BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)– If you happened to be in the Beckley area on Saturday, Mar. 13, 2021, you may have noticed some people protesting in front of the Hobby Lobby at the Beckley Crossing Shopping Center. They voiced their concerns about the gates being put up on several public back roads throughout West Virginia.

Many of them said these roads are used for walking, ATV riding, or a way to enjoy their weekends with their kids.

Lucy Lester is one of the protesters. She said she is protesting because she wants to keep those dirt roads across the Mountain State open.

“These roads are not dirt roads that goes to the end of somebody’s driveway and stop,” Lester said. “Those are not the dirt roads that we want open. These roads stretch across thousands of miles in the country of West Virginia that connects towns to towns.”

Raleigh County was the first stop on their protest trail. They plan on visiting all 55 counties in West Virginia to protest this issue.

We reached out to the companies responsible for putting the fences up. We have not yet heard back.