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 difficulty1 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. . . 20 a e The Evolution of America’s Conservation Movement...... p. 10 p

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App Voices t-shirt or 100% recycled cotton tote. City ______State ______Zip ______Our handbook on forestry management

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gives you the knowledge and resources Last Stand for the Southern Spruce-Fir?...... p. 12 You’ll become a special member who provides us with reliable you need to make smart decisions about Inside AV ...... 22 and much needed monthly income. Invest in the next 15 years Phone ______Email ______Guardians of Our Public Lands...... p. 14 your forest and become a better steward of Appalachian Voices and benefit from this special offer! of your land. Get Involved!...... 24 Make me a Mountain Protector (monthly contributer) at $ ______/month ($10 minimum) Plundering Private Property Rights...... p. 16 APPALACHIANVOICES.ORG Now with a Free DVD “Landowner’s For one-time contributions, visit our website at www.AppalachianVoices.org/donate Guide to sustainable Forestry” ON THE COVER MC/VISA # ______Expiration date ______from the Model Forest Policy Program Special Center Pull-Out Photo by Freyda Strackeljahn Sunrise in the Signature______forest near Hyatt Help us Lane in Cades Please send me a: Tote Cove, Great Smoky Hidden Celebrate Mountains National Tshirt ... Circle Color ( red, natural, green ) Park. Photo by Treasures 2012 ... Circle Size ( S M L XL XXL ) To get your FREE copy: Sign up This summer we reprise our popular guide to the most enchanting places in 15 more! at: appvoices.org/reenergizing Spencer Black OR contact: 1-877-APP-VOICE or (blackvisual.com) Central and Southern Appalachia, exploring the inspiring historic sites, remote Mail to: Appalachian Voices · 171 Grand Boulevard, Boone, NC 28607 [email protected] wilderness areas and thrilling adventure locales of our Public Lands. June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 3 cross Appalachia A Environmental News From Around the Region

Keeping Up with the Fracking Frenzy human health. At the beginning of May, Department of Interior that would a peer-reviewed study commissioned govern fracking on public lands does By Brian Sewell the Piedmont counties. by New York’s Catskill Mountainkeeper not require gas companies to disclose Some groups praised the DENR The debate surrounding the contro- found that chemicals used in fracking the chemicals used in the injection fluid report’s reticence to endorse the practice versial method of hydraulic fracturing can migrate to groundwater over the — an ongoing hindrance to scientific re- outright. The state general assembly, for natural gas shows no signs of slow- course of several years, contradicting the search and the ability of communities to however, is not required to take DENR’s ing down. claims by the gas industry that these tox- test for fracking-related water pollution. recommendations. Before the final re- The N.C. Department of Environ- ic chemicals stay underground forever. In April, the Obama administration port was submitted, a state Senate panel ment and Natural Resources recently Additionally, a Natural Resources announced a partnership between the approved a bill that would fast-track the submitted a final report in its shale gas Defense Council report conducted in U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. elimination of the state’s current prohi- study to the state general assembly. Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale con- Environmental Protection Agency and bitions on horizontal drilling. The report highlights the importance cluded that all available options for the U.S. Department of the Interior to of establishing a strong regulatory Recently, a growing litany of re- dealing with contaminated wastewater ensure that continued expansion of framework before the state explores and searchers and impacted residents have from fracking are inadequate to protect natural gas occurs safely with science extracts natural gas from the Sanford voiced concerns of fracking’s impact on human health and the environment. playing a guiding and critical role. sub-basin deposits found throughout air and water quality, and its effects on Yet, a rule proposed in May by the U.S.

Massive VA Forest Fire Does Little Permanent Damage While the U.S. Drought Monitor be so severe. shows a concentrated area of extreme Luckily, Quesinberry says, there By Anna Norwood for the George Washington and Jeffer- drought intensity in parts of the South- were no catastrophic losses to wildlife. High winds and low humidity were son National Forests, Michael Quesin- east, the soil moisture of the George He does not anticipate any wildfires the perpetrators in starting multiple berry, says these fires were the largest Washington and Jefferson national of this magnitude during the summer. wildfires in southeast Virginia that on record for Virginia. Quesinberry forests was at normal levels, suggest- These fires grew because of a “four burned almost 40,000 acres of national accredited the wildfires to low humid- ing that drought was not the cause of day weather event that came through,” forest in April. ity, and particularly high winds, rather the wildfires. Quesinberry describes a Quesinberry says. He expresses how The Fire and Aviation Supervisor than drought. “recipe for disaster;” four days of high unfortunate it is that these fires simply winds and a low humidity of 10 percent, ignited in such perfect conditions for which caused these Virginia wildfires to wildfires to spread.

EPA Updates Rules saves area farmers money and time usually ENERGY BILLS SKY HIGH? Protecting Air Quality spent transporting fowl and game to other The U.S. Environmental Protection plants. The plant is designed to process Agency is taking steps to improve air quality chickens, turkeys, rabbits and ducks at the ® rate of 1,000 per day. McDowell County do- WAMY Community Action’s Weatherization Program is by implementing 2008 air quality standards for ground-level ozone and finalizing standards to nated the land, the North Carolina Golden accepting applications for FREE comprehensive energy efficiency reduce harmful air pollution associated with oil LEAF Foundation provided money to build improvements for your home, including insulation, air sealing, and natural gas production. Based on the most the facility, and eight inmates from the near- and a heating system tune-up. Most limited-income households recent air quality data, the agency determined by prison provide most of the plant’s staff. qualify. Applications are available on our website or by contact- that 45 areas across the country are not meet- ASU Students to Install Water ing/visiting one of our 4 WAMY offices in Watauga, Avery, ing the 2008 standards. One factor contribut- Treatment System in Hair Salon ing to dangerous levels of ozone is oil and Mitchell, or Yancey counties. Students from Appalachian State Uni- natural gas production. New EPA standards versity won a $90,000 grant from the U.S. will require operators of new gas wells to use Environmental Protection Agency for a proj- technology that prevents the escape of natu- ect inspired by a hair stylist to prevent hair ral gas. High levels of ozone can aggravate treatment chemicals from going down the asthma or other respiratory conditions and drain. For the “Grow Clean Water” program, contribute to premature death, especially in students created a model biological graywa- people with heart and lung disease. ter system that sends chemical water through Meat Processing Center To aquatic plants chosen for their ability to filter Help Small Farmers water in natural wetland settings. Once in- The first non-profit meat processing stalled, the system will recycle the remaining water through the salon’s toilets for flushing. CONTACT WAMY COMMUNITY ACTION FOR MORE INFORMATION: center in the country allows local meat to become even more local. The Foothills Pilot Over the next two years, students will use the www.wamycommunityaction.org or 828-264-2421 Plant, located 40 miles east of Asheville, grant money to install the first prototype into N.C., in Marion, opened in January and the Boone, N.C., salon, Haircut 101.

Page 4 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 Hiking the Highlands The White Squirrel Hiking Challenge

Editor’s Note: We have long featured our region’s fantastic places and phenomenal hikes in the “Hiking the Highlands” column. What we have less frequently focused on, however, is how some of our favorite places were protected in the first place. Non-profit land trusts are committed to the preservation of our region’s natural heritage and scenic beauty. And, most importantly for this column, they protect ample Photos courtesy of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy acreage for hiking and outdoor recreation. Photos courtesy of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy Land trusts understand that to make conservation tangible, they need to get people Florence Nature Preserve Kens Rock/Weed Patch Mountain * outside and onto the lands that they protect. With an innovative new program that mixes A three-mile hike within CMLC’s Florence Nature Preserve in the Upper Hickory Nut Ken’s Rock, an impressive cliff on the west face of Youngs Mountain near Lake Lure, conservation with a little competition, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, a Western Gorge parallels pristine mountain streams, traverses old growth forests and features can be reached by just a half-mile hike. Located on private property, the landowner permits North Carolina land trust, is doing just that. We went to Peter Barr, an avid hiker and historic mountain home sites. The Preserve was donated by the Florence family in access one to two weekends a month for hikers that support land conservation. The dra- the Trails and Outreach Coordinator for CMLC, to learn more about what they are doing 1996 and CMLC has retained ownership ever since, maintaining a five-mile network matic view from the rock includes Weed Patch Mountain, a 1,500+ acre tract purchased by to encourage the synergy between enjoying the land and protecting it. Uncles Falls at Green River Preserve * of public hiking trails on its 600 acres. CMLC from bankruptcy court following failure of a gated housing development. The Weed Tucked away in a hollow within Henderson County’s Green River Preserve, Uncles Falls Patch tract is contiguous to part of Chimney Rock State Park; CMLC and the Town of Lake requires a hike of only two miles round-trip. Totaling more than 3,000 acres, and one of the Hiking the Southern Escarpment and Hickory Nut Gorge. Lure are developing an extensive hiking and mountain biking trail network on the property. largest private conservation easements in western North Carolina, the preserve is home to Appalachians to CMLC’s White Squirrel Hiking Appalachian Mountains. rel hiking patch and bragging rights a co-ed summer camp that thrives on experiential learning by connecting kids to nature. Support Land Protection Challenge — named for the beloved Protecting land from sprawling for land conservation. The real reward development, subdivision and other is experiencing these amazing places, More than 2,600 acres of unspoiled forests and rugged mountain slopes at Green River East Fork Headwaters - Foothills Trail By Peter Barr wildlife oddity that can be spotted on Preserve are conserved by CMLC — including the headwaters of the Green River. Summer One of the largest remaining privately-owned tracts of land in the southern Appala- some of the conservancy’s protected threats that damage and divide our partaking in a little friendly competi- Since 1994, the Carolina Mountain campers use Uncles Falls for a ritual of initiation during their stay — jumping underneath chians, the East Fork Headwaters property hosts miles of trout streams, rare mountain bogs tracts — invites members of the com- mountains has myriad positive impacts tion, and supporting their permanent Land Conservancy has protected more the cascade with their clothes on and shouting the words “polar bear” three times. While and federally endangered plants and animals. Its permanent protection is still a work in munity to get out on protected lands — safeguarding clean drinking water, protection. than 23,000 acres of western North Caroli- the ritual is not a requirement of the Hiking Challenge, it is highly recommended for an progress — to date, nearly 800 acres have been put into conservation ownership. For the and discover the value of conserving improving air quality and increasing Please note that while most of the na’s mountains, including the headwaters invigorating extra dose of nature. Challenge, hike four miles along the venerable Foothills Trail — a long-distance hiking path the amazing places in the southern biodiversity. hikes included in the hiking challenge of the French Broad River, the Blue Ridge Whether you’re an experienced are open to the public, a few are on pri- which traverses the Blue Ridge Escarpment on the border of North and South Carolina. outdoors enthusiast or new to the vate land. Landowners generously open Connestee Falls wonders of nature, the idea is that once their property to hikers but request in A hike to Transylvania County’s Connestee you experience these special places for return that visitors support land conser- Falls — quite literally a walk in the park — is the yourself, understanding that they’re vation by becoming members of CMLC. easiest in the Challenge and illustrates that not protected forever, you will become a For directions to hike trailheads and all beautiful natural features require a grueling conservationist for life. to enroll in the White Squirrel Hiking trek to find enjoyment. A new wheelchair acces- By completing eight hikes on Challenge, visit carolinamountain.org/ sible boardwalk, compliant with the Americans CMLC’s most spectacular conserved hikingchallenge. with Disabilities Act, stretches fifty yards from lands, finishers will earn a white squir- * denotes hike on private land the parking area on U.S. 276 south of Brevard, N.C., to an overlook platform that offers views of three picturesque waterfalls. Connestee Falls, DuPont State Recreation Forest one of the region’s most popular cascades, and Two Hiking Challenge outings entail journeys in the popular DuPont State Forest — Batson Creek Falls converge to form a third falls known as Silver Slip. All three waterfalls which straddles Henderson and Transylvania counties — and celebrate CMLC’s origins are part a conservation easement obtained by CMLC, which also facilitated the property’s following the movement to protect the forest in the 1990s. purchase by Transylvania County and its establishment as a county park. The “Tour de Falls” hike requires hikers to reach three of DuPont’s popular waterfalls: Hooker, Triple and High Falls. The three falls—among the most beautiful in the region—can be reached with a round-trip hike of less than three miles. Bearwallow Mountain Another hike, a two and a half mile jaunt to the summit of Stone Mountain, makes up Bearwallow Mountain may be the crown jewel of the White Squirrel Hiking Challenge. for the ease of the waterfalls tour. But the climb up a steep trail rewards hardy hikers with The hike ascends a one-mile trail — constructed by CMLC with the help of volunteers — to panoramic views from the top of one of DuPont’s scenic granitic domes. the summit of a 4,000-foot mountain on the Eastern Continental Divide. The peak hosts an Greenlife • Whole Earth Grocery • Dandridge General Store Once imminently threatened by development, the forest’s abundant natural beauty is expansive grassy meadow that offers a near-360 degree view to reward hikers who make NOC Great Outpost • NOC Wesser General Store now adored by hikers, cyclists and equestrians alike. A grassroots coalition of conservation the short climb. A CMLC conservation easement protects 81 acres atop the peak to date Purple Mountain Natural Foods • West Village Market supporters in the 1990s ultimately saved DuPont and facilitated its purchase by the state and CMLC is working to conserve nearly 400 more. Honeymoon Bakery • Harvest Moon Cafe of North Carolina to become public land. CMLC’s support of the forest’s conservation The trail up Bearwallow Mountain is part of a developing network of trails in the New Moon Gallery • Candler Park Market • Savi Urban Market was one of its first land protection initiatives. Hickory Nut Gorge that will link a growing network of conserved lands — including lands CMLC protects DuPont to this day, by buffering its borders with private conservation protected by Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Chimney Rock State Park. easements and facilitating the acquisition of additional land — including 65 acres added Ultimately, the network will encompass more than 50 miles of trails and span the length of to the forest in April. the breathtaking Hickory Nut Gorge.

