I remember hearing an analogy of a passenger plane spending most of its energy getting off the ground. Then, we spent a few years talking about building the plane while we were flying it. It took many volunteers hours to get the Mon-Forest Towns Partnership off the ground, but we are flying now. I was humbled to chair the board during those beginning years. The ultimate goal was to become a 501-c3 non-profit. When that happened in February 2023, we were off to the races. With an Executive Director hired (Josh Nease), and two great staff members (Sam Kniery and Emily Cook) now working full time, a lot of good things are happening.
The MFTP Quarterly Meeting was held July 22 in Parsons. A brief Status Update is as follows:
The (MFTP) quarterly Board of Directors meeting began with a progress update from the second quarter of 2026. Just past the mid-point of the ARC POWER project, the partnership is successfully shifting from strategic planning to physical construction and economic integration.
The MFTP Board of Directors adopted a new Vision Statement and new Mission Statement. The MFTP is now focused on Regional Economic Impact and Infrastructure. “Strategic Infrastructure” connections that route forest visitors directly into downtown business districts to drive local spending. The recent MFT Bikepacking and Gravel Route Network was an example of what can and will happen in the future. The website went live in April, with a launch event in May held during the MFT Bikepacking and Gravel weekend in Marlinton. The in-person event drew 165 people from 15 states and D.C., who participated in social day-rides and bike-packing workshops.
The Mon Forest Business Initiative has served 86 businesses to date (34 new startups, 52 existing business improvements), focusing on job creation and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Wood- lands Community Lenders hired a Business Support Coordinator. She is providing coaching, access to Technical Assistance providers, and expanding business programming.
Our own Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Chelsea Faulknier also Chairs the MFT Marketing Committee. Their advertising program with WV Tourism is exceeding expectations, with more than 6.3 million social media views and over 145,000 active website users year-to-date. The MFT Gravel and Bikepacking Route Network accounted for approximately 382,765 views across associate platforms. The collaborative partnership with WV Tourism has leveraged more than $100,000 in additional marketing value with the 2026 summer campaign.
Looking forward The Executive Committee / Strategic Planning working group has engaged Dialogue + Design Associates to support the ongoing strategic planning process for 2027–2031. Next steps include goals, objectives and metrics for measuring success.
Locally, nursery work began Monday at The Roger L Trusler Memorial Park and the Gazebo Plaza – two of four locations that will get improvements.
