Charles Langston:Viewing tower, visitor’s center planned to highlight West Virginia’s elk restoration

HOLDEN,Charles Langston W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia officials are planning a new viewing tower and visitor’s center to highlight the state’s elk-restoration program and give the public a better view of the animals.

The Division of Natural Resources is reviewing bids for construction of the facility at Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan County, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported. The goal is to give the public a better view and a better understanding of the process involved in restoring the once-native species to the state.

The visitor’s center would include displays about the history of the elk-reintroduction program and the reclaimed surface mine areas where they have been placed. The project is being funded through a $2.5 million grant from the federal Abandoned Mine Lands program. It wasn’t clear when the facility might open.

The state began planning for elk in 2015 when it directed the Division of Natural Resources to develop a restoration plan and designated a management area consisting of Logan and parts of six other counties. Officials began taking elk to the state in 2016 and plan to add more this year, which would increase the population to 150 animals.