The timber industry has played an important role in the economy and culture of West Virginia throughout much of its history. In the early-19th century, the hardwood forests of the Allegheny Mountains supported the cutting of timber for building construction and the production of charcoal. Later in the century, the production of paper from wood pulp became a major driver in the state's economy. However, by the 20th century, the market for the timber products exported from West Virginia was changing. At the same time, the environmental impacts of over a century of extensive cutting were also becoming evident.

By Ray Smock
 
I am just back from a visit to the C-SPAN Video Library, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. This incredible vast video archive contains more than 231,000 hours of C-SPAN broadcasts going back more than thirty years, and it is growing daily, with digital audio and video recordings of each day’s broadcasts on the three C-SPAN channels and C-SPAN radio.  While I have been a user of this archive before, this was my first opportunity to see how it works. 

​May is Historic Preservation Month, a celebration of the role historic places play in our communities, economy, and culture. Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966, providing a framework and incentives to preserve historic buildings and sites, such as the National Register of Historic Places and State Historic Preservation Offices. Preservation Month was created in 1973 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Research institutions, state and local historical societies, civic organizations, and other groups mark the month by promoting the benefits historic preservation projects can bring to their communities. 

​Senator Byrd believed in the benefits historic preservation could bring to West Virginia's economy and culture. Throughout his career, he worked to increase support for existing historic preservation sites and worked to gain recognition for new ones. These projects included the expansion of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in the state's eastern panhandle and the creation of the New River Gorge National River which led to the preservation of the town of Thurmond in Fayette County. One of Senator Byrd's later preservation projects was the creation of the Wheeling National Heritage Area in West Virginia's northern panhandle.