Matt Ford has a line he uses: plans and visions are often confused with hallucinations — until the $3.2 million comes through. He shared that number publicly for the first time at the inaugural WV Outdoor Economy Summit. Congressionally directed spending is now moving toward the Meadow River Rail Trail, a project that would connect Rainelle to the New River Gorge National Park along more than 40 miles of former railroad corridor running through some of the most dramatic canyon scenery in the state.
For Matt — seventh-generation Greenbrier County, his family’s history tied to the same rails where coal once moved through that canyon — this one is personal. The broader Adventure Meadow River plan wraps rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking into a regional recreation ecosystem anchored by the trail. When he went to write the latest grant, he walked in with 17 stakeholder letters. Nobody wants to be the only dollar in. The goal is making sure they never have to be.
Learn more about: Meadow River Valley Association / Adventure Meadow River
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