Mon Forest Towns Partnership directory

The Mon Forest Towns Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving the Monongahela National Forest’s 12 gateway communities: Cowen, Davis, Durbin, Elkins, Franklin, Marlinton, Parsons, Petersburg, Richwood, Seneca Rocks, Thomas, and White Sulphur Springs. Our mission is to collaboratively grow a strong, sustainable recreation economy that enhances the quality of life for residents and visitors by providing the best outdoor experience.

Spanning nearly one million acres, the Monongahela National Forest covers the highest elevations of West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. Home to legendary hardwood forests and resource-rich mountains, our region produced much of the timber, coal, and other resources that fueled our nation’s growth. Though our economy has weathered highs and lows, our Mon Forest Towns are resilient and are working together to forge a more sustainable future.

We believe that advancing our 12 gateway communities is key to growing a sustainable regional economy in the Mon Forest region. Since the Monongahela National Forest is the central feature uniting our towns, outdoor recreation represents a logical starting point. Our goal is to see our region filled with thriving towns where people can afford to live, as well as places people want to visit and recreate in.

Our work began in 2017, when our towns, three lead agencies, and over a dozen supporting organizations united through our innovative multi-agency coalition to build a thriving recreation-based tourism economy within the Monongahela National Forest. Today, we have a three-person staff housed within Woodlands Community Lenders, with operations funded primarily by the Appalachian Regional Commission.