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AppalachianThe June / July 2012 VOICE THIS IS OUR LAND The Plight of Our Public Places and the Compelling Case for Conservation Hidden ALSO INSIDE: Coal’s Big Decline • Return of the American Chestnut Treasures Special Insert The Appalachian Voice cross Appalachia A publication of A Environmental News From Around the Region AppalachianVoices A Note from our Executive Director 171 Grand Blvd • Boone, NC 28607 It’s no secret that kids are now spend- 828-262-1500 Since the days of the uncompromising Republican “Kids In Parks” Gets Kids Outside ing more time indoors. A Kaiser Fam- www.AppalachianVoices.org president, Theodore Roosevelt, the struggle to protect our [email protected] ily Foundation study published in 2010 vital resources has often been countered by a nearly limit- By Jessica Kennedy At the core of Kids In Parks is its Trails Ridges and Active Caring Kids, showed that children ages 8 to 18 spend EDITOR ....................................................... Jamie Goodman less greed for financial gain. But as the venerable Roosevelt There is a growing distance be- MANAGING EDITOR ........................................... Brian Sewell or TRACK, program. The Kids In an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes us- — who greatly expanded the budding U.S. national park tween children and nature, says Jason ASSOCIATE EDITOR ............................................Molly Moore Parks website provides links to maps ing entertainment media in a typical day. and national forest systems — said in his 1907 message to Urroz, director of Kids In Parks, an DISTRIBUTION MANAGER .................................. Maeve Gould and brochures for each of the 10 par- Kids In Parks is working to change GRAPHIC DESIGNER .........................................Meghan Darst Congress, “We are prone to speak of the resources of this innovative program working to get “There can be ticipating trails. Children and families this statistic. Roughly 500 children have LEAD EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ..................... Madison Hinshaw children outside, active and connected country as inexhaustible; this is not so.” can download the trail materials to A young naturalist gets up close and personal with already registered their hikes through EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ................................. Jessica Kennedy no greater issue to nature near their communities. a turtle. Photo by Carolyn Ward the program, Urroz says. “About 120 ONLINE & COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT ........ Anna Norwood One hundred and five years later, our country is slipping than that of A joint effort between the Blue help guide their hikes. The brochures ture journal, and three earns a backpack. of them have come back for a second backward in the protections of our vital resources. Basic clean conservation Ridge Parkway Foundation and the range from plant and animal guides to DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS: Alison Auciello, Heather Baker, Becky the relationships found in nature. Children receive a golf disc of their own adventure. Some have come back for Barlow, Jere Bidwell, Blue Smoke Coffee, Rebecca Booher, Charlie Bowles, water and clean air laws that many take for granted are being Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North in this country.” “Our goal is to create a network when they complete the disc golf course. as many as six adventures.” Cindy Bowles, Lynn Brammer, Jane Branham, Steve Brooks, Carmen Cantrell, challenged in Congress while more species of birds, plants, mam- Theodore Roosevelt Carolina Foundation, Kids In Parks Alex Carll, Charlie Chakales, Shay Clanton, Chris Clark, Patty Clemens, Theresa of trails that will link communities to Urroz says the need for an incentive Urroz says the program is rapidly mals and insects are added to the endangered species list every (pictured with naturalist John seeks to combat the nationwide trend Crush-Warren, Beth Davis, Detta Davis, Deborah Deatherage, Lowell Dodge, the Parkway, link the Parkway to com- wears off after several hikes and chil- expanding. There are currently 10 trails Nels Erickson, Lauren Essick, Emma Ford, Dave Gilliam, Scott Goebel, Lisa year, the landscape is torn asunder to rip raw resources from the Muir in Yosemite Valley, 1903. U.S. of children living sedentary lifestyles. Library of Congress Archives) munities, and at the same time connect dren begin hiking because they enjoy it. in the program and one disc golf course, Goodpaster, Bruce Gould, Michael Grantz, Gary Greer, Kelly Griffin, Tim Guilfoile, earth, and the people are poisoned in the name of corporate profit. According to the program’s director, the kids from these communities to the Getting children to enjoy being active is most of which are located along the Sharon Hart, Susan Hazlewood, Cary and Karen Huffman, Tim Huntley, Pamela it’s natural for people to be outside and Johnston, Mary K., Amelia Kirby, Rose Koontz, Frances Lamberts, Justin Roosevelt said, “Behind the ostensible government sits Parkway,” Urroz says. the first step to a healthy lifestyle. Parkway in North Carolina