Jay Rockefeller: “today I commemorate 142 years of statehood for my State of West Virginia. In doing so, I believe that it is important to…”

“today I commemorate 142 years of statehood for my State of West Virginia. In doing so, I believe that it is important to note my State's motto, ``Mountaineers Are Always Free.'' This phrase, as relevant today as it was 142 years ago, truly embodies a people who have done so much to contribute to our great Nation and a State so abundant in natural beauty. Historically, West Virginia's magnificent landscape has nurtured and inspired her inhabitants, endowing willing adventurers the freedom to explore, experience, and utilize her natural wonders. Native Americans came to West Virginia over 9,000 years ago and established the State's first permanent settlement in present-day St. Albans. Their ancient artifacts and impressive monuments, such as the Grave Creek Burial Mound, in Moundsville, serve as lasting tributes to the land's eternal contributions to mankind. Today, the people of West Virginia remain free to explore and enjoy the State's unspoiled, majestic terrain. Mountainous views extend for miles in every direction, and blend seamlessly with glades of rhododendron and deep river valleys. Hundreds of thousands of acres of forests, such as the Monongahela National Forest, blanket our State with lush plant life. West Virginia has over 50 State and national parks that protect our natural habitat and provide recreation to millions of visitors each year.…”