Page 6 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 7 This is OUR LAND Naturalist’s Notebook Imagining a Land American Chestnut: Return of the Forest King? Ethic for a New Era blight-resistant Chinese cousin. The By Molly Moore By Brian Sewell When Daniel Boone traveled through half-and-half trees were again crossed Appalachia, the tall trunks and sweet with an American parent, resulting in There is no shortage of writers who have made nuts of the American chestnut flourished. trees that were 75 percent American. As the case for conservation and abundant public lands But to most modern residents, stumbling those trees grew, they were challenged in which all Americans can take pride. It was Wallace across a full-size American chestnut in with the blight to see which inherited Stegner, the historian and environmentalist, who said the woods is as likely as spotting an east- strong Chinese disease resistance. Trees that “National Parks are the best idea we ever had. ern cougar. Unlike the cougar, however, with high resistance and good American Abosolutely American, absolutely democratic. They the chestnut is making a comeback. characteristics were crossed with another reflect us at our best rather than our worst.” Writing During the American chestnut’s American parent. Researchers repeated from a distinctly American perspective, Stegner and golden age, the tree was prized for its this Darwinian process to create trees that others reinvigorate our commitment to conservation. straight-grained wood. The deciduous are 15/16 American, with leaves and tim- We read them intently. Then we go outside. With giants flowered in summer, leading ber qualities similar to pure Americans. their wisdom in mind, if not a physical collection Administration Archives and Records Image from the National Photo Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service to reliable, copious nut yields that fed Two of these trees were intercrossed, of essays or poetry tucked away in our backpacks, Whether it’s one of Ansel Adam’s iconic images — like this one of and the best of their offspring open-pol- we can contemplate why we’ve made public lands mice, squirrels, turkey, deer, bears, the Snake River (above) winding through the Grand Tetons — or linated. Those seedlings are now being such a priority. After all, the landscape itself offers people and livestock. In Adair County, Ky., scientists pollinate a pure American chestnut tree that will parent backcross an essay by Aldo Leopold (left), works inspired by the American introduced to the rigors of the real world. But in 1904, a forester at New York’s chestnuts. The tree is a rare survior of the chestnut blight. Photo courtesy of Micheal French. no shortage of inspiration. landscape and love of the land inspire the conservationists in us all. Bronx Zoo saw an unfamiliar orange “We’re not going to stop at this For more than a century, Americans have fungus on some of the zoo’s chestnuts stage, we intend to increase the blight Phytothphora, so researchers don’t need this grant, the chestnut foundation can enjoyed the benefits of the country’s public lands increased leasing of public land for energy develop- — the trees soon died, and the fungus resistance and American characteristics to start from scratch in their attempt to partner with mining companies on active — national and state parks, wilderness areas, na- ment, and even selling our national parks. rapidly spread. What became known as in our trees, but we also want to get establish a fleet of trees that can thwart mine sites and work with landowners in tional forests, nature preserves, and all the land In the foreword to A Sand County Almanac, pub- the chestnut blight traveled at a rate of these trees back out there as quickly as both blight and root rot. places where reclamation is complete but maintained by government agencies and owned by lished in 1949, Leopold wrote that, “We abuse land 30-50 miles per year, carried by humans possible,” French says. The American The ultimate test for the backcross reforestation unsuccessful. us all. This includes 85 million acres managed by because we regard it as a commodity belonging to to other areas. Chestnut Foundation plans to breed chestnuts is whether they can propagate Including hybrid chestnuts in re- the National Park Service and 193 million acres of us. When we see land as a community to which we “People felt like the forests were three more generations to create trees when faced with forest competition. A forestation efforts will let researchers forests and grasslands managed by the U.S. Dept. belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” dying because about 25 percent of the with over 99 percent American character. Conservation Innovation Grant from see how the trees fare in different areas of Agriculture under the Forest Service. Evident from our fascination with our protected, canopy cover of the forest was Ameri- But the foundation has another in- the USDA Natural Resources Conserva- and in competition with other species. If Echoing Aldo Leopold, the visionary conser- inspires the conservationist in us all. public lands, Leopold’s notion of extending our ethic can chestnut,” says Michael French, a troduced pathogen to tackle. Chestnuts tion Services will help fund the planting the trees pollinate well, these plantings vationist who asserted that “a land ethic changes the “For humans to have a responsible relationship to to include the land community continues to capture forester with The American Chestnut in the Piedmont of North and South of approximately 250,000 hardwood will help spread the chestnut across its role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-com- the world, they must imagine their places in it,” said our imagination. Foundation. By the 1950s, about 4 billion Carolina began dying in the mid-1800s, seedlings, including more than 14,000 former ridgetop range. French is also munity to plain member and citizen of it,” America’s Wendell Berry, a writer synonymous with the spirit of trees were lost across the East. and when the organization’s Carolinas potentially blight-resistant American hopeful that well-drained mine spoils protected lands serve as a refuge and respite to one Appalachia, when he delivered the National Endow- In This Issue The Asian fungus enters through a chapter tried planting hybrid chestnuts chestnuts on 12 former surface mines might make conditions more difficult for of the most urbanized nations on earth — as of 2008, ment for the Humanities’ 41st Jefferson Lecture in April. In this land-inspired issue of The Appalachian wound in the bark, cutting off the tree’s in 2001, most of them failed due to a in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Phytothphora root rot. 80 percent of Americans live in cities. “To have a place, to live and belong in a place, to live Voice, we contemplate the importance of conserva- circulation and killing everything above water mold called Phytothphora that Virginia and Kentucky by 2014. In April, the chestnut foundation It’s understandable then, that we turn to literature from a place without destroying it, we must imagine it. tion and the value of public lands by looking at the ground. The roots, however, survive to causes root rot. Luckily, some Chinese Reclaiming surface mines is compli- and a host of partners and volunteers written out of love for the land or stare in wonder at By imagination we see it illuminated by its own unique past and pondering the future. Trace the roots of the foster a new generation of sprouts. chestnut families are also resistant to cated, and meaningful reforestation is a completed a planting on 22 acres of a for- the photography of Ansel Adams — even a black and character and by our love for it.” The benefits of conser- conservation movement and consider its place today These young trees can live for de- rarity on the 2,300 square miles of mer surface mine in Schuylkill County, white image of Yosemite Valley or the Grand Tetons vation and maintaining our public lands are far from (p. 10); learn how climate change could impact the cades in the understory and can Appalachia that have been surface Pa. The site, the first of its kind funded imagined. Nationwide, recreation on public lands is on forests and wildlife habitats of Central and Southern grow 10 feet during the first year mined. But a forestry reclamation by the new grant, now boasts more than the rise, and recreation tourism generates hundreds of Appalachia (p. 12); meet a few of the men and women of ample sunlight, but because of technique developed in the mid- 1,000 backcross chestnuts among its thousands of jobs and contributes to every aspect of the of our region who have dedicated themselves to land that growth they also develop a 2000s shows promise on the 15 hardwood seedlings. The foundation has local, often rural, economies that border them. protection and conservation (p. 18); and read about mature tree’s gnarly bark. That bark square miles where it’s been ap- enough young trees to plant five more Despite broad support for public lands, however, the audacity of extractive industries and how, in the increases the tree’s susceptibility to plied, and more land is permitted sites in 2013. some elected leaders have proposed stripping areas of pursuit of profit, even private property rights can blight, and the process starts over. for this type of reforestation. With The project’s results, however, won’t their wilderness designation, and have advocated for come under attack (p. 20). To restore this magnificent be certain for 80 to 100 years. “We won’t Beginning on page 13, you’ll find a special 4-page People tried to stop the blight from know how successful we were until we For decades, Wendell Berry’s writings and activism have spoken to tree, in 1983 The American Chest- spreading by cutting down hundreds of insert exploring a handful of the treasures hidden have chestnuts back out there in the the spirit of Appalachia. As the 41st Jefferson Lecturer of the National nut Foundation began breeding miles of chestnut trees. The containment throughout the public lands of Appalachia. Pull it forest reproducing and taking care of Endowment for the Humanities, Berry asks us to “Imagine our place in the stately but vulnerable Ameri- effort failed. Photo courtesy of the Great the land,” and remember why conservation is central to preserving the out, share it with your friends, pick your favorites and themselves,” French says. Photograph by Guy Mendes, from 40/40 can chestnut with its crooked but Smoky Mountains National Park Library. American dream. Photos liscensed under Creative Commons. enjoy the extraordinary public lands of our region. FORTY YEARS FORTY PORTRAITS, Institute 193 Page 8 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 9 Rooted The Evolution of America’s Conservation Movement creation. Continued from previous page Last year alone, $33 million in vAmerica are finding themselves on grants were awarded to 198 parks, Rooted the defensive. protecting 33,432 acres and contributing “Wilderness is not a One piece of legislation in particular to the outdoor recreation industry that luxury but a necessity has mobilized conservation groups to generated $730 billion and supported emphasize the importance of conserva- 6.5 million jobs. Some in Congress, of the human spirit.” tion to the nation’s past, present and fu- however, still target the LWCF claiming Edward Abbey, The “Thoreau of the ture. The Wilderness and Roadless Area it does not support job growth, a trend American West” in Desert Solitaire Release Act (H.R. 1581), introduced in that continues to baffle DiPeso. 