$400,000 in Local Projects Through Secure Rural Schools Program
Resource Advisory Committee Announces $400,000 in Local Projects Through Secure Rural Schools Program. Elkins, West Virginia, September 5, 2025—Gerald Dornburg, Mayor of Cowen and Chair of the West Virginia Resource Advisory Committee (RAC), and Josh Nease, Executive Director of Mon Forest Towns Partnership and RAC Co-Chair, today announced funding for sixteen projects that will benefit […]
Allegheny Highlands Trail
Stretching from downtown Elkins to Parsons, the 26-mile Allegheny Highlands Trail follows the former route of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway. Once a lifeline for commerce and travel, and completed in 1884 under the vision of railroad magnate Henry Gassaway Davis, for whom the town of Davis is named, the corridor now offers a […]
Country Roads, Time to Roam: Partnership Announces New Gravel and Bikepacking Route Project Across National Forest
Mon Towns Partnership Announces New Gravel and Bikepacking Route Project Across National Forest Region The Mon Forest Towns Partnership (MFTP), a regional non-profit working to advance outdoor recreation and downtown development in twelve towns across eight West Virginia counties, has announced a new collaborative gravel and bikepacking project with Village to Village Trails, Bikepacking Roots, […]
WV Ready AmeriCorps Support Stewardship Across the Mon
Partnership AmeriCorps Chris Downing has been hard at work in 2024, supporting trail stewardship across the Mon Forest Towns Region and connecting with the land managers and community volunteers that help to keep the Monongahela National Forest and its surrounding public lands so wild and wonderful! With support from Appalachian Conservation Corps’ WV Ready program and […]
Partnership AmeriCorps Receives Award
During October’s 2024 Volunteer West Virginia Conference in Flatwoods, Mon Forest Towns Partnership AmeriCorps, Sam Kniery, was recognized for his year of service with the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) program, receiving the Outstanding AmeriCorps award for his work across the region. In an AFNHA press release, Mon Forest Towns Executive Director Josh Nease […]
Hiring Community Projects Manager
Mon Forest Towns Community Projects Manager The Mon Forest Towns Partnership is seeking applicants for a new Community Project Manager Position! Details about the position can be found in the link here and in the text below! Position Description The Mon Forest Towns Partnership (MFTP) is a unique coalition of 12 towns in the Monongahela […]
Mon Forest Towns Partnership Receives ARC POWER Award
Woodlands Community Lender, on behalf of the Mon Forest Towns Partnership, has been awarded $1,897,136 by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to deploy a community-driven model for sustainable recreation-based economic growth across twelve towns in the Monongahela National Forest region, including Cowen, Davis, Durbin, Elkins, Franklin, Marlinton, Parsons, Petersburg, Richwood, Seneca Rocks, Thomas, and […]
Taking on Trails – Advancing Stewardship in the Mon
Sustainable recreation development is more than just new trails- it’s an opportunity to equip communities today with the stewardship skills and resources to maintain outdoor assets far into the future. This July, with support from West Virginia University’s Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative (OEDC) and Elkins Area Shared Trails (EAST), Mon Forest […]
Partnership Welcomes New Board Chair
This July, at the conclusion of the partnership’s quarterly board meeting in Marlinton, the gavel was passed to Elkins representative Jessica Sutton, formalizing her election as the new board chair for the Mon Forest Towns Partnership. In addition to being an avid trail runner and outdoor enthusiast, Sutton is an active member of her community, […]
A Kite Above the Rest
Despite the plume of dust that follows you like a shadow on any country road worth its gravel, I can’t help but roll the windows down as I drive up West Virginia’s highest mountain range in the last weekend of a waning June. The air may be warm, but thanks to a steady climb in […]