By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Legislature has taken steps in recent sessions to expand off-road vehicle use and amenities across the state’s park system. But lawmakers didn’t embrace combining those two concepts during an interim legislative session committee meeting this week.
Democratic and Republican members of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Subcommittee pushed back against allowing off-road vehicles in state parks during a meeting on the subject Sunday.
“[T]o go in and tear our parks up, I can’t support it,” Sen. Rupie Phillips, R-Logan, said.
“It scars our parks, and it’s not an activity I would like to come across,” said Sen. Robert Beach, D-Monongalia.</p></div><div class=”subscriber-only” style=”display:none”><p>The legislators made their remarks after hearing presentations from two retired state park system leaders against approving off-road vehicle use in state parks and representatives of two groups that support motorized recreation…
