TheAppalachian Voice June / July 2009 Where the Appalachian Wind Blows The backs, forths, ups and downs of wind generated electricity Plus: Flooding in WVa • Kayaking in Appalachia • The Backyard Gardening Craze • AV’s New Book Club PAGE 2 THE App ALACHIAN VOICE INSIDE THIS ISSUE TheAPPALACHIAN VOICE Buffalo Mountain Wind Farm, A publication of Appalachian Photo by Chris Morris 191 Howard Street • Boone, NC 28607 1-877-APP-VOICE www.AppalachianVoices.org ind Appalachian Voices bringsAPPALACHIAN people together to solve VOICES the environmental ScienceW literacy and problems having the greatest impact on the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. Our mission is to empower people to defend our region’s rich renewable energy natural and cultural heritage by providing them with tools and strategies for successful grassroots campaigns. Appalachian Voices sponsors the Upper any Americans are strug- Watauga Riverkeeper® and is also a Member of the Waterkeeper® Alliance. Mgling to understand the science and economics behind EDITOR Bill Kovarik renewable energy. MANAGING EDITOR Jamie Goodman A surprising number believe ASSOCIAT E EDITOR Sarah Vig wind power isn’t much use because it is intermittent, or that solar energy is too expensive because it Appalachian Voices Staff is scattered. They believe renewable energy may be decades away. In fact, the technology is ready whenever the political courage can be mustered. EX E CUTIV E DIR E CTOR ...................................................................Willa Mays DIR E CTOR OF PROGRA M S ...........................................................Matt Wasson When Jules Verne wrote science fiction about a trip to the moon150 years ago, he envisioned CA mp AIGN DIR E CTOR .................................................................Lenny Kohm Americans as the people most capable of IN-HOUS E COUNS E L ............................................................ Scott Gollwitzer making such a journey. “The Yankees are Wind Farms in Appalachia ......................... p. 14 OPERATIONS engineers … by right of birth,” he said, and Ope RATIONS MANAG E R .......................................................Susan Congelosi Boone, NC Gets a New Windmill ................ p.15 he was right. The American passion for sci- AD M INISTRATIV E ASSISTANT .......................................................... Shay Boyd ence and technology changed the world, A Look at Small Wind ............................... p. 16 PROGRAMS and eventually, sent rockets to the moon. NATIONAL FI E LD COORDINATOR ................................................ Sandra Diaz Remembering the Wooshies of ‘79 ............ p.17 LE GISLATIV E ASSOCIAT E ........................................................ J.W. Randolph It’s the same optimism and passion Searching for Conservation Strategies ....... p. 18 VA CA mp AIGN COORDINATOR .................................................Tom Cormons that needs to be kindled for environmental VA FI E LD ORGANIZ E R ..............................................................Mike McCoy science and renewable energy technol- The Winding Road to Tazewell ................... p. 17 NORT H CAROLINA FI E LD COORDINATOR ..................................... Austin Hall NORT H CAROLINA FI E LD ORGANIZ E R ........................................Erica Palmer ogy today. Uppe R WATAUGA RIV E RK eepe R ............................................Donna Lisenby Parents, teachers, friends, mentors and others need to set the example and get out the word – TE C H NOLOGIST ..........................................................................Benji Burrell Americans are going to have to sharpen their pencils and put on their thinking caps to meet the chal- IT Spe CIALIST ...................................................................................Jeff Deal lenges of this century. CO mm UNICATIONS COORDINATOR ......................................... Jamie Goodman Ame RICOR P S LANDO W N E R OUTR E AC H ................................... Amanda Lewis Failure – as a famous NASA engineer engineer once said – is not an option. Ame RICOR P S OUTR E AC H ASSOCIAT E ................................................Sarah Vig -- Bill Kovarik, Editor INTERNS STANBACK WE BSIT E DE V E LO pme NT ASSISTANT ....................................Shiva Dixit LE GAL INT E RN , UNC SC H OOL OF LA W .................................. Matthew Dunand Also in this issue: LE GAL INT E RN , UNC SC H OOL OF LA W .............................................Nadia Luhr LE GAL INT E RN , UNC SC H OOL OF LA W ..................Casey Weissman-Vermeulen Hiking the Highlands: VA’s Railway Trail ...............p. 5 STANBACK LE GISLATIV E FE LLO W ...........................................................Bethany