Sods and Dry Fork. It would also create four new wilderness areas: Big Draft and Spice Run in Greenbrier County, Cheat Mountain in Randolph County, and Roaring Plains West in Pendleton and Randolph counties.

The proposal had the support of Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Alan Mollohan, all D-W.Va., and Capito.

But DNR officials and Manchin initially supported only the Dry Fork and Cranberry expansions.

DNR officials especially wanted to remove from the congressional proposal plans for the new Cheat Mountain and Spice Run wilderness areas.

DNR officials did not return phone calls last week.

In a news release, DNR Director Frank Jezioro explained his agency's position.

"Given the history of human activities on some of the areas, managing their fish and wildlife requires more than simple preservation," the release said. "It often requires active management of land and water habitats that can't be done effectively in wilderness areas.

"Instead of protecting wildlife, the establishment of wilderness designation for areas like Cheat Mountain would hamper beneficial wildlife management efforts to restore red spruce and stream habitats for endangered species and brook trout," the release said.

Under federal law, wilderness areas are those "where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

A wilderness area is "undeveloped federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation."

In general, the Wilderness Act prohibits commercial activities, motorized or mechanized access and roads, structures and facilities. Hiking is allowed, but logging is prohibited.

Manchin's counter-proposal to the congressional delegation would not include the new Spice Run and Cheat Mountain areas.

But it would add nearly 13,000 acres at Seneca Creek and more than 6,000 acres in the east and north sections of Roaring Plains.

In all, the Manchin proposal would include about 51,000 acres, or more than 8 percent more than the congressional plan.

"This is an excellent enhancement to the wilderness legislation introduced by our congressional delegation and I believe it will be supported by an even broader coalition of West Virginia's citizens," Manchin said.

Rahall applauded Manchin and the DNR's "contribution to the important and pressing need to protect some of West Virginia's special places."

Matt Keller, a spokesman for the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition, said, "We are certainly open to the governor's proposal for changes to the Wild Monongahela Act.

"It's really up to the delegation as this is their bill," Keller said.

To contact staff writer Ken Ward Jr., use e-mail or call 348-1702.