BELL ATLANTIC AIDS EFFORT TO PRESERVE MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENTS.

The Mountain Institute (TMI), based in Franklin, W.Va., is the recipient of a $2,500 grant from the Bell Atlantic Foundation. The funds will be used to underwrite programs that conserve the environment and the cultural heritage of the Appalachian Mountains.

"Everything that we are as West Virginians is in the mountains around us. It is our heritage, and it is our future. I applaud the work that TMI is doing to preserve this," said Dennis Bone, president and CEO of Bell Atlantic - West Virginia.

Noting that Bell Atlantic has been an ardent supporter of The Mountain Institute over the years, Alton Byers, TMI's director of Appalachian programs and the Spruce Knob Mountain Center, was delighted to hear that the Bell Atlantic Foundation is continuing that commitment this year.

"By promoting good stewardship for our Appalachian Mountain environment, communities and heritage, Bell Atlantic is exemplifying what it means to be a good corporate citizen," he said. "Support from organizations like the Bell Atlantic Foundation is vital for the continuation of these programs, designed to strengthen communities and conservation through education."

TMI provides environmental education and leadership training for hundreds of elementary, high school and college students annually. The contribution from the Bell Atlantic Foundation will be allocated to the West Virginia Scholar's Academy, a leadership development program for rising high school seniors.

TMI operates the 400-acre Spruce Knob Mountain Center in Circleville, W.Va., which is used for educational programs, international conferences and ecological research. This spring, the center will install a state-of-the-art interactive meteorological station, stream-monitoring station, archaeological tour, and wildlife habitat improvement projects.

TMI's work extends beyond West Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains. It also offers community-based conservation and sustainable mountain community development programs in the Andes and the Himalayan Mountains. TMI was instrumental in creating The Mountain Forum, which serves a worldwide network of people who are committed to the preservation of mountain environments and cultural heritage. For more information, visit www.mountain.org on the Internet.

The Bell Atlantic Foundation supports a variety of projects domestically and internationally, with an emphasis on new technology applications in education, health and human services, the arts and humanities, and civic development in the communities served by Bell Atlantic. For more information, visit www.bellatlanticfoundation.com on the Internet.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines and 8.6 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.