National Coal Heritage Area Authority
Oak Hill, WV
The National Coal Heritage Area (NCHA) is one of only 40 nationally designated heritage areas in the entire United States. It represents a part of the growing effort by the National Park Service to develop resource protection initiatives for areas of national importance that rely on partnerships and private ownership rather than the traditional methods of Federally owned parklands. The mission of the National Coal Heritage Area is to preserve, protect, and interpret lands, structures, and communities associated with the coal mining heritage of West Virginia.
The NCHA encompasses 13 counties in southern West Virginia: Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Logan, Lincoln, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Wyoming and Paint Creek and Cabin Creek located in southern Kanawha County.
National Heritage Area designation recognizes the coalfields of southern West Virginia as a treasure of national importance. This designation provides an opportunity to tell the story of the southern West Virginia coal mines to visitors from outside the region as well as local residents.
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Nearby Attractions:
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