2011 by California Congressman Kevin “Protecting the environment does McCarthy, would open approximately not have to come at the expense of By Brian Sewell 60 million acres of roadless areas in the economy,” DiPeso says. “In fact, In 1963, when the first woman national forests and wilderness study Photo courtesy of the Leave No protecting the environment can confer to receive the Audubon Award for areas to industrial development. Trace Center (www.LNT.org) economic advantages if we just sit down achievements in conservation accepted While western states would be the legislation’s author and longtime tion projects to benefit all Americans, and think about it.” the honor, she said that “Conservation the most heavily impacted — nearly 9 executive director of The Wilderness including everything from national If anything, conservationists be- is a cause that has no end. There is no million acres of protected wilderness Society, Howard Zahniser, said, “Civi- parks to local playgrounds. The Trust lieve the economic benefits of land pro- point at which we say, ‘Our work is would be up for sale in Alaska — Ap- lization’s ambition can encompass wil- for Public Land, a nonprofit conserva- tection are underestimated since they finished.’” She is widely considered the palachian states would stand to lose derness protection. And so sublimated, tion group, found that for every dollar will last far into the future. Spitler, for mother of modern-day environmental- protections on more than 800,000 acres it can make preservation a prevailing invested in projects with funds from one, believes that there is a moral argu- ism. But long before Rachel Carson of national forests, including large purpose. We maintain the gallery of art, the LWCF, communities received a four ment for the creation and maintenance wrote her groundbreaking book, Silent swaths of Virginia’s George Washington even though few use it.” Zahniser died dollar return. Rather than being funded of public lands that still holds weight: Spring, she saw herself as a daughter of National Forest. The Wilderness Society, a few weeks later, just months before by taxpayer dollars, the $900 million ap- future generations. the conservation movement. seeing H.R. 1581 as being unfaithful to his landmark legislation became law. propriated to the LWCF comes from oil “They’ll thank us for them,” he says. Largely as a response to the grow- America’s tradition of conservation and Moral appeals for conservation in and gas drilling fees, though Congress “When future generations look back on In truth, the American conservation movement has spanned the nation’s history — Lewis and Clark wrote of the land’s majesty in their letters to Thomas ing pains of the Industrial Revolution, a public land protection, has taken to call- the tradition of Thoreau, Roosevelt and typically diverts the majority of these how we’ve behaved in these current national approach to land and resource Jefferson. In the mid-nineteenth century, American wirters and artists, such as Albert Bierstadt, drew inspiration from the landscape, stimulating a times I don’t think they’ll say ‘Gee, you popular movement of nature appreciation (above: Bierstadt’s Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from the Smithsonian American Art Musuem). ing it the “Great Outdoors Giveaway.” Zahniser have sustained the American funds elsewhere — shortchanging the conservation took root at the turn of “I think [H.R. 1581] is really out of conservation movement thus far. To en- LWCF by some $17 billion since its saved too much for us.’ If they criticize the 20th century. The rapid industri- touch with the American people,” says sure its continuation, however, today’s us they will say, ‘You saved too little.’” Still, the public’s commitment to American landscape. And somewhere says Jim DiPeso of ConservAmerica. alization of America led not only to Paul Spitler, The Wilderness Society’s supporters are beginning to realize that conservation remains strong. In 2009, in mid-century Manhattan, an inauspi- “Roosevelt said that conservation is a the rise of the middle class, but also to director of wilderness policy. “Ameri- economic arguments must match the during the depths of the recession, more cious boy was developing the interests great moral issue. It’s for everyone and a skyrocketing population thirsty for cans support public lands overwhelm- power of moral ones. than 80 percent of the public supported that would lead him to become the it’s part of the legacy that we should natural resources and a rise in air and ingly. They support wilderness areas using revenue from offshore drill- most celebrated conservationist in the hand off to future generations.” Saving for the Future water pollution. and parks overwhelmingly.” ing permits to fund the federal Land nation’s history. ConservAmerica was founded in In a 2010 memo to his cabinet mem- Between 1905 and 1916, the cre- When it passed in 2001, the Road- and Water Conservation Fund — the In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt be- 1995 after a Republican-led Congress set bers simply titled “America’s Great ation of the National Parks Service, less Rule that now protects the 60 mil- primary source of money allocated to came the 26th President of the United its sights on undermining bipartisan en- Outdoors,” President Barack Obama the U.S. Forest Service and the passage lion acres at risk came under immediate create and maintain public lands. Last States, and the first American leader vironmental laws, especially the Clean announced a new initiative to “develop of the Antiquities Act, which gave the attack in Congress. The Forest Service year, the majority of North Carolina vot- to make conservation a cornerstone Air Act and the Clean Water Act. The a conservation agenda worthy of the president the authority to designate received more than 2.5 million citizen ers said they would rather pay a higher of his domestic policy. To Roosevelt, mission of the non-profit organization 21st Century.” land as national monuments, affirmed comments on the rule, almost all in sales tax than cut funding to parks and conservation was not an option but an is to resurrect the Republican Party’s “Despite our conservation efforts,” that America’s conservation movement favor of complete roadless protection. public spaces. ethical imperative. During his presi- tradition of conservation exemplified the president wrote, “too many of our would continue far into the future. In 2005, after the Bush administra- To groups ranging from community dency, he created 53 wildlife refuges, by Roosevelt. fields are becoming fragmented, too The era that solidified America’s tion repealed the Roadless Rule, the land trusts to national advocacy orga- signed legislation establishing five na- “Things were getting a bit crazy in many of our rivers and streams are be- conservation principles, however, was Pew Environment Group’s Heritage nizations, conservation remains a cause tional parks and appointed the National those days,” DiPeso says of the political coming polluted, and we are losing our also a time of public trust in govern- Forests Campaign garnered support with no end. Conservation Commission to inventory climate that encouraged the creation connection to the parks, wild places, ment, bipartisan cooperation and from a bipartisan collection of gover- America’s natural resources. By the end of ConservAmerica, then known as and open spaces we grew up with and staunch regulation of business — a real- An American Tradition nors who endorsed the full protection of 1906, the year Roosevelt signed the Republicans for Environmental Pro- cherish.” ity far from the America of today. The By the mid-1800s, the seeds of of roadless areas in their states. By Antiquities Act into law, he had created tection. “Our founders felt this was Central to President Obama’s economic recession of 2008, growing na- the conservation movement had been September 2006, a federal district court four national monuments. not the reason why people had voted America’s Great Outdoors initiative tional debt and globalized markets for planted. The leading transcendentalist, had reinstated the rule. Groups advocating for the protec- for Republicans in the first place. They is the promotion of existing programs America’s natural resources have cre- Henry David Thoreau, proclaimed in The Wilderness Society is familiar tion of public land and the responsible were going after laws that had broad connecting Americans with their na- ated unprecedented challenges to land 1851 that “in Wildness is the preser- with the pendulum swings of support management of natural resources con- public support and had accomplished tion’s parks, with the federal Land and conservation and led some to argue for vation of the World.” Painters of the for conservation in government. Before tinue to praise Roosevelt and the early a lot in protecting the quality of the Water Conservation Fund at the front stripping wilderness designations from Hudson Valley School, such as Thomas it was signed by President Lyndon conservationists for their foresight. environment.” of the line. already protected tracts and opening Cole and Albert Bierstadt, were creating Johnson in 1964, the Wilderness Act “They set aside these places because Despite unflagging public support Created in 1965, the LWCF pro- public lands to timbering, mining and works inspired by the grandeur of the went through 66 drafts. In one of his they knew it was good for the country,” for conservation, groups like Conser- vides funds to land and water protec- other forms of industrial development. many appearances before Congress,

Page 10 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 11 Last Stand for the Southern Spruce-Fir? Hidden Treasures Ancient Mountaintop Species Are Most Vulnerable As Appalachia Warms elcome to part two in our exploration of the most amazing places in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains — By Molly Moore Eastern Forest Environmental W this time exploring some of our most fabulous Public Lands. Take this pull-out section Threat Assessment Center, with you as you explore the Hidden Treasures of our alluring, iconic and cherished Appalachian At the nonprofit park atop north- says that the airborne sulfate Mountains, and keep watch for our August issue and some Water-specific hidden treasures to cool western North Carolina’s Grandfather off the dog days of summer. Stories by Madison Hinshaw, Jillian Randel, Jamie Goodman and Molly Moore aerosols that were coming into Mountain, Director of Education Jesse the Southern Appalachians Pope surveys the park’s cold-loving from power plants in the plants, keeping an eye out for the brassy Midwest kept sunlight from Weller’s salamander and small Saw- coming in and warming the whet owl, two of the many creatures that West Virginia South in the same way that depend on the mountain’s cool climate. a leafy tree canopy provides Droop Mountain Pope is monitoring how Southern Ap- cool shade on a hot day. Un- palachia’s high elevation red spruce and As temperature rises, it could change everything from fog frequency to soil properties. The resiliency of red Battlefield State Park like carbon dioxide, which Fraser fir respond to rising temperatures. spruce and Fraser fir, like these on Clingmans Dome in Sevier County, Tenn., will affect the forest’s rare Droop Mountain Battlefield, in traps heat in the atmosphere, Photo by Leon Reed These high-elevation forests — remnants inhabitants. Photo by Brian Stansberry the Greenbrier River Valley, is home sulfur aerosols reflect sunlight of the last ice age that require a similar Fort Valley Virginia to West Virginia’s last civil war battle back toward space. tainty centers around clouds. How tem- endangered species dependent on these climate to forests much farther north — of this gap as it flows toward the North scene. A system of hiking trails brings Since the passage of the Clean perature affects cloud height and cloud old growth sites. The extremely endan- This quaint locale is best described are essentially islands in the sky. If tem- Fork of the Shenandoah River, boasting visitors to a natural spring, mountain Air Acts in the ‘90s, sulfate aerosols type, and whether clouds form more or gered spruce-fir moss spider, one of the as a “valley within a valley.” Tucked peratures continue to climb, residents of a reputation for trout and, when the bog, pump house and a series of caves. have decreased, so most of the South less frequently, could influence everything world’s tiniest tarantulas, lives only in away in the heart of Shenandoah these habitat islands have nowhere to go. water level is high enough, paddling. Hiking trails are less than one mile and is beginning to warm up like the rest from stream flow to plant health. moss mats found in a few of these high- County, Va., Fort Valley sits amidst Though this year’s balmy winter Local outdoor-oriented businesses range from easy to strenuous, and a of the country. But according to Dr. Clouds have added significance for elevation coniferous forests. A subspecies the Massanutten mountain range. In Photo by Jeff Culverhouse alone doesn’t signify climate change make use of the surrounding George Civilian Conservation Corps-built Howard Neufeld, a biology professor Appalachia’s most vulnerable ecosystem, of northern flying squirrel that dines on all, the valley is 23 miles long, but it is across the United States, offers a bit of — the term “climate” refers to weather Washington and Jefferson national forests museum and lookout tower still stand at Appalachian State University, the the high elevation red spruce and Fraser a truffle from red spruce roots has been never wider than three miles. history and adventure for hikers seek- patterns over long periods of time — by offering activities like guided horse- by the battlefield. The park also offers Southern Appalachians haven’t seen fir forest that cling to the coolest locations genetically isolated in the region since the The primarily agricultural valley ing a unique way to get outside. -- JR the fact that April 2012 marked the back riding. The area also has mountain reenactments of the battle during the this temperature increase yet, possibly in the southern mountains. According