Hill Volunteers Put Mtns-To-Sea Trail on the Map .........p. 7 LE GISLATIV E INT E RN ............................................................................Sarah Hostyk VIRGINIA GRASSROOTS & RE S E ARC H ASSISTANT ............................... Jackie Pontious A Backyard Vegetable Garden ...................................p. 8 Across Appalachia .....................................................p. 10 Maria Gunnoe Receives Goldman Award .............p. 12 Flooding Takes Its Toll in West Virginia .................p. 13 Appalachian Voices Board of Directors NEW! AV Book Club ..................................................p. 20 CHAIR ------------------------------------ Christina Howe Hollywood in Appalachia .........................................p. 21 Cover photo: VI C E CHAIR ---------------------------------- Heidi Binko The sun shines bright on TVA’s TREASURER ------------------------------- Leigh Dunston Opinions and Editorials ............................................p. 22 18-turbine Buffalo Mountain Wind SE C RE T ARY ---------- Matthew Anderson-Stembridge Inside Appalachian Voices ........................................p. 24 Farm in Tennessee. Photo courtesy At Large: Harvard Ayers, Brenda Boozer, Steve Ferguson, Mary Anne Naturalist’s Notebook - Tall Trees of VA.................p. 27 of Tennessee Valley Authority Hitt, Brenda Huggins, Lamar Marshall, Kathy Selvage, Bunk Spann, Pat Watkins, Jim Webb, Dean Whitworth, Sarah Wootton APPALACHIAN VOICE DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS: Tom Cook, Kim Greene McClure, Harvard Ayers, Monica Randolph, Steve Moeller, Keisha and Chad, Rose Koontz, Brenda and Larry Huggins, Dean Whitworth, Ruth Gutierrez, Frances Lamberts, Jere Bidwell, Jennifer Stertzer, Mike McKinney, Gary Greer, Ed Clark, Steve Brooks, Gerry and Joe Scardo, Bill Wasserman, Catherine Murray, Gabrielle Zeiger, Colton Griffin, Dave Gilliam, Dave Patrick, Ray Vaughan, Lowell Dodge, Blue Smoke Coffee, Carol Rollman, Dennis Murphy, Linda Milt, Loy Lilley, Ray Zimmerman, Gail Marney, Dr. Emmanuel Mornings, Mark Kidd, Shay Clayton, Bill and Joanne Bell, Charlie Bowles, Dave and Donna Muhley, Brad Wood, Chris Chanlett, Allen Johnson, April Crowe, Jennifer Honeycutt and Jim Dentinger, Jane Branham, Kathy Selvage JUNE / JULY 2009 THE App ALACHIAN VOICE PAGE 3 that Eight are Great With tumbling rivers and cool mountain lakes, Appalachia is a paddler’s paradise. We offer a list of eight great destinations. Story by Tim W. Jackson hitewater enthusiasts from across the country come to Appalachia’sW rivers for their aquatic adrenaline rushes. Sportsmen often drift in canoes or open kayaks for fish- The Appalachian region is home to numerous ing excursions. A long weekend of canoe whitewater paddling opportunities for camping on a river trip is a perfect getaway New River Ocoee River intermediate and expert level kayaking. Photo by Carl Galie for many outdoors aficionados. Or perhaps North Carolina-Virginia-West Virginia Tennessee a tranquil kayak jaunt around the lake is just The beautiful New, ironically, is The Ocoee has long been a renowned what you need to refresh your batteries. Occasional Class II rapids along the way quite old. Many geologists consider the river for Southeastern paddlers, but the With so many great places to paddle, provide a chance to catch your breath. New to be one of the oldest rivers in the waterway gained worldwide notoriety as it’s tough to narrow down any list of top world. Forming in Ashe County, N.C., it host of whitewater events in the 1996 At- spots, but below we offer a list of perfect Youghiogheny River runs north through southwest Virginia lanta Olympics. The Class III and IV rapids paddling places in Appalachia. Just narrow- Maryland-Pennsylvania-West Virginia and to West Virginia where it eventually that attract many paddlers begin just west ing the list is tough enough, so truly ranking merges with the Gauley and becomes the of Ducktown, Tenn. The primary put-in Commonly known as the Yough, this them seemed impossible. Our list is not in Kanawha River. is the Ocoee Whitewater Center, which is is a tributary of the Monongahela River. any particular order. If you don’t see your The New offers many sections to a federally operated put-in used by com- Various sections of the Yough offer an array favorite paddling destination on the list, paddle and lots of outfitters can help you mercial companies and individuals. of paddling options, but probably the most let us know. We’d love to hear about your plan a trip all along the river’s span. Most The Middle Ocoee offers continuous noted section of the river flows through favorite places to paddle in Appalachia. of the river is fairly placid, with just a few action with mostly Class III rapids, and, Ohiopyle State