"With less than two months to go before the Oct. 1 registration deadline, tank owners are reminded of the importance of registering their aboveground storage tanks with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Not only is tank registration required by law, the information provided during this process will be used by the agency in the development of a risk-based assessment that will be used to determine where the biggest threats to public health and the environment are located.

All storage containers with the capacity to hold at least 1,320 gallons of liquid, are 90 percent or more above ground and that are at a fixed location for 60 days or more must be registered with the DEP by Oct. 1. Required information includes data about tank contents, location and size; age of each tank, the material it is constructed of; what sort of secondary containment measures are in place and whether it is regulated by any other state or federal regulatory programs.

Emily Hathaway, of Weston, WV, has been named the 2014 recipient of the West Virginia Tree Farm Program/Pat Plitt Memorial Scholarship. Hathaway is the daughter of Sherrie & Scott Hathaway. The scholarship is open to all children and/or grandchildren of West Virginia Tree 
Farmers. She is grandchild of Tree Farmers Mary Lee and Thomas McPherson; TF #000723?50.

FRA Safety Alerts for the past 14 years are accessible online at no charge at www.loggingsafety.com. Select "FRA Safety Alerts" from the menu at the left of the screen (the sixth item from the top), and then choose a year and browse the titles displayed. FRA encourages reproduction and circulation of Safety Alerts, and several publications reprint them regularly. We only ask that, in circulating them, you acknowledge FRA as the source.

Crystal Smith is a whirlwind of energy and accomplishment. If you have never had the opportunity to see the results of her time, effort and personal finance on behalf of WVFA and the WV forest industry, then you've missed a inspiring experience. Smith hosts and directs the WV Timber and Wood pageant, then guides the winners though a year of representing us as ambassadors-at-large for the industry, throughout our state.

This year, the WV Timber and Wood Queen is Mackenzie Mullins, the daughter of Gail and Joey Mullins of Summersville. Her "court" (my word) consists of:
WV Timber and Wood Teen Madison Campbell is the daughter of Ryan and Michelle Campbell of Craigsville.
WV Timber and Wood Jr Miss Brylee Knotts is the daughter of Bruce and Melissa Knotts of Flemington.
WV Timber and Wood Little Miss Kinley Hayhurst is the daughter of David and Pam Hayhurst of Craigsville.
WV Timber and Wood Mrs Becky Hancock is from Cottageville and is married to Robbie Hancock.