The Mountain Ascent — Latest Issue

$64 million to come to Appalachia for recreation

The Appalachian Regional Commission has announced millions in funding for tourism and recreational economic development. Recipients and partners include Friends of Southwest Virginia, UVA’s College at Wise and the town of Big Stone Gap.    

Scott County students get carpentry experience on tiny home project

Scott County Career and Technical Center students have been honing their carpentry skills on a tiny home since January. The project is nearing completion and will soon go up for bid.

New recreational area

Community members, project partners and state and local officials gathered recently in Dante for the opening of a new recreation area with approximately 16 miles of new trails and a campground. The project involved over five years of efforts on the part of the Dante Community Association, the Russell County Board of Supervisors, Appalachian Voices, Virginia Department of Energy, Spearhead Trails, the Appalachian Conservation Corps and The Nature Conservancy.

44,327 acres to be protected under new Department of Wildlife Resources grant

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced $14.7 million in Virginia Land Conservation Foundation funding for land acquisitions for new public outdoor recreation areas and conservation easements to protect active forests and farmland. Part of this funding will go to Wise, Buchanan and Dickenson counties to help conserve over 44,000 acres.