Connecting Mountain Towns & the Mon Forest
About Mon Forest Towns
The Mon Forest Towns Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving 12 gateway communities to the Monongahela National Forest: Cowen, Davis, Durbin, Elkins, Franklin, Marlinton, Parsons, Petersburg, Richwood, Seneca Rocks, Thomas, and White Sulphur Springs.
The Partnership currently operates as part of Woodlands Community Lenders in Elkins, WV. Woodlands provides critical support and financial services that allow for the development and success of this new organization.
Our mission is to collaboratively grow a strong, sustainable recreation economy that enhances residents’ quality of life while providing exceptional outdoor experiences for visitors.
Spanning nearly one million acres, the Monongahela National Forest encompasses the highest elevations of West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. For more than a century, the region’s forests and mountains fueled national growth through timber, coal, and other natural resources. Though our economy has weathered highs and lows, our Mon Forest Towns are resilient and are working together to build a more sustainable future.
Because the national forest is the defining feature that unites our communities, outdoor recreation provides a natural foundation for regional economic development. Our goal is a network of thriving gateway towns where people can afford to live, as well as a destination that draws visitors to explore and return.
The Partnership was formed in 2017, when local towns, three lead agencies, and more than a dozen supporting organizations came together through a multi-agency coalition to strengthen a recreation-based economy across the region. Today, our work is carried out by a three-person staff housed within our fiscal sponsor, Woodlands Community Lenders, with primary funding support from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Recognizing that each town is unique, we meet communities where they are. Through regional partnerships and local collaboration, we help identify needs and gaps, implement community-directed and data-driven projects, and assess impacts across social, economic, and environmental outcomes. This cooperative model blends local knowledge, staff facilitation, and regional support to create a peer learning network that addresses shared challenges and advances shared opportunities.
How We Work
Board
Each of our 12 town councils appoints two representatives to our Board of Directors. In addition to governing our organization, Board members report back to their town councils on Mon Forest Towns work.
Working Groups
Each Mon Forest Town has a team of residents who are actively engaged in work at the town level. These local working groups establish priorities for town projects and needs, which our staff help them implement.
Partners
We are proud to have over a dozen supporting partners who bring subject-matter expertise to our towns. Our principal partners include, but are not limited to, WVU Extension, U.S. Forest Service, USDA Rural Development, Woodlands Community Lending, and member Convention and Visitors Bureaus.
Staff
The Mon Forest Towns Partnership nonprofit is the glue that holds these towns, partners, and programs together. Our team orchestrates programming at the regional level, leveraging partners and in-house expertise to help towns advance projects. We identify common needs across our towns, and then strategically leverage resources to address those needs.