The Adventure Meadow River Outdoor Recreation plan will help shape the future of the Meadow River Valley! Take our short survey and share your ideas for enhancing outdoor recreation, connectivity, and sustainability across Nicholas, Fayette, and Greenbrier Counties.
The Meadow River Valley Outdoor Recreation Plan is a community-driven initiative designed to create a strategic roadmap for enhancing outdoor recreation, connectivity, and sustainability across the region. Covering the Meadow River Valley Watershed, which includes portions of Nicholas, Fayette, and Greenbrier Counties, this plan aims to extend regional recreation opportunities while promoting responsible growth.
Led by Meadow River Valley Association, Inc. and funded by grants from New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and Partner Community Capital, the plan seeks to strengthen ecotourism and outdoor activities. The goal is to protect river and land areas, enhance accessibility, and strategically expand recreational assets.
The plan envisions increasing the economic impact of outdoor recreation, improving quality of life for residents, and elevating current assets to ensure long-term environmental sustainability and economic growth.
"Adventure Meadow River will lay the groundwork for the long-term growth of outdoor recreation in the valley and guide development in a way that balances access, sustainability, and a destination quality experience."
~ Andy Davis - New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
Goals
ASSETS: Assess and inventory the existing outdoor recreation assets in the Meadow River Valley Watershed, evaluating their current condition and capacity to offer a high-quality outdoor experience for all users.
PARTNERS: Collaborate with government entities, non-profit organizations, community leaders, and the public to identify ongoing and planned projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for both residents and visitors.
GAPS: Identify new, compelling tourism infrastructure projects to promote the outdoor economy, enhance the quality of life, and drive private investment.
UNITY: Identify projects that also help achieve broader community goals, such as young adult and workforce retention, small business growth, environmental quality, and active living.
VISUAL: Develop a plan that captures community interest and inspires a shared vision by incorporating compelling renderings, site master plans, 3D illustrations, and other visual elements to clearly convey recommendations and ideas.
STRATEGY: Provide the steering committee and their partners with clear strategies and a prioritization schedule for implementing the plan recommendations.
Process
1) Research and Preliminary Analysis
The consultant team will hold a direction-setting meeting with the steering committee to discuss key opportunities and challenges, compile a comprehensive database of existing outdoor recreation assets, and assess current resources and infrastructure.
2) Stakeholder and Public Engagement
Host interviews and focus groups with government officials, key stakeholders, and community leaders to gather insights. Create a promotional video and leverage social media to encourage public participation in an online survey. Develop a dedicated project website to serve as an information hub throughout the planning process.
3) Plan Development
Guided by the steering committee, stakeholders, and community input, the consultant team will develop a framework outlining preliminary recommendations for enhancing and expanding outdoor recreation assets. Following this, the team will initiate a second round of public engagement to gather further feedback.
4) Final Plan Development
The final master plan will encompass all recommendations, a detailed phasing schedule and an outline of potential grant funding sources. The plan will be made publicly accessible on the project website.
Creating a strategic roadmap for enhancing outdoor recreation, connectivity, and sustainability across the Meadow River Valley Watershed, which includes portions of Nicholas, Fayette, and Greenbrier Counties.