to glaciers receded about 10,000 years ago. is closed in except for a narrow gap on More Info: Located on Route 219, 15 miles end of the warmest 12-month period biking and hiking trails and several state month of October. Droop Mountain, because aerosols naturally emitted by Dr. Neufeld, the spruce and fir trees that As the continent warmed after the the northern side that opens for a road south of Marlinton and 27 miles north of Lew- since 1895 means that recent weather and private campgrounds. -- MM part of the Civil War Discovery Trail isburg. Visit: droopmountainbattlefield.com trees are reflecting radiation out of the anchor these ecosystems have a harder last ice age, the South’s spruce and initially built during the Revolution- can help people imagine what a new MORE INFO: Located in Shenandoah County, linking more than 600 Civil War sites atmosphere the same way sulfate aero- time drawing water up their trunk than fir migrated upward in elevation. A ary War at George Washington’s com- climate norm in Appalachia might look Va. Visit: virginia.org/Cities/FortValley sols did in the past. hardwoods do. The moisture in fog journey to the summit of Grandfather mand. Passage Creek also makes use like. Nine of the ten warmest years since gathers on the conifers’ needles, forming Mountain in North Carolina follows the Bear Rocks Preserve with stunted red spruce and barren shrub 1880 have occurred since 2000, and 2012 A (Not-so) Foggy droplets that run down the trunk to pro- conifers’ path. The forest changes from species characteristic of subalpine zones. is on track to set a new record. Forecast? McAfee Knob summer months you may have the op- Once damaged by major logging vide about a third of the tree’s hydration. leafy hardwoods lower down to a mix Recovery efforts through The Nature These measurements are consistent Pick up an Appalachian Trail cal- portunity to meet thru-hikers and learn and extensive fires, Bear Rocks Preserve While the Intergovernmental Panel If climate change causes clouds to rise, of hardwoods and spruce. Above 5,000 Conservancy of West Virginia have en- with a consensus of three key facts by endar and you’re sure to find a breath- about their time on the trail. is now a recovering ecological preserve. on Climate Change accepts higher aver- these trees risk losing a key water source feet, spruce and fir take over; if Grandfa- couraged growth and, as a result, plant international climate scientists: the taking snapshot of the iconic McAfee Two campsites on the trail provide Located on the Dolly Sods Plateau, this age temperatures as inevitable, some while suffering increased exposure to the ther were as tall as nearby Mt. Mitchell, life is abundant during the spring and Earth’s surface temperature is rising; Knob. An enormous rock slab juts out excellent base camps from which to 477-acre expanse of subalpine landscape research models for Appalachia predict an sun’s drying rays. Fraser fir alone would dominate above summer. Trails take hikers past blueberry, widespread climate-related impacts are of a rock face from one of the world’s watch the sunset or wake up early and overlooks surrounding valleys with a increase in precipitation and others tell of Southern Appalachia’s spruce and fir 5,800 feet. According to Pope, regional huckleberry, mountain laurel and azalea occurring now and are likely to increase; oldest mountain formations, giving catch the sunrise from the knob. view that can stretch as far east as the impending drought. Much of this uncer- forests are home to numerous rare and researchers estimate that a two-degree bushes. Abundant wildlife roams the pre- and it’s more than 90 percent likely that the hiker a striking view of much of Visit during the weekdays to avoid Shenandoah National Park. Although increase in temperature could serve — including black bear, white-tailed humans are responsible. Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains. the crowds, and when the forecast is deforestation has left much of the plateau shift forest zones upward by deer and bobcat. The plateau is home to Scientists agree that The knob, which has an almost sunny and inviting. Be sure to have a treeless, Bear Rocks Preserve is sketched 1,000 feet. Depending on the cranberry bogs and giant boulders that Southern Appalachian forests 270 degree panorama of the Catawba buddy photograph you on the knob. Photo by Kevin Funk (kevinfunkphoto.com) degree of warming, firs, and offer the perfect lookout point for migrat- will be warmer in the future, Valley, North Mountain, Tinker Cliffs It’s well worth it. -- MH maybe even spruce, could ing hawks, falcons, songbirds and other but detailed projections future and the Roanoke Valley, sits alongside More Info: 30 minutes outside of Roanoke on be pushed off the top of the VA 311. Visit: roanokeoutside.com/mcafee- sky-bound species. As recovery continues, climate are fuzzy because the Appalachian Trail in Catawba, Va. mountain. knob-trail efforts focus on reforesting once-abundant rates of greenhouse gas emis- A four-mile hike with a steady climb Careful observation of red spruce, protecting lands surrounding sions are uncertain. of nearly 1,300 feet from the VA311 Photo by Jacob Fields how spruce at the southern the preserve, and acquiring 15,000 acres of Ironically, some forms of Photo by Molly Moore parking lot along the AT classifies this limit of their habitat respond coal rights to transfer them to the Forest pollution might be sheltering trail as a definite “calf-burner.” Wildlife Forest management decisions can help some species adjust to to warming will be helpful for Service. The subalpine zoning provides Appalachia from experiencing habitat changes. A saw-whet owl (left) peers out of a nesting is abundant on the hike up to McAfee land managers in the Central a habitat to plants and animals normally the climate impacts that are box on Grandfather Mountain, N.C. The endangered Weller’s Knob, with white-tailed deer, eastern and Northern Appalachians, found much further north, truly making already visible in some other salamander (center) lives at a few high elevations in Virginia, fence lizards and even the rare American North Carolina and Tennessee. The ancient spreading Pope says. The climate change this one of West Virginia’s most precious parts of the country. Dr. Steve chestnut (see p. 8) just a few of the flora avens (above right) lives on sheer cliffs; its most commonly treasures. -- JR McNulty, an ecologist with the known cause of death is being crushed by falling ice sheets. Continued on page 13 and fauna that may be seen on the hike. More Info: Located in the Potomac Ranger Photo by Jesse Pope Researchers do not know whether the plant is still reproducing. McAfee Knob is a frequent stop for District of Monongahela National Forest. Visit: AT hikers, and during the spring and Photo by Freyda Strackeljahn nature.org Page 12 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 13 Hidden Treasures of Appalachia

Pickett State Park North Carolina Mountain streams, natural sandstone bridges and large rock Cataloochee Valley formations define Pickett State Surrounded by 6,000-foot peaks Park, located in the Upper Cum- in the heart of the Great Smoky berland Mountains of Jamestown, Mountains National Park, Cata- Tennessee. The park was built Photo byJessica Anderson at loochee Valley is one of the loveliest on land donated by the Stearns WhetstoneStudio.com early settlements in Western North Coal and Lumber Company in Carolina. While the 19th century the 1930s, and construction by Kentucky churches, homes and school are a walking trails that allow visitors the Civilian Conservation Corps charming site, there’s an even big- Breaks Interstate Park to access the depths of the gorge began immediately. Many of the ger secret — the several herds of elk or take in views from its highest point. original buildings, including Approximately 250 million years released to the valley in 2001. Mountain biking and horseback riding cabins, a lodge and ranger station, in the making, Breaks Interstate Park Elk were once abundant in the trails are maintained by the park for were constructed out of sandstone is one of the deepest gorges in the U.S. southern Appalachian Mountains, those who prefer a faster pace. and have earned the park recogni- The centerpiece is a 1,650 foot deep but due to over-hunting and loss of In recent years, kayaking and tion on the National Register of abyss, the largest east of the Mississippi Photo by Jared Kay habitat, they slowly disappeared. whitewater rafting the Russell Fork Photo by Brad Kennedy Historic Places. River, and establishes a well-suited The experimental release of elk nickname for the park -- the “Grand has become a sensation. Depending on Tennessee Pickett State Park is a well- in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park began with the introduction of 52 elk between 2001 and 2002. Now the release from the John W. Flannagan Fiery Gizzard Mountain pick back up when you reach Laurel Branch Gorge rounded place for family recre- Canyon of the South.” there are more than 140 elk roaming throughout the park. Cataloochee Valley is one of the best places to view Reservoir, rapids range from Class 2 to Located in the heart of the South Cumberland at the 9.7 mile mark before easing off again. Beautiful ation and includes hiking trails, For millions of years, the Russell these graceful animals because of its remoteness and open grassy fields. -- MH Fork River, a tributary of the Big Sandy, Class 5 in difficulty, with some of the Plateau, Fiery Gizzard Mountain remains one of the overlooks, waterfalls and swimming holes make Fiery a 12-acre lake for boating and More Info: Located near I-40 about 20 minutes north of Waynesville, N.C. on Cove Creek Rd. Visit: www.nps.gov/grsm has cut through the compact sandstone most challenging rapids found in the most pristine landscapes in the Eastern United States. Gizzard a must-hike, but be sure you are in top shape fishing, cabins, a lodge and ranger of Pine Mountain, creating the breath- Breaks gorge. At 12.5 miles long, the trail climbs and descends before setting out. station. Unlike some Tennessee At the end of the day, the lodge of- through Fiery Creek Gorge and is considered one of Storytellers debate on how Fiery Gizzard got state parks, Pickett’s remote loca- taking five-mile Breaks Canyon that The four main trails — Right Loop, Left fers 34 rooms with balconies overlook- the most diverse and difficult treks in the area. its name. Some legends say the mountain tion in the Cum- Tsali Recreation Area bisects the park today. Loop, Mouse Branch Loop and Thompson Loop ing the Appalachian Mountains. If you Despite its unique allure, the mountain was under was named after Davey Crockett burned his berland Plateau Challenging. That might be Breaks Interstate Park sits on more — wind along Fontana Lake at the base of the prefer a more traditional overnight stay, threat for a long time. Almost half of the trail and many tongue feasting on a turkey gizzard with lo- attracts visitors the best word to describe the than 4,500 acres of the Appalachian Great Smoky Mountains. The trails are hard- a 122-site campground awaits with full of the most cherished views were owned by a private cal Native Americans. Other legends tell that who want to nearly 40 miles of bike trails Mountains along the Kentucky and Vir- packed with a fast-paced flowing feel. Take a hook-ups for RVs. -- MH timber investment firm; it was not until recently that a Native American chief ripped the gizzard travel slightly located in the Tsali Recreation ginia border, making it one of only two break from the vigorous ride through the trails interstate parks in the country. The park More Info : Located about 27 miles east of more than 6,200 acres of the mountain came under from a turkey and threw it into the campfire to off the beaten Area just northwest of Rob- Pikeville, Ky. Visit: breakspark.com to stop at one of the three designated overlooks has more than 12 miles of hiking and full protection and were made public for all to enjoy. get the whites’ attention during a peace con- path. -- JR binsville, N.C., in the Nantahala Photo by Leslie Kehmeier featuring views of the lake. The trail starts out at the Grundy Forest Day Loop ference. Who knows what really happened on More Info: Locat- National Forest. Forest management has worked to ensure and follows the Fiery Gizzard Creek for five miles Fiery Gizzard? What we do know is that now ed in Jamestown, “Tsali” is the name of a that wildlife remains at Tsali. In the grassy openings White Hall features of the time — boasting indoor through rugged terrain, but the pristine landscape the mountain will be around long enough for Tenn. Visit: tn.gov/ Cherokee Indian that sacrificed his life so that his people environment/ along Fontana Lake and in the pine and hardwood Once home to the newspaper pub- plumbing, central heating and 10,000 makes the jaunt