FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. -- A 5.6-mile long stretch of canyon slope extending from the New River Gorge Bridge to Hawks Nest State Park has been added to New River Gorge National River.

The land, which includes much of the scene depicted on the West Virginia state quarter, was purchased from residential developer Gary Driggs, whose Bridgeview Estates development adjoins the tract. Purchase price for the 619-acre tract was about $910,000, with money coming from the federal Land and Water Protection Fund, which is financed with offshore oil and gas lease revenues.

The land accounts for the first tract of National Park Service property to be acquired downstream of the New River Gorge Bridge on the Fayetteville side of the canyon. The new parcel lies within the proclamation boundary of the New River Gorge National River, which now encompasses 72,808 acres.

The new addition includes land extending from the edge of the canyon rim to the shoreline of the New River through much of the tract, or to the edge of an adjacent railroad right-of-way for the remainder of the parcel.

"The New River Gorge is known for its rich and diverse forests, and that is especially the case on this property, where logging has not occurred for decades, leaving a fairly mature cove hardwood forest," said Rodney Bartgis, state director of The Nature Conservancy.

The Nature Conservancy served as an intermediary on the sale, and commissioned an appraiser to determine a fair market price, which was approved by National Park Service appraisers.

"This purchase is critical to the New River Gorge National River in many ways," said Don Striker, park superintendent. "Protecting these large, intact forests is crucial to protecting the gorge. But it also will allow us to add six miles to the through-the-park trail, which will eventually stretch 100 miles through the park."

Striker added that the purchase also allows the park to help preserve the view on the southeast slope of the canyon downriver from the bridge. That view is one of the most visible in the park, seen by tourists at the nearby Canyon Rim Visitor Center, drivers on U.S. 19 crossing the bridge, paddlers on the New River, rock climbers on Junkyard Wall and Endless Wall, and hikers and bikers on park trails.

"One of the great things about working here is that rather than focusing on differences, people know how to work together where they have a common agenda," Striker said. "Whether it's the huge Boy Scout project or something like this, people can work together for both conservation and economic development. Good things are happening in our little part of the world."

Bartgis said that in addition to protecting an unbroken tract of forest, the purchase made possible a rare opportunity "to maintain such an iconic example of West Virginia scenery."

"Personally, I'm happy to see the land protected, because it's so important to the health of the forest and to preserving the beauty of the gorge," said Driggs. "The New River Gorge is important to West Virginia recreation and it's good for businesses that rely on natural beauty, and that includes our nearby residential development."

At Bridgeview Estates, Driggs has developed a five-mile network of trails, including some that connect with National Park Service trails. Troy Scott Parker, a national authority on natural surface trail construction, designed the trails.

"We're developing a community that's compatible with the forest landscape and the goals of the town of Fayetteville, and fits in with what the National Park Service is doing," Driggs said. "We minimize habitat disturbance as much as possible. It has a real wilderness feel to it, but it's only a mile from Fayetteville."

During the past decade, The Nature Conservancy has worked with the National Park Service and state agencies to protect nearly 8,000 acres in the New River Gorge.

The transfer of the land was finalized on Tuesday.

Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelham...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5169.