Natural Renewal

Natural Renewal. . , The gorge, like all environments, is continually changing. Change peaked in the late 1800s when logging, mining, and the railroad converged to play a vital role in the industrialization of the United States. By the 1960s, industrial activities ceased, and nature slowly began to conceal the evidence of human exploitation. , In 1978, with the support of local communities, Congress established New River Gorge National River. As a unit of the National Park Service, it was created to protect the natural and cultural history of the area for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. , From the first native people to enter area through today, the gorge has been and continues to be, influenced by its inhabitants. How do you think it will look in 100 years as the story of the land continues to change? What will your influence be? , Vegetation grows quickly in the moist climate of the gorge. Abandoned mine sites and coke ovens, concealed during summer months, become visible during the winter when leaves fall away.