worth the effort. At Raven’s Point, the stories to keep passing down. -- JR could stay in the serene Great Smoky Mountains during parks/Pickett forests, trail riders might see wild turkeys, white-tailed lisher, emancipationist and Muhammad square feet of heirloom furnishings. Green there is a chance to camp and extend your enjoyment the Trail of Tears. More Info: Accessed via Highway 41/56 in Tracy City, deer, ruffed grouse, rabbits, songbirds and butterflies. Ali namesake, Cassius Marcellus Clay, the Clay, one of the wealthiest landowners of the spectacular views. Continuing to Foster Falls, Tenn. Visit: secretfalls.com/hiking/215-fiery-gizzard- Photo by Paul Beaver In 1838, the U.S. government ordered all of the After a long, hard day of biking or horseback riding, White Hall mansion is a little piece of his- and slaveholders in Kentucky, first built the elevation gain eases up for several miles only to trail or friendsofscsra.org/parkmap.html Cherokees in North Carolina to move west to Oklahoma. fall back into your cozy tent anywhere on the National tory hidden deep within Madison County, the home for his family in 1798. Clay’s However, Tsali and his people managed to stay and hide in Forest lands. If you prefer the comfort of an RV, Tsali’s Ky. This 44-room Georgian and Italianate- youngest son, the colorful and decidedly The Tennessee Wall the sport or a climbing enthusiast, the T-Wall the mountains. When they were found, an agreement was anti-slavery Cassius Marcellus, inher- made to let the people stay if sacrifices were made. Tsali public campgrounds, located directly next to the trail- style mansion built in the late 18th cen- Known as one of the premier cliffs in Ap- has something for everyone. Because the ited the home and added on to it in the and several of his family members courageously sacrificed head, are equipped with 41 graveled level sites, hot tury has been recognized for its modern palachia, the Tennessee Wall offers vigorous Tennessee Wall faces south, it gets very hot in 1860s. His daughter, Laura Clay, was the themselves and were buried under what is now known showers, flushable toilets and drinking water. rock climbing with fantastic rock quality in the summer, so get there early and bring lots of first woman nominated for president by as Fontana Lake in the middle of Tsali Recreation Area. Day passes for mountain bikers are a mere $2, and the scenic Chattanooga mountains. A gem chalk! The best time to plan a trip is September the Democratic National Party in 1920. A four-loop trail system with many other interlocking official campsites are $15 a night. The perk? Wake up for the avid rock climber, the fine-grained through June. Want to maximize a multi-day Members of the Clay family donated the trails comprises this little piece of mountain biker’s heaven. in the morning feeling fresh from a great night’s sleep orange and gray sandstone wall is nearly climbing fix? Primitive campsites are available home to the state of Kentucky in 1968; in But this recreation area doesn’t only cater to avid deep in the Nantahala, hop on your bike and do it all two miles long and is located deep in the in the woods nearby. -- MH 1971, after significant reconstruction, the bikers. Tsali’s trails are open to hikers and horseback over again! -- MH confines of the Tennessee River Gorge. Most More Info: Located 15 minutes from Chattanooga home was opened as a historic site. -- JG riders as well. Because mountain bikers and horseback More Info: 30 minutes southwest of Cherokee, N.C. on Hwy 28. of the Tennessee Wall routes range from 5.7 on Hw. 27 North. Visit: outdoorchattanooga. Look for Tsali Campground Rd. after reaching Lake Fontana. More Info Located 8 miles from Richmond, com/180.html Photo by Justin Eiseman riders are the primary trail users, trails are alternated to to 5.11 in difficulty. Whether you are new to Visit www.fs.usda.gov Photo by Kentucky Department of Parks Ky., on I-75 N. Visit: parks.ky.gov keep the two separated. Last Stand for the Southern Spruce Fir? Heller’s blazing star is one of the endangered wildflowers found in Hidden Treasures of Appalachia Continued from page 12 parcels of forest have changed high-elevation heath balds. Scientists over the past half century. speculate that these ecosystems depend prognosis is better for spruce in Central Getting everyday people on occasional fires to keep invading Appalachia because the trees have access involved in climate monitor- plants at bay. Photo courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship to northward migration corridors. ing is one way to gather this Foundation Conservationists with the Central baseline data. Dr. Rico Gazal, Appalachian Spruce Restoration Ini- a professor at West Virginia’s understand but at least we can tiative, a partnership between public Glenville State College and ask the question. For example, and private organizations, are trying to a master trainer with an would increased atmospheric restore the vitality and connectedness of international citizen science CO2 actually make plants grow these crucial forests, says Dave Saville, program, is tracking the bud- faster?” There is research that program coordinator for the West Vir- ding dates of yellow poplar ginia Highland Conservancy’s spruce points both ways, he explains.

Photo by Tony Smith Photography Photo by Tony trees in West Virginia with “What we can’t quite do yet efforts. Red spruce once covered 500,000 the assistance of his students plants to grow more vigorously aboveg- South Carolina round while expending less energy devel- and what we’re working on are these Photo by Raymond Truelove acres of West Virginia, but logging, and local volunteers. Gazal has also ‘unknown unknowns,’ these surprises Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway surface mining and development have trained over 100 teachers to engage their oping deep roots. When drought struck, Georgia reduced the forest to just 10 percent of the trees with more needles and shallower associated with climate change that Fort Mountain classrooms in the project. He notes that One way to start your exploration of the little-known mountains in South Caro- might actually have the biggest impact its former range. Focusing on spruce because this type of research doesn’t re- roots struggled more than the scraggly lina is by driving along S.C. Highway 11, also known as the Cherokee Foothills Driving up from the flatlands toward the southern end of the Appalachian because we’re least prepared to handle habitat preserves the refrigerator-like quire any special equipment, it is easier trees and couldn’t produce a healthy National Scenic Highway. Curving through what is called Upstate South Carolina, Mountain chain in the northwestern corner of Georgia, you can catch occasional them,” McNulty says, citing the red microclimate that so many species de- to involve the public. amount of resin due to lack of water. The the highway winds along the southernmost edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains glimpses of this imposing mountain looming like a solitary guard in the distance. spruce deaths on Mt. Mitchell as an pend on and protects spruce forest soils, Gazal’s study is inspired by col- same drought also made the spruce-fir past an interesting blend of Civil War history, scenic vistas and quaint mountain Up close, it’s even more majestic. Named Fort Mountain because of a mysterious, example. which sequester a staggering amount of laboration with scientists in Japan who environment hot and dry enough for the towns. The 112-mile byway — listed by motorcycleroads.com as “[one] of the 800-foot-long fortified wall thought to have been built by early Native Ameri- McNulty likens decisions by for- carbon that is released into the atmo- have 60 years of data detailing when the southern pine beetle to make its way to best motorcycle roads east of the Mississippi” — follows what was once a trade cans, the peak also lies within the rugged and beautiful Chattahoochee National est managers about whether to spend sphere when the soil is disturbed. leaves of Japanese ginkgo trees bud and the mountains and attack the spruce. Be- route used by the Cherokee Indians and European fur traders. The route provides Forest. A tidy state park on the southern side of the mountain provides a range limited resources protecting threatened Keeping Tabs on Climate fall. Seven years into his yellow poplar cause the scraggly trees with poorer soils proximity to six state parks, dozens of waterfalls, three Civil War battlefields, of facilities from backcountry camping to cabins with A/C, and offers hiking, spruce and fir ecosystems to decisions project, Gazal’s findings are consistent had deeper roots and were more resilient and some excellent whitewater boating opportunities. Notable spots include mountain biking and horseback riding trails and a 17-acre lake. The quaint town It’s not just conifers that depend on that people make about their own health with those of the USDA — the growing to drought, they were able to repel the Caesar’s Head State Park and Table Rock State Park. -- JG of Chatsworth lies just to the west of the mountain, and the nearby 750,000-acre cool mountain environments. Back in care. Medical bills are often highest at the season is getting longer. This extended beetle with resin. The healthier-looking More Info: Northern terminus starts off I-85 in Gaffney, S.C. Visit: scenic11.com Chattahoochee forest and 29,000-acre Cohutta Wilderness — straddling the North Carolina, Grandfather Mountain is end of someone’s life, and spruce-fir eco- growing cycle, he says, affects factors trees that weren’t producing enough resin Photo by: Nicholas T Georgia / Tennessee line — means you’ll have plenty to do for a while. -- JG home to several heath balds that support systems have been shrinking since the like the amount of water forests need and succumbed to the combination of drought federally threatened wildflowers such last ice age. Climate change will hasten More Info: Located 8 miles east of Chatsworth via Ga. Hwy. 52. Visit: gastateparks.org the timing of soil nutrient cycles that rely and insect attack. as Heller’s blazing star and Blue Ridge the pace of warming, he says, but “even- on leaf fall. Naturally, as the growing sea- To McNulty, scenarios like this are goldenrod. The mountain’s sheer cliffs are tually, with or without climate change, son lengthens for yellow poplar, it also the most troubling to climate scientists one of just 11 sites in the world that sup- these ecosystems will likely disappear in Pennsylvania lengthens for invasive plants and pests because they combine multiple factors Cantwell Cliffs port an ancient endangered plant called the Southern Appalachians.” such as multi-flora rose and the balsam in unexpected ways, making it difficult Black Moshannon Among the natural spreading avens, a nondescript member of Neufeld agrees that some changes wooly adelgid. Citizen observation and to plan. As he explains, there are some The most unique as- wonders of Southeast the rose family that lights up with yellow “knowns” that forest managers can are inevitable. “I think people just have Ohio blossoms in mid-summer. Pope observes satellite imagery provide scientists with pect of the 3,400-acre Black Ohio is a set of reddish- to get used to the idea that [natural] valuable data that helps forest managers plan for. “If it gets hot and dry we know Moshannon State Park in brown sandstone forma- the plant’s colonies on Grandfather at- communities are dynamic,” he says. prepare for greater climate change. there are going to be more wildfires so central Pennsylvania — tions known as Cantwell Cliffs. tentively, but in five years he has not seen we can sort of plan for that. There are “There won’t be bare slopes with noth- a project of the Civilian The cliffs are situated atop a bed any new sprouts on the mountain. Planning for the Unknown species we can plant that are better ing on them. Something will come in Conservation Corps of the of Blackhand Sandstone (south- In addition to species monitoring, Integrating research from different adapted to wildfires,” he says. “Then and colonize them.” Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli 1930s — is the 1,992 acres east Ohio is the only place in the Pope contributes to an international cli- forestry disciplines helps researchers there are unknowns that we may not of protected bog lands that world where this type of sand- mate database through an Appalachian understand how seemingly separate form a rare biosphere home to three species of carnivorous plants, 17 varieties stone exists). Characterized by a State University program. Special equip- factors, such as invasive pests and air of orchids, and other plant and animal species normally found farther north. At 150-foot-tall horseshoe-shaped ment, provided by a NASA grant, enables pollution, can interact. Between 1998 1,919 feet, the park sits atop the Allegheny Plateau and just west of the Allegheny formation overlooking a beauti- Pope, and park visitors, to measure data and 2000, a severe drought led to a spate Photo by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Front, a steep escarpment that rises 1,300 feet in four miles. More than 20 miles ful gorge, the cliffs feature nar- such as incoming solar radiation, density of spruce deaths in the high elevations of trails and a network of unpaved state forest roads adjacent to the park pro- row passageways and towering of particulate matter in the atmosphere, around North Carolina’s Mt. Mitchell. Dr. vide ample opportunity for hiking, mountain biking and cross country skiing. rock walls. No guardrails are in temperature and precipitation. McNulty led a crew to investigate. As part of the state’s Important Bird Area #33, Black Moshannon is considered place, so keep an eye on young Making measurements and observa- The group discovered that south- a top birding destination in the state; bird watchers have recorded 175 different children. Cantwell Cliffs are the tions to generate strong baseline data is ern pine beetles, which usually live at species, including the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, the Alder Flycatcher and northernmost location in the al- critical, says ASU’s Dr. Neufeld. He cites lower elevations, were killing some of the the Common Yellowthroat. While not as “hidden” as some of our other treasures luring Hocking Hills State Park ecologist R.H. Whittaker’s work to de- spruce. The trees in trouble were some of (Black Moshannon Park is on “The 20 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks” list), system, making them a less-vis- lineate and document sections of forest the largest, healthiest-looking specimens. the sheer diversity of unique plants and birds makes it an intriguing prospect ited spot and one of Ohio’s most in the Smokies in the 1950s. Whittaker’s Research revealed that acid rain was for any naturalist at heart. -- JG hidden public treasures. -- JR careful notes on the forest flora allow depositing high levels of nitrogen in the More Info: Located off of S.R. 374, near Rockbridge, Ohio. Visit: thehockinghills.org today’s researchers to see how these soil. Nitrogen acts as a fertilizer, allowing More Info: Located nine miles east of Philipsburg on PA 504. Visit: dcnr.state.pa.us Page 12 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 13 Stephanie Connolly Kentucky’s “Naturalist” Treasure Soil Scientist By Brian Sewell he “learned what makes the parks Monongahela tick.” Now, as the state naturalist, Ron Vanover, a native of our Public Lands National Vanover maintains a blog and helps Guardians Kentuckian reared in Mc- he employees of our state parks, national agencies and Forest, W.Va. other naturalists promote park activi- Creary County, was raised conservation organizations are committed to preserving ties online. T with a passion for nature, Vanover also taught as an ad- the land we all own and enjoy. The future of our forests, air and and he’s intent on passing junct professor at Morehead State it on to as many people as water is in their care, and their work to protect our public lands College for 10 years, and was rec- possible. Ron Vanover deserves recognition and respect. ognized in 2009 as a “Teacher Who “I guess in some State Naturalist KY Dept. of Parks Made a Difference” by the University ways it became a family of Kentucky’s College of Education. tradition,” says Vanover, As a naturalist, Vanover often describes Taking Community to the Summit the state naturalist for the Kentucky Depart- himself as a “liaison between the resource A Scientist Who Really Digs Dirt ment of Parks, of his relationship to the 50 By Jesse Wood throughout his childhood. and the visitor” — a quote from the “father” state parks he oversees. “I think that passion comes By Jamie Goodman well — ranking number one in the nation of nature interpretation, Freeman Tilder. “He’s tough as nails.” In 1992, Vanover became the park from growing up in a rural area — that the USDA’s Natural Resources “I love the interaction and the knowledge That’s how one colleague describes Stephanie Connolly’s passion for dirt naturalist at Jenny Wiley State Park in Pres- and having the freedom as a child. Conservation Service immediately of- I can pass along to a young naturalist coming Larry Trivette, the superintendent of began at a very early age. At three, she tonsburg, Ky., where he oversaw the creation Larry Trivette fered her a position. As part of her work, out of school,” says Vanover, whose students North Carolina’s Elk Knob State Park. When I was small, we didn’t was working her own garden. By six, she of seven miles of trails and 121 campsites. Superintendent, Elk Knob State Park, N.C. she spent 18 months in the Great Smoky have since become everything from biologists worry about kids disappearing, was driving a tractor. A steadfast dream But it was in 2005, after he became the park “He’ll work longer than anybody, Mountains National Park mapping how to lawyers. “That’s a good feeling to know, so my sister and I would venture of growing up to be a farmer stayed with manager at Natural Bridge State Park, that than any of the volunteers and trail with locals to establish and preserve Trivette plans to open backcountry variations in soil quality affected certain that you’ve been able to help someone.” off into the woods and be gone all day her through high school. But when her builders,” says Eric Heigl of the Blue Elk Knob for future generations. And campsites this summer, and a wheel- rare butterfly habitats. long,” Trivette says. “I just developed a grandfather, a farmer himself, told her Ridge Conservancy. “He’s just a leader with urban sprawl sweeping into com- chair-accessible trail is in the works. “North Carolina was really the turn- in that regard. He’s always out front.” great love for the creation that has been munities surrounding Boone and Ap- During the winter, the park is open that she was too smart to stay on a farm, A Country Kid’s Passion for Preservation put here for us and wanted to be a part ing point in my education,” she says. For the past 32 years, Trivette has palachian State University, Trivette is for backcountry skiing and snowshoe- she did what she considered the next best historic sites. of seeing that preservation carried on.” Today, Connolly works her dream job By Bill Kovarik worked in the North Carolina state park delighted to find landowners who will ing. Currently, Elk Knob State Park has thing — pursuing degrees in agriculture “Conservation ease- with the Forest Service, helping to “man- During the 1980s and 90s, As superintendent of the park, sell their land to a conservancy rather one trail – a 1.9-mile trek to the summit of and soil sciences. ments speak to Virginia’s system, and for more than 20 of those age the soils that sustain the trees that Beth Obenshain watched as Trivette has been instrumental in edu- Raised in Morgantown, W.Va., Con- heritage,” she says. “They years, he was stationed at Stone Moun- than to a developer. Elk Knob, where Trivette has stood many sustain the forests.” Key in her avocation suburban developments swept cating nearby landowners about con- nolly has traveled a serendipitous circle to are about saving the very tain and Morrow Mountain state parks. “That’s really been rewarding to times, gazing into the distance. Working is the study of how industrial emissions away the farms around Blacks- servation options, establishing the Elk end up as one of the U.S. Forest Service’s fabric of this beautiful and In 2004 – shortly after its creation to me, to see that there are still those kinds alongside his volunteers, Trivette actu- burg, Va., where she had grown Knob Community Headwaters Day as and climate change are affecting soil com- historic state.” protect the headwaters of the North Fork of people out there, who could get more ally led the effort to build the summit top soil scientists working to protect the up. And, as a self-described position, which in turn affects the trees Among sites preserved of the New River – he became the first an annual day of celebration for locals. money possibly from developers, but trail, which opened last year. health of the country’s forest ecosystems. “country kid,” it bothered her. and ultimately the mammals and other Beth Obenshain under easement are: Ingles Heigl, who continues work with Trivette have chosen not to,” Trivette says. “How can you work in a place like After earning a Master’s degree in soil So in 2002 she retired as Founding Exec. Director long-term superintendent of Elk Knob species that depend on the forest. The Tavern, where Davy Crockett to expand the park, added that because chemistry from Colorado State Univer- a senior editor for the Roanoke New River Land Trust State Park in Watauga County, N.C. A 20-minute drive from downtown this and walk atop Elk Knob and look off goal, Connolly says, “[is to assess] which once stayed; and the home of Trivette’s leadership, Elk Knob State sity, Connolly started working for a large Times to serve as the founding An avid backpacker, hunter and Boone, Elk Knob State Park consists of into the valleys and far-reaching moun- ecosystems will be most resilient through of Tilly Wood, who was famous for her gener- Park is a part of the community. international corporation analyzing soil executive director of the Blacksburg-based fly-fisherman, Trivette grew up just more than 3,400 acres and boasts the tains and not just feel so super small,” osity to thru-hikers on The Appalachian Trail. Trivette notes that one of the high- climate change, and do we see things in New River Land Trust, a non-profit conserva- down the road from Elk Knob in the second-highest peak in the county, which Trivette says. “It’s really something to be samples for projects including hydro- “I’m incredibly elated and proud that the soil that can help us determine what tion group that encourages landowners to community of Todd, fostering a love lights of his job has been the interac- rises to 5,520 feet. The park is currently able to say you are a part of saving this electric dams and gold mining. “I very these properties are going to be there for we should do — should we actively man- preserve land using voluntary easements. tion with the community and working in an interim developmental stage, but little chunk of land and preserving it.” quickly realized that was not the life for future generations,” she says. “[They] go for the outdoors and its preservation age, should we passively manage, [or] “It was about saving farms, and I grew me,” she says. “I realized I wanted to back to the founding days of our country.” should we protect.” up on a farm, and I saw so much change in make a difference.” Although Obenshain recently retired, “This is part of our mission,” she my life,” Obenshain says wistfully. Following advice from her father to she continues to work on preservation, Now, after helping farmers and land- Blazing Trails Toward Conservation unteers. He is celebrated for his role in servation Commission. In 2002, Powell says, “If we’re going to be responsible which she says has been rewarding, and an “work from the inside out,” Connolly owners place 40,000 acres of land across constructing a number of sturdy bridges received the Robert Sparks Walker and proactive about our response [to adventure, too. “I’ve gone down little back By Jenni Frankenburg Veal system of hiking trails, including the took the national registry exam for soil eight counties under easements, Obenshain that cross streams along the trail. Powell Lifetime Achievement Award from the changes in climate], you have to stay on roads, places I had never been and never Cumberland Trail, and he was a strong scientists — a certification akin to medical looks back on almost a decade of guarding Lifelong conservationist and Signal top of what is going on.” would have been, if not for the land trust.” supporter for the passage of Tennes- also developed the trails at Shackleford Tennessee Department of Environment examinations for doctors. She scored so the public interest by preserving farms and Mountain resident Sam Powell has see’s Trails System Act in 1971. Powell Ridge Park on Signal Mountain, which and Conservation. helped preserve the scenic landscape of is currently chair of the connect the Cumberland Trail with “I hope to continue to encourage Chattanooga through his dedicated ef- Signal Mountain Parks trails along Walden’s citizens to become more active in pro- forts to protect land and build trails for Board. Ridge. tecting our environment and to help • Delicious Deli-Style future generations. His work has made For decades, Pow- Powell’s impressive them understand the consequences Sandwiches him a local hero — the road near several ell has tirelessly de- conservation resume in- if we don’t,” says Powell, who still community schools is named after him. veloped trails on the cludes helping to found works with students at Signal Mountain • Homemade Soups Powell is one of the founding fa- Signal Mountain sec- the Tennessee River Middle/High School maintaining and thers of the Cumberland Trail, a scenic tion (southern end) of Gorge Trust — receiving developing the trails that surround the • Vegetarian Fare hiking trail that follows the eastern the Cumberland Trail the 1996 Adele Hampton school. “I also look forward to continu- escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in partnership with the Lifetime Achievement ing my work involving local parks and free wireless internet • and Much More! in Tennessee. He helped found the Ten- Locally roasted Fair Trade Boy Scouts, Tennessee Award for his work with greenways. My hope is to see the Cum- nessee Trails Association in 1968 to coor- Sam Powell frappes & fruit smoothies Division of Forestry Lifelong Conservationist the trust — and serving berland Trail State Park completed by homemade pastries & desserts Coffee & Espresso dinate the development of a statewide Signal Mountain, Tenn. on the Tennessee Con- the time Gov. Bill Haslam leaves office.” 240 Shadowline Drive, Boone, North Carolina and many other vol- 221 w. state street black mountain, nc 828.669.0999 www.dripolator.com (828) 262-1250 • www.Peppers-Restaurant.com Page 14 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 15 EXPORTED

