Bob Handley never gives up, ever. At age 78, this West Virginian is as tough and experience-weathered as the mountains he calls home. Over eight decades, Bob has explored countless caves, survived an accident that could have left him paralyzed, attended the signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden of the historic 1977 strip mining bill he worked to pass, and today he is fighting for wilderness protection for West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest. Based on his track record of success through perseverance, he is sure to succeed again.
Bob attributes much of his love for the outdoors to his family. "I come from a nature background. Dad was brought up on a farm near Lewisburg, WV and was a professor of wildlife conservation at Virginia Tech in the 1940s. I learned a lot of what I know from Dad, but I didn't follow in his footsteps. I started caving."
Bob's cave explorations span his entire long life. In 1948, he discovered significant new passages that put togehter Organ Cave, a 40-mile cave system with ten known entrances, and he has been involved in other discoveries all over this part of West Virginia. He describes his explorations as a "poor man's way to get into virgin territory that no person has seen or touched before." In 1994, Bob Handley was the recipient of the National Speleological Society's prestigious Lew Bicking award, the only West Virginia resident to hold that honor.
Bob has recently revived a love for exploring the natural world above ground. "As I've gotten older, on hikes I like to look at what's around me and stop, identify plants, take pictures of wildflowers," says Bob.
Two years ago, he volunteered at High Rocks, a girls' camp for troubled teenagers. There, he worked with Beth Little, a fellow volunteer and long-time community activist who invited him to a meeting of the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition. That's where he got his start in wilderness protection.
"I like the idea of leaving things alone. I believe in the Forest Service's motto 'Leave no Trace'," he says. "All of the areas here were wilderness prior to 1890. It really gravels me that everything was cut; they clear-cut everything." Decades later, much of the forest has restored itself to a wild state, and Bob and his fellow volunteers with the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition are working hard to keep it that way.
Bob is focusing his efforts on protecting some of the wildest areas on the southern end of the Monongahela National Forest. Last year, upon realizing that none of the four existing wilderness areas in the Monongahela National Forest were in the Greenbrier River watershed, and that important sources of scenic beauty and clean drinking water for local residents were unprotected, he began working to increase public awareness of proposed wilderness areas in this critical watershed, including Spice Run, Big Draft, East Fork of Greenbrier, Middle Mountain, Laurel Run, and Little Allegheny Mountain.
The Forest Service, which is in the process of revising its long-term management plan for the forest, has the chance today to recommend these special places for wilderness protection. However, in all public drafts of the new plan, these important areas have been left out. Yet, Bob remains determined, saying, "If the forest plan leaves us out, it just means we need to work harder."
Bob is also communicating with his congressman, Representative Nick J. Rahall, about the draft plan. "I wrote him a letter saying I was probably wasting my time asking him to do more for wilderness, since he has done so much already, but that he was the most logical one to step forward for wilderness. I also told him my real reason for writing is to invite him on a hike, and he accepted."
This August, Bob Handley is looking forward to taking Congressman Rahall to the Big Draft Proposed Wilderness. Just over 5,000 acres in size, the area features portions of Anthony Creek, an excellent spot for fishing, swimming, or whitewater paddling, as well as old forests of eastern hemlock and white pine, which form a cool canopy for both delicate wildflowers and people who want to get out and experience the beauty of their Monongahela Forest.
Bob works with a team of volunteers who live in and around the southern portion of the Monongahela Forest to help keep this area wild. "He works so hard, and he has such a pleasant, gentle manner," says fellow wilderness activist Beth Little. "It's incredible what he gets done. I'm glad to see him recognized for his work."
In addition to his wilderness work and work for other local causes, Bob is looking forward to Fayette, WV's annual Bridge Day on October 21, where he will rappel more than 800 feet down from the famous Gorge Bridge over the New River. Bob holds the record for being the oldest person to ever rappel off the famous bridge. "I won't quit," says Bob. "I have a T-shirt from West Virginia Public Radio that says ‘God put me on this Earth to accomplish a certain number of things, and at this point in time I'm so far behind I'll never die.' I guess for me, that's sort of a personal motto."
The Campaign for America's Wilderness salutes Bob Handley and all of the hard-working, passionate, and talented activists working to protect the Monongahela National Forest. For more information on their efforts, please visit http://www.wvwild.org/.
