{"id":660367,"date":"2026-03-02T19:48:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T00:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/?p=660367"},"modified":"2026-03-02T19:48:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T00:48:40","slug":"morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/","title":{"rendered":"Morrisey announces five new appointees to Natural Resources Commission"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>CHARLESTON, W.Va.<\/strong> \u2013 Governor Patrick Morrisey announced five new members of the West Virginia Natural Resources Commission.<\/p>\n<p>James Bailey, Lauren Winans, Vincent Cava, Michael Simon, and Vips Alpizar were announced as the newest members in a press release from the Governor\u2019s office late Monday.\u00a0\u00a0 They will join Commissioners Janet Hamric Hodge and Jeff Bowers on the commission for the first meeting of the year on Thursday, March 12, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting will be the first of the year and will include presentations of proposed season dates and bag limits for big game for this fall\u2019s hunting season along with fishing regulation proposals for the coming year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWest Virginia\u2019s natural resources are one of our greatest blessings and a cornerstone of our economy and way of life,\u201d\u00a0<span style=\"font-style: inherit;\">said Governor Morrisey<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">. \u201cJames, Lauren, Vincent, Michael, and Vips each bring valuable experience, strong community ties, and a deep appreciation for our state\u2019s outdoor traditions. I am confident they will help guide sound policies that balance conservation, access, and economic opportunity for generations to come.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese appointments reflect our commitment to protecting West Virginia\u2019s natural beauty while ensuring it remains accessible for our citizens and visitors,\u201d\u00a0<span style=\"font-style: inherit;\">Governor Morrisey added<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">. \u201cWe will continue to champion policies that strengthen our outdoor economy, and preserve these resources for the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The meetings will be held in six locations across the state and can also be streamed online at the Commerce Department\u2019s YouTube Channel.<\/p>\n<p>Those wishing to attend the meetings in person to make public comment can attend at the following locations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>District 1 &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a01110 Railroad St, Farmington, WV 26571<\/li>\n<li><strong>District 2 &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a01 Depot Street, Romney, WV 26757<\/li>\n<li><strong>Elkins Operation Center in District 3 &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0738 Ward Road, Elkins, WV 26241<\/li>\n<li><strong>District 4 &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a02006 Robert C Byrd Drive, Beckley, WV 25801<\/li>\n<li><strong>WVDNR Headquarters in District 5 &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0112 California Avenue, Charleston, WV 25305<\/li>\n<li><strong>District 6 &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a076 Conservation Way, Parkersburg, WV 26104<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Biographies on the five new Commissioners provided in a Governor\u2019s Press release:<\/p>\n<p><strong>James Bailey<\/strong>, a Charleston attorney representing District 5,\u00a0<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">\u00a0previously served as the West Virginia Secretary of Commerce, overseeing numerous state agencies, including the Division of Natural Resources. He\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">brings a background in community engagement and a long-standing interest in conservation and responsible land use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">Lauren Winans,<\/span><\/strong> a Buckhannon resident, offers experience in organizational leadership and public service, with a focus on collaboration as she represents District 3. Her grandfather, Sgt. Gary Wade (District 1), helped foster her passion for conservation, family, and service of officers across the state, something she has proudly handed down to her daughters. As a television show host, Winans would often highlight Natural Resources Police Officers and showcase the important role they play in protecting West Virginia\u2019s people, land, and wildlife.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">Vincent Cava<\/span><\/strong>, a seasoned business leader and professional in Bridgeport representing District 1, contributes a strong perspective on resource management and outdoor recreation, reflecting West Virginia\u2019s proud hunting, fishing, and tourism traditions. He is passionate about protecting and responsibly utilizing the region\u2019s natural resources.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michael Simon,<\/strong> a Weirton attorney with a diverse practice, and who previously served on the Brooke County Board of Education, will serve as an at-large representative, bringing a broad statewide perspective and a strong appreciation for the role outdoor recreation and conservation play in supporting local communities and economic development.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">Vips Alpizar,<\/span><\/strong> a Monroe County resident, adds a strong commitment to conservation and community engagement, especially with environmental issues. Owner of a Monroe County Bed and Breakfast, she supports the Commission\u2019s mission to preserve West Virginia\u2019s natural beauty while expanding access to outdoor activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Five new members represent a massive change on the commission which makes key decisions about hunting, fishing, and trapping in West Virginia <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":660369,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,9],"tags":[567],"class_list":["post-660367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-outdoors","tag-outdoors-top-story"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Morrisey announces five new appointees to Natural Resources Commission - WV MetroNews<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Morrisey announces five new appointees to Natural Resources Commission - WV MetroNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Five new members represent a massive change on the commission which makes key decisions about hunting, fishing, and trapping in West Virginia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WV MetroNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"WVMetroNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-03T00:48:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com\/wvmn-s3\/2026\/03\/Elk-Tomblin.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1366\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MetroNews Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@wvmetronews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MetroNews Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/\",\"name\":\"Morrisey announces five new appointees to Natural Resources Commission - WV MetroNews\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tk-wv-metro.beforewegolive.dev\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com\/wvmn-s3\/2026\/03\/Elk-Tomblin.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-03T00:48:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-03T00:48:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tk-wv-metro.beforewegolive.dev\/#\/schema\/person\/083b56fd0d4d114fe49f6a8f955a2ca6\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/03\/02\/morrisey-announces-five-new-appointees-to-natural-resources-commission\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com\/wvmn-s3\/2026\/03\/Elk-Tomblin.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com\/wvmn-s3\/2026\/03\/Elk-Tomblin.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1366,\"caption\":\"A bull elk on the Tomblin WMA in Logan County. 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