Nick Rahall: “the New River Gorge National River in southern West Virginia was designated as a unit of the National Park System in…”

“the New River Gorge National River in southern West Virginia was designated as a unit of the National Park System in 1978. At times referred to as the ``Grand Canyon of the East,'' we in West Virginia refer to the Grand Canyon as the ``New River Gorge of the West.'' The national river is comprised of over 70,000 acres of mostly rugged terrain and is renowned as a destination for its world-class whitewater recreation, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities. But it is also a place where generations of West Virginians have hunted and fished. Unfortunately, the National Park Service, as part of the development of a new general management plan for the park unit, has included a no-hunting alternative. It is doing so because legislation which establishes the New River Gorge National River states that hunting ``may'' be permitted. The enabling statute for the nearby Gauley River National Recreation Area, on the other hand, states that hunting ``shall'' be allowed. In fact, this is the case for the vast majority of the 62 units of the National Park System in which hunting is permitted. The bill we are considering today simply changes the ``may'' to a ``shall'' in the law which established the New River Gorge National River.”