Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:
I wish to commend the Pocahontas County Commission on their initiative for maintaining support for the Pocahontas County Water Resources Commission.  This commission sets an important precedent for the State of West Virginia, as well as for our county.  The resources that it is mandated to monitor and conserve are resources that will only gain value with time.  Certainly the drought in the western United States and population growth give credence to the notion that water may some day become a valuable commodity, not unlike energy resources are today.  
The efforts and contributions of Grazia Apolonares, as Water Resources Commissioner, have been stellar,  She has been masterful at recruiting, training and implementing a force of volunteers to carry out surface and ground water monitoring, in conjunction with several  other volunteer organizations. 
It is my hope that the Pocahontas County Commission will continue its commitment to monitoring and conserving these valuable resources for its citizens.  The commission can better support this effort by making the position of Water Resources Commissioner a salaried, rather than a contract, position.  This would provide our Water Resources Commissioner with a more fair and professional compensation for her valuable efforts for the county.
Thomas P. Epling
Cass