Committees
The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Act), as amended by Public Law 116-94, provided for the establishment of Resource Advisory Committees. The purpose of these committees is to improve collaborative relationships between communities and their local forests and to provide advice and recommendations to the U.S. Forest Service concerning implementing Title II of the Act. Additional information on the three titles of the Act can be found under the Secure Rural Schools Background section of this website. All committee activities operate in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA.)
The Monongahela National Forest’s Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is called the West Virginia (WV) RAC. The WVRAC is comprised of 15 voting members, representing a broad array of interests as specified in the Act. Committee member appointments are 4-years in length. The Committee is led by a Designated Federal Officer in consultation with a Committee Chair. Meetings are open to the public and are announced in the Federal Register.
Monongahela National Forest contacts for the RAC are:
Committee Membership
The WVRAC is an opportunity for local community collaboration with federal land managers on implementation of Title II of the Secure Rural Schools Act. The Monongahela National Forest invites any interested individuals or organizations to inquire and/or apply for committee membership. A new committee was appointed January, 2025; however, applications are accepted on a rolling basis should any openings occur. Apply today!
To be considered for membership, nominees must:
- Be a resident of the State of West Virginia
- Identify what interest group you would represent and your qualifications to represent that interest group
- Complete Form AD-755, Advisory Committee or Research and Promotion Background Information
- Complete West Virginia Resource Advisory Committee Supplementary Information
Mail (hard copy) Application Documents to:
Monongahela National Forest
c/o Tessa Manecke
200 Sycamore Street
Elkins, WV, 26241
To receive the application forms, or for more information on WVRAC membership, please contact: Tessa Manecke at 304-704-1440 or Tessa.Manecke@USDA.gov
Members of the RAC must be appointed to represent one of the following three interest groups:
- Category One: Five members who represent energy and mineral development; the commercial timber industry; organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester groups; developed outdoor recreation; off-highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation; or federal grazing or other land permits or represent nonindustrial private forest landowners.
- Category Two: Five members who represent nationally recognized environmental organizations; regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations; dispersed recreational activities; archaeological and historical interests; or nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest groups, wildlife or hunting organizations, or watershed associations.
- Category Three: Five members who are elected state officials; are county or local elected officials; represent Indian tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the Council is organized; are school officials or teachers with knowledge in natural resource management or the natural sciences; or represent the affected public-at-large and/or are employed by a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources, land or water.
RACs are citizen groups that meet an average of twice per year to consider proposals for Title II spending. Meetings are generally one half of a day and can be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid of the two depending on the committee’s needs. Committee members are appointed to four-year terms by the Secretary of Agriculture and there are a total of 15 citizens on a RAC.
Requests for Proposals
The WVRAC will be soliciting proposals for Title II projects in the spring of 2027.
Who Can Apply?
- Federal Agencies
- Tribal Nations and Entities
- State and Local Governments
- Private Entities
- Nonprofit Entities
- Landowners
Prior to being awarded Secure Rural Schools funding, the applicant must have a valid SAM database registration.
What is Eligible?
Projects must take place on Monongahela National Forest land or may occur on other land ownerships as long as the project benefits resources found on the Monongahela National Forest. Projects are considered for funding from Title II if they make investments in, and create employment opportunities. Proposed projects should aim to:
- enhance forest ecosystems,
- improve water quality or
- improve existing infrastructure
within Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, or Webster Counties. Previous projects have accomplished watershed restoration, stream stabilization, invasive plant treatments, native plant reestablishment, wildlife and fish habitat improvements, recreational trail improvement, and road maintenance. Please see the “Funded Projects” section below for a list of the most recently funded projects.
How to Apply?
To apply for funds, please review and complete the Title II Project Application Form. Completed applications should be sent to Tessa Manecke at Tessa.Manecke@usda.gov
Prior to submission of the application, proposed projects must be discussed with and approved by the Responsible Official (e.g. District Ranger/Forest Supervisor) associated with the project’s location. Please see the attached map for relevant contact information. It is recommended to make contact and have these conversations early in the project development process. Incomplete applications or those not receiving approval from the Responsible Official will not be considered for funding.
Additional Information
Project proponents are encouraged to include any relevant supplemental information to help the WVRAC review their proposal including project maps, planned deliverables, monitoring plans, and detailed budgets. Additionally, project proponents will be invited to attend the WVRAC meeting when project reviews and decisions are made to present information on their project. All RAC meetings are open to the public.