Property Rights legislation, which the industry is eager for dinners at her grandparents’, pitch- Plundering Private Property Rights Continued from previous page to introduce. One proposed bill would ing horseshoes, looking for ginseng a hunter, has “the power and the ten- require the consent of 75 percent of and visiting small family cemeteries Resource-Rich Landowners Face A Daunting Future dency to escape without the volition of landowners before pooling can begin; across the valley. the rest could be compelled to negotiate “These sacred spaces would be By Paige Campbell used as dumping grounds for mine the [land]owner.” Therefore, according for royalties and to allow the drilling to endangered by gas drilling,” says wastewater without their consent. In the to the ruling, “possession of the land… Half a dozen generations ago, proceed against their objections. Shaffer. If drilling is allowed and just original mineral deeds, “there was never is not necessarily possession of the gas.” when a coal-mining boom first enticed In Virginia, where laws make no a quarter of her neighbors sign on, any contemplation that a coal company The context for the court’s analogy southwest Virginians to sell the rights distinction between vertical and hori- fracking chemicals could start fractur- would retain substantial rights to the goes back even further, to the dead fox to minerals beneath their land, the deal zontal wells, the most industry-friendly ing the rock deep beneath her land land after the coal was removed,” Gray that prompted New York’s landmark they were making concerned the coal forced-pooling laws in the nation allow without her consent. She fears con- says. “The Supreme Court has made it Pierson v. Post decision in 1805. Pier- itself. At least, that’s how Virginia’s gas companies to extract from a pool of tamination of the spring that supplies quite clear in several past decisions that son, the man who shot the fox in ques- courts have defined mineral ownership properties with the consent of just 25 her water, air and noise pollution, As the natural gas boom continues, states are the surface owner owns the mine void.” tion, was allowed to keep it, the state’s through most of the state’s mining his- highest court determined, overruling a percent of landowners. Compensation and compromised safety for children facing regulatory challenges to protect private Untreated coal processing waste- landowners. In Dimock, Pa. — a town transformed tory. But on April 9, that understanding lower court’s finding in favor of Post, to the rest — who often aren’t even noti- at two nearby schools. water, which contains toxins including by hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale — a shifted when Governor Bob McDonnell fied of the drilling — is periodically sent But for the short-term, Shaffer mercury and arsenic, can present en- who’d been pursuing the fox well be- drilling rig looms over a nearby home. Photo by signed state House Bill 710 into law. to a statewide escrow account. can breathe easy. Outcry from the vironmental concerns to aquifers and fore Pierson laid eyes on it. That’s the Aaron Nutter. Mining companies are now legally essence of the “Rule of Capture” — the But as Daniel Gilbert of the Bristol Benhams community and members other drinking water sources, says Gray, will remain until then. entitled to not just the coal, but the The view from Mary’s Chapel, near the Washington County, Va. community of Benhams. The chapel first person to physically possess a Herald Courier reported in 2009, many of the local chapter of Virginia Orga- who is also the president of the Virginia and valley sit above deposits of shale that have attracted attention from a gas-drilling company. The take-away for Shaffer? “People empty void created by its removal. In wild animal (or a free-flowing supply landowners who are force-pooled “re- nizing, a statewide community organiz- Conservation Network. His biggest con- Photo by Paige Campbell have rights over drillers.” And the key practical terms, H.B. 710 allows compa- of natural gas, as the case may be) gets ceive no accounting of their royalties in ing network, recently helped prevent nies to use mine voids as disposal sites cern, however, is the political might of to claiming those rights, in her experi- we’ve got in Buchanan County.” Puckett their mineral rights,” he says. “They to claim ownership of it, even if it origi- escrow, and they face enormous legal the county’s land-use committee from for coal mining waste products. In fact, the coal industry. “When the minerals ence, depends on an organized effort to says he aims to navigate that balance in were sold years ago, and now we feel nated on someone else’s property, and barriers in collecting them.” What’s quietly changing the ordinance. Ulti- at least one mining company, CONSOL were acquired by the coal companies, inform citizens of the legal process and his district’s best interest. we’ve lost even more.” even if that someone saw it first. more, Gilbert found, is that state regu- mately, the county’s board of supervi- Energy, routinely used empty Buchanan they could have bought the right to use the real stakes. “I am certain our collec- Such pragmatism, however, does When applied to gas drilling, the lators have done little to ensure gas sors voted to permit no further action County, Va., chambers for that purpose the mine voids to deposit waste. But Capturing Communities tive voice raised awareness enough to little to ease the deep concerns of Rule of Capture led to disorder and companies actually pay up. In each on the matter until a nationwide U.S. without landowners’ consent until 2008, they didn’t. This new law allows the As H.B. 710 cases begin to play out stall drilling for now.” constituents like Ben Hooper of Ap- waste, says John K. Baillie of PennFu- of the 18 months he studied between Environmental Protection Agency re- when the company was found guilty industry to essentially condemn pri- across Virginia, the legal nuances could palachia, Va. A long-time advocate for ture, a citizen-led organization advocat- January 2008 and June 2009, at least port on the safety of fracking is released of trespassing and eventually paid $75 vate property for its own purpose and inform another looming property-rights the protection of southwest Virginia’s ing for natural resource conservation. 22 percent of landowners who were in 2014. The prohibition on gas drilling million in damages. financial gain.” He believes that H.B. battle involving hydraulic fractur- mountains, Hooper sees a heavy corpo- Landowners scrambled to extract their subjected to forced pooling failed to 710 violates the Virginia constitution. ing for natural gas. The controversial Following H.B. 710, if CONSOL rate hand at play in H.B. 710’s passage. gas before their neighbors could. But receive any royalties at all, even though State Senator Phillip Puckett, who techniques — which have been shown or any other company wants to use a “This law was passed, bought by coal, so many small wells meant no one was their corresponding wells had produced represents Virginia’s southwestern to cause groundwater contamination, voided mine for waste storage, they need to stem off lawsuits,” he says plainly. collecting much, Baillie wrote in a 2011 gas. In some months, that number was counties, initially opposed the bill. But among other issues — have forced only to negotiate a price. The law says The coal industry, Hooper believes, academic paper titled “Pooling and over half. ultimately, an amendment that called for lawmakers across the region to grapple that landowners are entitled to finan- fueled a legal shift unthinkable to other Unitization in Pennsylvania,” and the The Right to Resist routine financial negotiations between with new regulatory legislation. cial compensation, but cannot refuse a industries. “If I were to buy timber sudden abundance depressed prices. landowners and the coal companies In Pennsylvania, existing gas regu- Some Virginia municipalities with coal company’s contract outright. If the rights from a property owner,” he won- So in 1964, a new law introduced the swayed his vote. “The original bill had lations are rooted in a state Supreme local bans on gas drilling are taking two parties fail to reach an agreement, ders, “could I expect to own the void concept of forced pooling, a process a judge will determine fair settlement. no provisions for that,” says Puckett. For Court decision that compared natural another look at the issue now that many landowners, filing suit indepen- once the timber is removed?” that maps out large plots, each com- the southern reaches of the Marcellus La L dd It’s a monumental re-structuring gas to, for lack of a more precise clas- a ib o ! dently would be far too costly. To Hooper, the law is a new chapter prised of many people’s property, to Shale, with all its lucrative potential, iv T of property rights, says Gerald Gray of sification, a wild animal. An 1889 rul- V AIR in a familiar raw deal for local people supply individual wells. The goal was ¡ “I don’t like coal companies run- ing declared that free-flowing natural has caught the industry’s eye. Last year, Clintwood, Va., an attorney representing as they lose long-term economic power for landowners to be compensated for ning rough-shod over people,” says gas, like an animal being pursued by the Washington County, Va., board of Buchanan County landowners who say in exchange for small payouts. In his their share of the gas and benefit from the mine voids under their land were Puckett, “but I also know that these supervisors faced pressure to reverse Elkland Art Center’s companies bring some of the best jobs community, “rarely does anyone own Continued on next page the improved efficiency. its long-held prohibition against gas The gas extracted from Pennsylva- drilling when the Southeast Land and Liberty Parade 2012 nia’s Marcellus Shale, however, sits at a Mineral Company petitioned to estab- depth that is not covered by the 1964 law. lish new 160-acre forced drilling pools Fourth of July, 10:30 am It is also not free-flowing, and requires the in the remote community of Benhams use of horizontal, not vertical, wells. In and begin extracting gas. Todd, NC Individuals, Builders, Architects and Realtors interested Pennsylvania, those conditions have been In Benhams, one-lane roads snake in Quality Comprehensive Log & Timber Subcontract understood to exclude fracking from the between hillside cow pastures, just-tilled Services: We can assist you or your clients with forced-pooling laws already on the books. gardens and thick patches of woods full regional UNIQUE HEAVY TIMBER products or In other words, if Marcellus Shale arrange full custom construction services. of trilling cicadas. Karen Shaffer’s roots Promoting building gas is a wild animal, it’s a different sort in the community go back over a century, that preserves the of beast than early Pennsylvania jurists to her great-grandparents who came community character could have envisioned. It’s a beast and culture of our region. from Italy and Ireland to farm and hunt. that demands more invasive drilling Shaffer remembers Sundays of her child- Please visit our website: techniques and thus demands its own www.HearthstoneOfBoone.com hood: picking up milk at Spahr’s dairy www.elklandartcenter.org

