(a) There is hereby continued the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Authority consisting of representatives from the counties of Barbour, Doddridge, Grant, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Mineral, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tucker, Upshur, and Wood organized pursuant to the provisions of 20-17-1 et seq. of this code. This authority is authorized to establish a Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Area within the jurisdictions of those counties and the authority shall be subject to the powers, duties, immunities, and restrictions provided in 20-17-1 et seq. of this code. Visitors and participants in recreational activities within the trail network shall, in similar respects, be subject to the user requirements and prohibitions of 20-17-7 of this code.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, an adjacent county may join the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Authority pursuant to the procedures set forth in 20-17-3(b) of this code.
(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Authority may merge with another multicounty trail network authority, pursuant to the procedures set forth in 20-17-3(c) of this code.