Upcoming Meetings
Agenda
Join Via Microsoft Teams – August 3rd, 2026; 10a – 3pm
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/247014121997932?p=RpqWMPBBBPszCBT7Zm
Meeting ID: 247 014 121 997 932
Passcode: HV6EH7JF
Dial in by phone
+1 202-650-0123,,44707253# United States, Washington
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 447 072 53#
Continuation of August 3rd meeting or Backup- CANCELLED
Backup- CANCELLED
Funded Projects
The West Virginia Resource Advisory Committee met in July 2025 to make recommendations to the Monongahela National Forest on Title II projects to be funded. These recommendations were approved by the Monongahela National Forest. Below are the projects selected for funding.
| Project Name | Project Proponent | Total Project Cost | Total SRS Title II Request | Recommended Funding | Funding Level |
| Flood Prevention Devices | Monongahela National Forest | $16,530 | $12,500 | $12,500 | Full |
| EAST Mobile Trail Cache | Elkins Area Shared Trails | $63,400 | $19,252 | $19,252 | Full |
| AFNHA Conservation AmeriCorps | Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area | $116,808 | $48,000 | $48,000 | Full |
| Mountain Stewards Youth Summer Program | Experience Learning | $51,993 | $29,925 | $29,925 | Full |
| Second Fork Foot Bridge and Trussell Improvements | Monongahela National Forest | $53,538 | $38,000 | $38,000 | Full |
| North Zone Trail Crew | Mon Forest Towns Partnership | $97,661 | $48,500 | $48,500 | Full |
| Cheat Potomac Wilderness Areas Sign Replacement | Monongahela National Forest | $24,694 | $14,151 | $14,151 | Full |
| Historic Middle Mountain Cabin Roof Replacements | Monongahela National Forest | $61,398 | $34,873 | $34,873 | Full |
| Seneca Backcountry Signs | Monongahela National Forest | $26,121 | $15,578 | $15,578 | Full |
| Historic Middle Mountain Cabin Chimney Repairs | Monongahela National Forest | $30,864 | $27,904 | $27,904 | Full |
| Pocahontas County 4-H Camp - Water Line and Bathroom Maintenance | Pocahontas County 4-H Foundation | $45,500 | $30,000 | $30,000 | Full |
| WV Prescribed Fire Council Website | National Wild Turkey Federation | $7,446 | $5,000 | $5,000 | Full |
| Webster County Fish Stocking | Webster County Commission | $36,000 | $28,800 | $28,800 | Full |
| Buskirk - Appalachian Grizzled Skipper Habitat Improvement | Monongahela National Forest | $70,800 | $42,500 | $25,000 | Partial |
| Connecting Mon Forest Towns with Signage | Mon Forest Towns Partnership | $59,376 | $36,000 | $9,000 | Partial |
| Feather and Flora Trail at the Yew Mountain Center | Yew Mountain Center | $22,900 | $19,600 | $13,200 | Partial |
Secure Rural Schools
Since 1908, the U.S. Forest Service has shared with states 25 percent of gross receipts from timber sales, grazing, minerals, recreation, and other land use fees on national forests to benefit public schools and public roads in the counties in which the forests are situated.
In the late 1980s, due largely to declines in timber sale receipts, payments began to fluctuate and drop significantly. In 1994, Congress provided "safety net payments" to counties in northern California, western Oregon and western Washington.
To stabilize declining revenues nation-wide, Congress enacted the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-393) (i.e., Secure Rural Schools Act). The SRS Act had three principal titles.
- Title I – Secure Payments for States and Counties Containing Federal Land
The SRS Act directed that the majority of the payments to States be used to help fund county schools and roads. This portion of the payment is commonly referred to as the Title I payment and has averaged about 85 percent of the total payments to date.
- Title II – Special Projects on Federal Land
Under SRS Act authorizations prior to P.L. 114-10, eligible counties had the option to allocate part of their share of the State Payment to SRS Title II for projects that maintain existing infrastructure or enhance the health of ecosystems on national forests, while supporting local economies. Title II provided for the establishment of Resource Advisory Committees (RACs) to review and recommend projects to forest supervisors. The Secure Rural Schools Act as reauthorized added to the duties of the committees and expanded the interests represented by members.
- Title III – County Funds
Funds allocated by a county under Title III may be used on county projects. When the Secure Rural Schools Act was reauthorized in 2012, Congress limited the use of Title III funds to three authorized uses: activities under the Firewise Communities program, reimbursement for emergency services on national forests, and preparation of a community wildfire protection plan
Since the original Act in 2000, there have been several reauthorizations that have changed the calculation and process for which counties can elect to receive the funding.
For more information on Secure Rural Schools.
Committee Members
Organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester groups: Susan Leopold
Developed outdoor recreation, off highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation activities: Emily Huguenin
Energy and mineral development interests or commercial or recreational fishing interests: John Schmidt
Commercial timber industry: Ruthana M. Beezley
Federal grazing or other land use permittee or represent nonindustrial private forest landowners, within the area for which the RAC is organized: Gerald Dornburg
Nationally recognized environmental organizations: David Zielonka
Regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations: Ashton Berdine
Dispersed recreational activities: Josh Nease
Archaeological and historical interests: Doug Wood
Nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest groups, wildlife or hunting organizations, or watershed associations: Matthew Barkley
State elected official or their designee: VACANT
County or local elected official: Kimble Tanner
American Indian tribes within or adjacent to committee area: Vacant
School officials or teachers : Melissa Shockey
Affected public at large: Elizabeth Fay Douglas
Affected public at large: Nanci Bross-Fregonara