The park staff work closely with state officials to coordinate voluntary compliance, however, there is no requirement for private individuals or businesses to protect such species or their habitats. Baseline data on the condition of resources, which would be the indicators of the effects of defoliation, does not exist. Critical documents, such as the Environmental Assessment for gypsy moth management, require detailed information and hard scientific data in order to justify management actions. A 1987 law directed the NPS to allow the state to conduct this spraying, which is a very controversial practice. Due to concerns that the removal of all the black fly larvae will negatively impact the overall function of the river ecosystem, the law also directed the NPS to study the effects of the spraying.
Preliminary results indicate no short term impacts to the river system.
Due to substantial natural variation from year to year in aquatic insect populations of a large river, early results must be described as provisional at best. There are many exotic and pest species within New River Gorge NR, Gauley River NRA and Bluestone NSR including japanese knotweed, kudzu, poison ivy, yellowjackets, japanese honeysuckle, japanese beetles, etc., for which IPM Plans have been developed. These pest species require a variety of control methods and are treated when their numbers exceed a predetermined injury level. All three NPS areas have active rail lines and two areas have abandoned mine operations within their boundaries. There is great potential for hazardous material spills to occur within the parks, particularly into surface waters.