Appalachian Trail Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, and Mountain Valley Pipeline enter into stewardship agreement

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) has entered into a voluntary stewardship agreement with The Conservation Fund and Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), the non-profit announced in a news release. The Conservancy says the agreement will advance their mission to manage, protect and advocate for the Appalachian Trail.

As part of the agreement, MVP has committed up to $19.5 million for use by the ATC to conserve land along the trail corridor and support outdoor recreation-based economies in southeastern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. It is the largest funding package in the Conservancy’s history to advance conservation efforts in a single geography.

New Watauga River put in opens

The paddling community is celebrating a new put in on the Watauga River. The new Guy Ford River Access Area near Bethel, NC now offers permanent public access to