COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice, WV National Guard report hundreds of Soldiers being trained to support hospital staff across state

GOV. JUSTICE THANKS WVDNR DIRECTOR STEVE MCDANIEL FOR HIS SERVICE
Also on Wednesday, Gov. Justice took time out of his remarks on COVID-19 to thank West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Steve McDaniel for his service to the state.

McDaniel, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Justice in January 2017, will retire from state government at the end of the month and transition to a role as an advisor to the WVDNR.

"Steve McDaniel shares the same love for the outdoors as I have my whole life," Gov. Justice said. "He came into this position wanting to really do something to help his state, and what he's done at the DNR will absolutely be remembered for decades, if not centuries to come."

Over the past five years, more than $151 million has been invested in West Virginia state parks and forests for much needed repairs and significant improvement projects, vastly increasing their appeal as desirable tourism and vacation destinations. West Virginia has also expanded its state-owned hunting lands by an additional 85,896 acres and has improved its fish stocking methods to allow hunters and anglers from around the world more opportunities to enjoy the state's unmatched wildlife opportunities. As a result of these and other improvements, hunting and fishing license revenue is at its highest point in more than 20 years, and state park revenue is now 52% higher than it was in 2017.

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"He wants to spend more time with his family, and it's very deserved. But we don't want him to run off too far," Gov. Justice continued. "So we're going to keep him on in a role as an advisor, and we celebrate that he will still be a part of our team, even though we'll miss him as director. I thank him from the bottom of my heart."

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