Too many exceptions to protecting lands

Editor:

I'm glad that Gov. Manchin is publicly supporting more national forest wilderness protection. He says that it's important to protect West Virginia's special places.

But why is Manchin's Division of Environmental Protection allowing mountaintop removal to continue on Gauley Mountain, which is next to Hawks Nest State Park, and literally in the middle of West Virginia's whitewater rafting industry? On one side of Gauley Mountain is the New River Gorge National River; on the other side is the Gauley River National Recreation Area.

This area draws thousands of tourists annually. That number will only continue to increase, unless the mountain is blown up and the rivers contaminated with toxic mine waste.

Isn't this a special place, worthy of protection? Yet the DEP didn't stop this destruction even when the company was mining without a permit. Does the governor only think a place is special if the coal industry doesn't want it?

Every one of the many people I know whose homes are near mountaintop-removal sites thinks that their homes and communities are pretty special places, too. Under Manchin's watch, special places all over the state are being obliterated forever, with his blessing.

Dianne Bady

Huntington

Editor:

I'm glad that Gov. Manchin is publicly supporting more national forest wilderness protection. He says that it's important to protect West Virginia's special places.

But why is Manchin's Division of Environmental Protection allowing mountaintop removal to continue on Gauley Mountain, which is next to Hawks Nest State Park, and literally in the middle of West Virginia's whitewater rafting industry? On one side of Gauley Mountain is the New River Gorge National River; on the other side is the Gauley River National Recreation Area.

This area draws thousands of tourists annually. That number will only continue to increase, unless the mountain is blown up and the rivers contaminated with toxic mine waste.

Isn't this a special place, worthy of protection? Yet the DEP didn't stop this destruction even when the company was mining without a permit. Does the governor only think a place is special if the coal industry doesn't want it?

Every one of the many people I know whose homes are near mountaintop-removal sites thinks that their homes and communities are pretty special places, too. Under Manchin's watch, special places all over the state are being obliterated forever, with his blessing.

Dianne Bady

Huntington

Young people can save our country's future

Editor:

Many, many thanks to Eva Knapp (April 13) for putting my thoughts of the past few years into words. As I watched our troops going to Iraq several years ago, I could not believe it was really happening. Everything she wrote in her commentary is so terrifyingly true.

Our great United States of America has opened a Pandora's Box, and I can only pray that our young people will get beyond the haze of drugs and see what is going on and take action. America's future is at stake.

As a senior citizen with many health problems, all I can contribute is to vote for whom I think will try to make America great again, for our citizens and the foreign countries we have offended through our elected officials. Government is for the people, by the people, not one "elected official and his chosen few."

Most of our young people are good, solid citizens. Let's hope they can bring back the proud United States of America.

Yvonne Maas

Marlinton