Citizens concerned about the economic problems of southern West Virginia formed “the New River-Highlands Corporation” in August of 1986. Its purpose is to “promote economic development in the nine county area of Fayette, Raleigh Summers, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Mercer, Pocahontas, Monroe, and Wyoming counties, and to work in conjunction with governmental agencies on both state, and local level, business entities and the general public” for this purpose. Officers of the corporation now have set up a fund with BAF to insure an ongoing, permanent effort toward economic development here. The fund’s annual income is distributed to the best interests of economic development efforts as determined by the Foundation’s board of directors.