About Us

Volunteers Making a Difference
The Board Members
The Organization
Funding
In Memory
"New" Coal River Group Brochure

The Coal River Group (CRG) was established to help “Bring life back to the Coal Rivers”.

The founders, Bill Currey and Bill Queen, established the volunteer non-profit organization in 2004.

The founders began the effort to organize a community based watershed group after floating the entire 88 miles of the Big, Little and Coal Rivers. They set out simply to explore and fish the waterways. Starting in 2002 they floated and fished every inch of the rivers. What they found was a beautiful but troubled watershed. They marveled at the remoteness of the rivers as they flowed through mountain canyons, wonderful hardwood forrest areas and bounced over light whitewater riffles.

They also found the Little Coal River had many sections of dead water because of silt that had been deposited over many years. Open sewer lines from homes without adequate septic systems were found on all three rivers along with accumulations of trash and thousands of tires. They decided to take action to "Bring life back to the Coal Rivers"

The two Bill's loved adventure and they boasted that they had navigated the entire East Coast of the Atlantic from Myrtle beach via the coast of Florida up the Gulf of Mexico to Mobile Bay. They later Navigated a friends boat from Mobile Bay up the inland waterway (1,500 miles and 23 locks)to St. Albans. The two had also fished and floated most of West Virginia's sport rivers.

Bill Queen had been a Senior Marketing executive for AT&T and had served as the volunteer Production Director for the huge Charleston Sternwheel Regatta for 18 years. Currey had served as the National Public Affairs Director for FMC Corporation. He has experience as a lobbyist, Media Relations and public relations. He has owned and operated a commercial and industrial Real Estate Business for 25 years.

The two founded the CRG along with local friends in 2004. The watershed group has grown quickly and was recently named the West Virginia Watershed of the year (2009).

The goals the Group established include the following:

Environment: Clean up, preserve and improve the Big, Little and Coal Rivers.
Economic Development: Create and promote the many recreational opportunities that exist on the rivers in order to improve the region's economy.
History: Preserve and interpret the history of the Coal Rivers and the region.

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The Board Members

The CRG is operated by a 11-member Board of Directors. The Board meets on the second Thursday of each month. Meetings are open to the public and include a public comment period following each regular board meeting. The CRG meetings are held at its newly constructed Science and Education Center at One Pettigrew Road in Meadowood Park at Tornado, WV.

2009 Board Members:

Bill Currey – Chairman of the Board Emeritus
Kris Radford – President
Bob Miller – Treasurer
Jane Burdette
Richard Milam –Vice President
Mary Browning – Big Coal River Branch Chair
Jerry McCormick-Attorney/Legal Dept.
Anna Shahan – Secretary.
Connie Mosteller – History Chair
John Whiteley-Inland Waterway Advisor
Tom Lumadue-Energy Planner

Volunteer Chairmen

Tim Ligon – Recreation & Kayak Trips/Barnette Conservation Preserve
Jane Milam – Scrapbook
Bob Miller- Asset manager-Photography
Dean Braley-Photo Contest-Resident Archaeologist
Jim Browning-Boone County Government Relations
Dr. Mike Harshbarger-Manager Technical Systems
Dave Lewis-Electrical systems Director

Special Supporters

Ed Hamrick - US EPA Mid-Atlantic Highlands Program Liaison
Hank Barnette-Senior Advisor-Barnette Conservation Preserve
Tim Quinlan, City National Bank
Steve Moses, Moses Ford
WV DOH for historic signs and Walhonde Trail sign help
WV Job Corps for help in making new sign Kiosks
WV DNR a partner in the development of the Walhonde Water Trail
WV DEP a partner in the restoration of the Coal Rivers
Boone County Commission
Lincoln County Parks and Recreation Commission
Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Commission
The City of St. Albans
The WV Legislature
The WV Governor Joe Manchin

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The Organization

CRG is incorporated in West Virginia by West Virginians. The CRG is a non-profit 501c3 corporation.

The Board operates the business affairs of the organization and has a broad variety of committees that provide volunteers ample opportunities to become involved in all CRG projects and programs.

The CRG has a Big Coal River Branch (committee) headed by Boone County resident, Mary Browning. That volunteer group has developed new river clean up and education programs unique to the Big Coal River Boone County area. Members of the branch are: Mary Browning, Chairman; Teresa Perdue, PR Chair; Tom Judy, Dan Light, Kenny Bailey, Jim Browning.

CRG has over 150 members and over 150 volunteers from the three county (Boone,Lincoln and Kanawah) that work diligently to carry out the Group's many river-based cleanup, science and education programs.

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Funding

CRG operates as a WV-sanctioned watershed organization. Funding from the WV Stream Partners along with private donations, membership donations and fund raisers help to cover the operating costs for the Group.

Major sources of funding include:

WV Legislature Community Partnership Grants
WV DEP – Mid Atlantic Highlands Grants
WV DOH- Recreation Trails Grants
WV Stream Partners Grants
St. Albans Historical Society
And others

Private Sector Funding:

Appalachian Log Structures
Curtis Hank Barnette Family
Bill Bess
City National Bank
John Foster
Lawson Carpets
Massey Energy (Parking Lot at Barnette Conservation Preserve)
Mohler Lumber
Moses Ford
Pritchard Coal Company (Parking Lot at CRG Science & Education Center)
And others

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IN MEMORY

BILL QUEEN

DAVID SHORT

David Short served as the CRG's Web master and provided help and professional expertise as an artist to every aspect of the groups activities. He importantly provided much levity to anything he was involved in. David was a gifted artist and was the Chief Graphic Artist for the Charleston Newspapers at the time of his death. He also was a Balloon pilot, a candlemaker, an adventurer and loved live to the fullest. David is missed by all who knew him. The CRG Thanks David for his many contributions and his help at all the CRG events.

R.J. LOYD

R.J. Loyd served as the first Web Master for the Coal River Group. He was a talented individual who simply wanted to help everyone whenever he could. R.J. was a talented musician and served as on the Board of Directors of the Kanawha Players for many years. He operated a theatrical production company and was active in many community events. R.J. and his trusty Gunnoe boat was a regular on many of the CRG's first river exploration trips. He loved the river and was ready to paddle any time. His help to the CRG in its early years was wonderful and his hot dogs were the highlight of many of the early river cleanup events.

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"New" The Coal River Group information brochure

The CRG is pleased with the high quality publication and appreciates all the hard work by Matt Thompson, Graphic Artist, with the WV DEP. Ed Hamrick, the EPA Liaison, for the project was instrumental in getting the funding for the project.

Thanks to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency for Assistance in the design and printing of this publication

Please e-mail Kris Radford to request a copy- crgpaddler@yahoo.com

Lock Chamber-Lock 3 at Upper Falls, Coal River