All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

WVDEP now accepting applications for 2025 AMLER grant funding

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for 2025 AMLER grants, which fund economic development projects on or near pre-1977 abandoned mine sites, with applications due by July 31.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation (AML) is now accepting applications for a portion of its 2025 Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program funding.

This federal grant program supports economic development projects located on or near mine sites that ceased operations before the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) was signed into law on Aug. 3, 1977.

View Map of AML Sites in West Virginia

The 2025 grant application, application tips and guidelines, and other helpful resources are available on the WVDEP’s AMLER webpage. Completed applications are due Thursday, July 31, 2025. All projects must receive final approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement (OSMRE).

An advisory committee made up of representatives from the WVDEP, state departments of Commerce, Tourism, and Transportation, and the Governor’s Office, is responsible for determining project eligibility and advancing recommended projects to OSMRE.

In 2024, 12 projects were recommended for nearly $29 million in funding. These included the Wheeling Gateway Center (Ohio County), Clear Fork Rail Trail (Raleigh County), TAZ Development Site (Preston County), and the Adventures West Virginia project (Fayette County).

Since 2016, the AMLER Program has awarded more than $239 million to support 84 projects throughout West Virginia’s coalfield communities.

AMLER Project Dashboard

For more information about the AMLER program, contact the WVDEP’s Office of Abandoned Mine Lands at 304-926-0499 or DEPAMLER@wv.gov.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Football Bucs to visit RCB Friday with playoff berths on the line for both teams

Buckhannon-Upshur (2-7) visits Robert C. Byrd (4-5) Friday with both teams fighting for playoff spots, as Bucs quarterback Dawson Tenney aims for 1,000 rushing yards after last week’s 60-57 thriller.

Carpenter Crunch Time Week 11: B-U marches towards a playoff spot

Buckhannon-Upshur sits 16th in Class AAAA SSAC and looks likely for a playoff spot as the Bucs head into a winnable Week 11 game, while local picks contest standings and college matchups draw heated fan reactions.

Mountain CAP Family Support Center to sponsor Free Family Bowling Night on Nov. 19

Mountain CAP Family Support Center will host a free Family Bowling Night with games and shoe rental on November 19 from 5–10 p.m. at Woody’s Bowling Center.

Apply now: Upshur County CEOS seek 2026 Junior Belle

Upshur County CEOS seek third- or fourth-grade 4-H applicants for the 2026 Junior Belle, who will represent the county and attend the WV State Folk Festival, with applications due Jan. 5, 2026.

Soccer ‘Cats end year with 2-1 victory over Davis & Elkins

West Virginia Wesleyan closed its 2025 season with a 2–1 win over Davis & Elkins, keyed by goals from Chris Gonzalez and Blair Sinclair and crucial saves from goalkeeper Matteo Marciani.

Wesleyan women upset by Senators 1-0 in regular-season finale; knocked out of MEC Tournament

Wesleyan’s women were eliminated from the MEC Tournament after falling 1–0 to Davis & Elkins in the regular-season finale despite outshooting the Senators and pressuring late.

Sikara Sokel’s solo exhibition ‘Luminescence’ opens Nov. 7 with opening reception at CAC Gallery in Buckhannon

The Colonial Arts Center’s CAC Gallery will host “Luminescence,” a solo exhibition of painter Sikara Sokel from Nov. 7 to Dec. 13, 2025, with a free opening reception and artist talk on Nov. 7.

Mary “Bert” Dean

Mary “Bert” Dean, 83, of Buckhannon, WV, died Nov. 5, 2025; she is survived by four daughters, a brother, numerous grandchildren and great‑descendants, two cats, and was a longtime member of Sand Run Baptist Church.

Annual Veterans Day Parade set for Nov. 11 in downtown Buckhannon

The annual Veterans Day Parade will be held on Tuesday, November 11, with line-up at 8:30 a.m. at the Charles W. Gibson Library. The parade will be followed by a Veterans Day Program at Jawbone Park at 11 a.m.