CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources issued notice of the fourth and final meeting of the Natural Resources Commission of the year set for November 12. What many are wondering is if there will be a quorum when the meeting arrives.
Commissioner James Bailey, who was among five new commissioners appointed back in March, has resigned his seat. Bailey cited personal reasons for stepping down. However, his departure leaves a third unfilled vacancy on the body which acts as the key link between the state’s sportsmen and the West Virginia DNR.
The Commission’s makeup in the past year has been a revolving door. Another appointee in the group of five when Bailey came to the Commission, Michael Simon, declined the appointment even before the first meeting. Another of those original five appointees in March, former Commissioner Lauren Winans, resigned her seat after only two meetings to take a job with the Morrisey Administration. Commissioner Janet Hamric-Hodge resigned from the Commission in August citing health concerns. She sadly died only days later after a long battle with cancer.
Governor Patrick Morrisey appointed LeFlore Barbour Lucas to the at-large Commission seat in April to replace Simon. However, the vacant seats of Winans, Hamric-Hodge, and now Bailey are yet to be filled. It’s unknown if the Governor plans to appoint anyone to the seats before the November 12th meeting.
Typically the November meeting has a light agenda and usually no votes scheduled. However, the agenda includes the annual Law Enforcement update, an update on planning, engineering, and maintenance on wildlife projects and a summary of the DNR’s Whitetail Deer Study.
The meetings are open to the public with physical locations at the following sites:
District 1 – 1110 Railroad St, Farmington, WV 26571
District 2 – 1 Depot Street, Romney, WV 26757
Elkins Operation Center in District 3 – 738 Ward Road, Elkins, WV 26241
District 4 – 2006 Robert C Byrd Drive, Beckley, WV 25801
WVDNR Headquarters in District 5 – 112 California Avenue, Charleston, WV 25305
District 6 – 76 Conservation Way, Parkersburg, WV 26104
Those wishing to make a comment at those sites must be present at one of those locations to speak. The meeting will also be live streamed on the Department of Commerce YouTube page.