and Vir- Laughlin, Carissa Lenfert, Sean Levenson, Susan Lewis, Loy Lilley, Debra Locher, active. “It’s just a part of being a human enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging But the program doesn’t end when In addition to the physical benefits ginia. Kids In Parks serves as a model Joy Lourie, Gail Marney, Lee Martin, Mast General Store, Kathy McClory, Kim really,” Urroz says. “From the earliest from exercise, children also gain bet- to other park organizations across the Greene McClure, Jay McCoy, Rich McDonough, Bonnie McGill, Mike McKinney, no responsibility to the people.” It takes diligence and advocacy to keep our government days, people were connected to nature the trail does. Children are invited to fill ter attention spans and score better on country to get children active outside. Steve Moeller, Dave and Donna Muhly, Dennis Murphy, Catherine Murray, Cabell accountable to the people and to protect our natural resources. At Appalachian Voices, we because they had to be. As we’ve be- out an online survey about their experi- Neterer, Dave Patrick, Janet Perry, Bronwyn Reece, Martin Richards, Carol ence and to register their completion of tests, Urroz says. “We know that kids “Before the end of June, we’ll have Rollman, Kristin Rouse, Debbie Samuels, Steve Scarborough, Gerry and Joe are fortunate to have members who care as deeply as Roosevelt did about protecting our come more electronic … people are less each trail. Registering one trail online feel better about themselves if they play 26 trails, so the program is going to Scardo, Craig Schenker, Kathy Selvage, Brenda Sigmon, Leah Smith, Sarah planet for future generations. Join Appalachian Voices today and help us protect the air, connected to nature, especially kids.” Smith, Jennifer Stertzer, Mike Wade, Nora Walbourn, Bill Wasserman, Jim earns a bandana, two trails earns a na- outdoors,” he says. more than double in size,” Urroz says. water, land and communities of Appalachia. Webb, Dean Whitworth, Amy Wickham, Donna Williams, Graham Williams, Barbara Williamson, Diana Withen, Gabrielle Zeiger, Ray Zimmerman For the mountains, Printed on 100% recycled newsprint, cover 40% recycled paper, all soy-based inks By The Numbers Willa Mays Submit Your Comments effective actions. The extended miles of waterways across the percent of surveyed Americans who think it’s a bad idea On Conservation deadline for public comment is state during the next five years P.S. Artists for Appalachia, our 15th anniversary membership meeting and concert, will be held for the nation to put progress toward clean energy on hold July 13, 2012. Comments can be and urges state leaders to build 68 during economic difficulty 1 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife on June 21 in Charlottesville, Va. A fun way to join Appalachian Voices! Featuring Jeff Goodell, Kathy Service has extended the deadline submitted at regulations.gov. on past conservation successes. nd 2 Edition “Securing North Carolina’s Future: Mattea, Michael Johnathon, Daniel Martin Moore and others — register online at appvoices.org. percentage of Americans who think the U.S. should move for public comments about pos- Land for Tomorrow to sustainable energy by 2050 1 A Five-Year Plan for Investing in 76 sible changes to the incentives Announces 5-year Plan percent of U.S. electricity generated by coal in the first Our Land, Water and Quality of Managing for landowners and others to take A report released on May 14 quarter of 2012, the lowest in history, and down more than voluntary conservation actions Life” provides targets for land 2 by Land for Tomorrow, a coalition your INSIDE THIS ISSUE 36 8 percentage points since the first quarter of 2011 protection advocates and state that will help species at risk of of North Carolina organizations new jobs in the U.S. in 2010 associated with policymakers, and highlights con- n this land-inspired issue of becoming threatened or endan- advocating land and water pro- Regulars million the production of green goods and services 3 servation’s tremendous impact on Woodlands IThe Appalachian Voice, we 3.1 gered. The organization works tection, calls for the protection of THIS IS 1 North Carolina’s economy. Visit: Across Appalachia ........ 3-4 take a deep look at the evolu- Civil Society Institute’s Americans and Energy Policy Survey; with landowners to reverse spe- 399,000 acres of land and 1,750 2 U.S. Energy Information Administration (see full story p. 22); 3 Bureau of Labor Statistics study landfortomorrow.org Hiking the Highlands .........6 tion of America’s conservation cies decline by taking early and A Guide for Southern movement, the value of our OUR LAND Appalachian Landowners Naturalist’s Notebook ........8 public lands today, and what it all means for the future. r the Mou Become a Mountain Protector at the $15/month level fo nta Name of Member _______________________________________________________ Coal Update ..............18 up in Produced by: Appalachian Voices g s Imagining a Land Ethic for a New Era ................................... p.9 in and receive a beautiful 100% organic cotton k Address ______________________________________________________________ Opinions and Editorials ....