Our Work

Historically, Canaan Valley was covered in dense red spruce forests so thick it was "sufficient to strike terror into the hearts of men." These forests support rare species such as the West Virginia northern flying squirrel and the threatened Cheat Mountain salamander. At the turn of the 20th century, the logging boom and other land use changes decimated these forests. Today, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge works with partners to restore these forests for the wildlife that depend on them as well as safeguarding the resilience of these forests against rising temperatures.

The refuge is part of the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative, a partnership formed by federal, state, local, and non-profit partners working towards the common goal of returning red spruce forests to the landscape. Each year around Earth Day, volunteers come out to the refuge to help with large-scale planting projects, contributing to more than 300,000 trees planted on the refuge to date.

Since 2024, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge has been working with partners to develop and implement a restoration plan for the Upper Blackwater River (UBR) watershed in Canaan Valley. Restoring and monitoring this watershed is necessary in order to bolster its climate resilience; improve habitat conditions for rare species, including brook trout and the threatened Cheat Mountain salamander; and provide local communities with cleaner drinking water and expanded recreational opportunities. Actions that have already been implemented as part of the plan include prioritizing catchments through surveys looking at fish populations and aquatic organism passage as well as the planting of over 110,000 spruce trees in riparian areas. Slated future actions include replacing barriers for aquatic organisms, bank stabilization projects, and more.

Grasslands and other early successional habitats are crucial to many species, including eastern meadowlarks, bobolinks, American woodcock, and more. On the refuge, we maintain our grasslands through prescribed burning, mowing, or haying to hinder the growth of trees and reset succession. Prescribed burns occur in the spring, conditions permitting, and mowing occurs in the fall after the milkweed has gone to seed and the grassland bird nests have fledged. The area around Cortland Road and the Beall Tract are prime examples of these management actions.

The Cheat Mountain salamander is a federally threatened woodland salamander that is found in only five counties in West Virginia. They depend on moist, high-elevation forests. Their major threats include habitat loss, climate change, and competition with other salamander species. Of the 80 known populations, the refuge hosts five. Each year, our team conducts surveys to monitor the population and conducts research their movement to better equip us and our partners with the tools to help this species on the road to recovery.

Outdoor recreation is the backbone of the economy of our surrounding communities. The refuge manages over 34 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing through the dedicated efforts of staff, volunteers, and our partners. The refuge also facilitates world-class hunting and fishing opportunities.

Each year, refuge staff and volunteers engage with hundreds of students in environmental education programs. For over 15 years, the Wild School program has taught students the importance of wetlands, their functions, and ways they can help them through a series of classroom visits followed by a field trip to the refuge. More recently, high school students have stepped into the role of a biologist as they conduct a scientific study on the threatened Cheat Mountain salamander through a curriculum called "Cheating Extinction for the Cheat Mountain Salamander." These educational programs are supporting by the Friends of the 500th, the non-profit partner of the refuge.

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge falls within the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA), a region spread across 18 counties in West Virginia and western Maryland where the natural, cultural, and historic resources create a story of national significance. Here, the forested mountains have influenced generations of people—just as those people have shaped the landscape in turn. The refuge helps interpret this story through interpretive programming, presentations, workshops and more; recognized as an official Discovery Site by AFNHA.