Last week came a major announcement from the United States Environmental Protection Agency that will hopefully address a growing problem in Franklin in recent years. David Fotouhi, deputy administrator, along with Virginia members of Congress, announced more than $90 million “to implement 83 new projects that will support critical restoration and provide long-term water quality improvements.” Funding for the Small Watersheds Grants, including that for the Town of Franklin, comes from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. That entity recently announced broad and significant successes in watershed efforts leading to restoration of Chesapeake Bay fisheries and productive natural aquatic life.
The Bay program was passed under President Bill Clinton to address the fast expansion of algae blooms that choked out plant and animal life, threatening the blue crab and other vital fisheries. The majority of projects will work in other Bay watershed states, such as Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Those states have lagged behind West Virginia in terms of stream pollution reduction and need more help. Town of Franklin was the sole Small Watersheds Grant recipient among many projects. The Mountain State had no recipients in the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program, but again, West Virginia has made the most significant progress in this field through use of voluntary and incentive-based programs. Many of these operate through the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and third-party organizations such as Trout Unlimited.
All other Chesapeake Bay states use punitive regulations and punishments to force compliance that was encouraged by the Clinton EPA.
“The Trump EPA is committed to safeguarding the Chesapeake Bay to both human health and the environment and to grow the booming economies that come from it,” stated the release.
A great deal of the impetus for the grant came through the work of the Mon Forest Towns organization. This group links together towns adjacent to the Monongahela National Forest and includes Franklin, Petersburg, Richwood, Elkins, Seneca Rocks, and more. Its goal lies in bringing together resources to enhance national forest related economic development and also take full advantage of natural assets for the enjoyment of local residents and visitors alike. Each town organization works through MFT to chart a path appropriate for its local citizenry, local goals, and local traditions.
The grant will fund the project entitled “Installing Nature-based Stormwater Infrastructure in the Town of Franklin.” A grant of $605,000 plus $174,400 in matching funds will “install nature-based stormwater infrastructure on a municipally owned parking lot and adjoining sidewalks in downtown Franklin, West Virginia. This project will reduce stormwater runoff volume from nearly two acres and remove 6,000 square feet of impervious surface and eliminate localized flooding.”
Mon Forest Towns and the Town of Franklin picked up the issue after the Pendleton Senior and Family Services building faced flooding twice during a season of stormy weather in 2025. Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator, expressed serious concerns about the rise of the riverbed in the South Branch of the Potomac River combined with the accumulation of debris in it. This led to the Pendleton County Commission relocating county and state offices to the new General Services Building on the hillside above Franklin Town Hall.
Michelle and John Connor, who prepared the grant and also assisted with public meetings related to it, noted that “Eddie Sites came to a town council meeting because he had water running off the street into his (business) basement.” Runoff from the town parking lot also adversely affected businesses located by it. Mon Forest Towns helped access resources that “the town doesn’t have the ability” to acquire on its own.
The first step in the process came from another grant orchestrated by Mon Forest Towns and others. Community meetings helped to define the stormwater runoff issue and identify priorities. Also in the process, town officials noted their limitations, which helped to specify actions that could be undertaken without adding undue burden to the town.
A similar project was installed in recent years in Moorefield Town Park. The parking lot there has a permeable surface much like the one envisioned for the Town of Franklin lot. This surface has all the appearance of a traditional asphalt lot, but with very small pores through which water can percolate into a collection system rather than drain off quickly. This accomplishes two purposes. It slows the movement of water during high intensity storms and also reduced polluting runoff of oils and other fluids that can drip underneath cars.
More than a decade earlier, Berkeley Springs received a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant that paid for rain gardens in a local cemetery, permeable pavers on city streets, and tree boxes. Region 9 Planning and Development Council was instrumental in obtaining the funding. The release stated a concern expressed by the Town of Franklin when presented with the same broad slate of options. It stated that “town planners need to find funding for maintenance.” While Berkeley Springs has a vibrant and expanding economy based on a number of Morgan County industries that can pay for the extra additions, Franklin could not put more work burden on its employees or financial burden on taxpayers.