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The COAL REPORT News from Appalachia and Beyond The COAL REPORT News from Appalachia and Beyond Coal Generated Electricity Drops To All-Time Low in First Quarter OSM Threatens Takeover of Kentucky Surface Mining Regulation By Molly Moore company reclaims a site according to oversight study found that, among sites system. OSM said both Kentucky pro- By Jessica Kennedy of more than eight percentage points percent in 2011. the Environmental Protection Agency permit requirements, they get their money where bonds were forfeited, four out of posals were a step forward, but didn’t go Office of Surface Mining Director Joe from the previous all-time low of 44.6 Coal production at mines is ex- has eliminated coal jobs; Since the EPA’s back. If not, the bond provides the state five bond amounts were inadequate. Re- far enough to fix the problem. Kentucky Data released in early May show Pizarchik made headlines in May when he percent in 2011. pected to fall by more than 10 percent issuance of an interim guidance on with funds to come in and clean up the ports identified similar problems in 2009 bond calculations haven’t been adjusted that coal’s current share of U.S. electric- sent a letter to Kentucky regulators warn- The EIA expects electric power this year, according to the EIA report. Appalachian surface mine permitting site — if the bond amount was sufficient. and 2010. A 2011 study found that 18 of since 1993. ity generation is at an all-time low. ing that their failure to require appropriate industry coal consumption to continue According to a February thinkprogress. in April 2010, the number of Appala- Pizarchik’s letter follows several 22 forfeited bonds were too low to cover With the letter, Pizarchik has set in According to the U.S. Energy In- reclamation bonds could lead to a federal falling by an additional 14 percent in org article, 106 coal plants have closed chian miners has actually grown by 10 years of heightened federal oversight of the cost of reclamation. motion a legal process known as Part 733, formation Administration’s Short-Term takeover of all or part of Kentucky’s sur- 2012, while natural gas is predicted to since 2010. percent, despite a decline in demand Kentucky bonding practices. Kentucky A separate state study looked at 39 which allows the state to meet informally Energy Outlook report, coal made up face mining enforcement program. grow by over 20 percent. This switch Data from the Mine Safety and for U.S. coal. agencies and OSM studied whether the forfeited bonds between January 2007 with OSM to discuss their differences. If only 36 percent of the country’s electric- Surface mining law allows states to is primarily driven by falling prices Health Administration counters the coal state’s bond amounts are high enough and May 2011 and found that 80 percent talks fail to generate an agreement, OSM ity in the first quarter of 2012, a drop enforce the law under federal oversight. of natural gas, which dropped by 7.5 industry’s claims that regulations from to cover the cost of reclamation if a coal were inadequate. will hold a public hearing in Kentucky. If When it comes to reclamation bonds, company forfeits. In April and August of 2011, the Ken- the problem is still unresolved, OSM can that means that states must require coal The resulting reports revealed chroni- tucky Department of Natural Resources take over all or part of the state’s surface companies to post a bond equivalent to cally low bond requirements. A 2008 proposed improvements to the bond mining enforcement program. Coal Financing Under Scrutiny EPA to Appeal Spruce No. 1 Court Decision the cost of reclaiming mine sites. If the

By Molly Moore Keepers of the Mountains Foundation, The U.S. Environmental Protec- EPA vetoed an essential water pollution whose home on Kayford Mountain in tion Agency announced in May that permit in Jan. 2011, citing the fact that the Coal River Makes America’s Most Endangered Rivers List — Again Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, West Virginia is surrounded by moun- it would appeal a court decision that mine would bury seven miles of streams, Citi, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo By Anna Norwood “approximately 20 percent of the river’s Valley. According to American Rivers, appeared on the 2012 list. The Chat- taintop removal mining, asked the bank overturned the agency’s veto of the it was was the 13th time since 1972 that tahoochee River, which runs through ranked as the five worst banks for coal Coal River in West Virginia has watershed is permitted for coal mining, “Congress must restore Clean Water to stop funding the destruction near his Spruce Mine No. 1 mountaintop re- the agency vetoed a permit already is- Georgia, ranked third, and is threatened financing in an annual report issued been named one of America’s Most and one-third of that area has already Act protections to the Coal’s headwater home. According to the Rainforest Ac- moval permit in West Virginia. sued by the Army Corps of Engineers. by proposals for new dams and reser- by Rainforest Action Network, Bank- Endangered Rivers for 2012, ranking been mined. Over 100 miles of headwater streams in order to prevent more de- tion Network report, Bank of America The mine in question — Arch Coal’s The judge who overturned the EPA voirs. The Grand River in Ohio, number Track and Sierra Club. Banks were ninth on watchdog organization Ameri- streams have already been buried in the structive mining and permanently safe- underwrote $4.3 billion in coal-related Spruce Mine No. 1 — would span 2,278 veto said the agency had overstepped six on the list, is listed as being at risk rated according to their investment in can Rivers’ list of the top 10 threatened watershed.” Coal River previously ranked guard clean water and public health.” investments over a two-year period. acres and be the largest mountaintop its role by vetoing a permit that was from natural gas development. mountaintop removal coal mining and waterways in the country. sixth on the 2000 endangered rivers list. Two other rivers in Appalachia “Ultimately, the coal industry is a removal mine in state history. When the approved by the Army Corps. coal-fired power plants. American Rivers cites mountaintop A 5,000 acre project has been pro- business,” says Walter Hjelt Sullivan, The report comes as the coal in- removal coal mining with contaminat- posed to level Coal River Mountain, the program director for Earth Quaker Ac- dustry’s financiers face greater scrutiny ing Coal River.The report states that, last remaining mountain untouched by tion Team, which is currently targeting regarding their investments in coal. EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory mountaintop removal in the Coal River PNC Bank. “Coal companies could not Demonstrations against PNC Bank and “What a great magazine!” By Brian Sewell 10 percent increase in total emissions operate without banks. Not everyone In Brief Bank of America were held this May since 1990, when the agency began col- lives in the coal fields, but we all use The U.S. Environmental Protection “I discovered your in Pittsburgh and Charlotte, and UBS lecting greenhouse gas emissions data to Citizens Divided lution from a coal ash pond at its Preston County, banks and that gives us power to act.” Agency has released a national inven- W.Va., Albright power plant. The environmental magazine while visiting Bank, which was not mentioned in the Coal industry lawyers seek to restrict the amount be presented in a comprehensive report. groups, including the Sierra Club and West Virginia Credit Suisse was the only big bank tory of greenhouse gas emissions for of input — including evidence from academic and and found it to be report, was the subject of demonstra- The EPA says that charting the Highlands Conservancy, claimed that FirstEnergy to earn high marks in the report for its 2010. The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse scientific experts — allowed by citizen groups in tions in multiple cities. was liable for fines of up to $9.4 million for federal uplifting and delightful! emissions and “sinks” — the amount of cases regarding mountaintop removal coal mining policy of not investing in mountaintop Gas Emissions and Sinks concludes that violations under the Clean Water Act. The case At the Bank of America share- permits. The argument made to U.S. District Judge I plan on moving to your carbon taken up by forests, vegetation was settled for $50,000 and the Albright plant is removal coal mining. total emissions of the six main green- Robert C. Chambers, by attorneys representing Al- holders meeting, Larry Gibson of the and soils — is an essential first step in scheduled to shut down in September. FirstEnergy area and am thrilled to house gases, including carbon dioxide pha Natural Resources, came as the court consid- identifying and addressing the threats denies any wrongdoing. stay in touch through and methane, rose 3.2 percent from the ers at least two challenges levied by citizen groups associated with climate change. against previously approved surface mine permits. previous year. Reaching the equivalent Duke CEO Questioned your magnificent The entire inventory is available at In addition to citizen groups, the U.S. Environmen- Organic to 6,822 million metric tons of carbon di- tal Protection Agency has also raised concerns over At Duke Energy’s annual shareholders meeting magazine online.” epa.gov/climatechange. in North Carolina, some attendees questioned oxide, the inventory reports a more than recent permit impacts on water quality, including —Best, the 635-acre Reylas Surface Mine in West Virginia, CEO Jim Rogers about the company’s use of Hair Design rg mountaintop removal coal and storage of coal ash. Y O an which would bury 2.5 miles of streams. Karen from California www.OrganicHairDesign.com U ic When a mother, who was diagnosed with cancer B whose parents live in Listening to the Public and lives near Duke Energy’s Riverbend plant, and Vilas, NC BarBeCue reStaurant & her child expressed their concerns over coal ash, During May of this year, the EPA held three public he responded, “I believe that lake is safe, I believe Catering ServiCe hearings to gather information from the public the air is safe and I believe you’ll be fine.” Later on, and stakeholders regarding 36 drafted National Rogers agreed to have a “long conversation” with Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits environmentalists. Open 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sun.- Thur. for Kentucky coal mining operations. The hearings “Be Good to Yourself were a response to the EPA’s specific objections Open 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. Virginia Loves Coal Be Good to Your Planet” of the permits out of concern that they do not ad- The Governor of Virginia signed into law two bills New Clients Receive 8304 Valley Blvd (HWY 321 Bypass) equately protect water quality, the environment and 828-737-0771 human health consistent with the Clean Water Act. in a strong show of support for the coal industry. PO Box 976, Linville, NC 28646 Blowing Rock, NC 28605 The first bill promotes tax credits for coal jobs in 10% Off Services B At stores & businesses almost everywhere in the High Country ... and online at Gift Certificates Available U E FirstEnergy Water Lawsuit the state, while the second bill was designed to Y D increase mining safety through increased mapping CarolinaMountainLifeMagazine.com Banner Elk F ra The Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. has air T in areas where coal and natural gas operations [email protected] settled with environmental groups in a lawsuit 898.8111 are working in close proximity. The bills signed by BlueSmokeCoffee.com against the electric utility for alleged arsenic pol- Restaurant (828) 295-3651 Catering (828) 295-3395 Gov. McDonnell will take effect July 1 of this year. Page 18 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 19 Editorial Revealing the Common Thread: Blue Ridge Commons By Brian Sewell that centennial celebration by tracing the environmental movement. Exploring the evolution of the Forest Service the notion of commons environmental- Saving Our Natural Heritage Last year, Western since the passage of the Weeks ism — resources held by all and shared The American spirit is tied to the land, to “purple North Carolina recognized Act and exploring the history of among a community — Newfont traces mountain majesties” and the pioneer’s self-reliance. the 100-year anniversary Pisgah and Nantahala national the region’s irrevocable relationship to the Our relationship with the natural world has always of the Weeks Act, the law forests, two of the earliest eastern resources found in the forest — no matter that gave the U.S. Forest been a balancing act between the drives of conquest woodlands managed by the agency. its managers. and extraction and an instinctual dependence, curios- Service the ability to purchase private land in the Eastern Unit- Astounding in its breadth of re- Recently, we spoke with the author and ity and respect. search, Blue Ridge Commons encapsulates historian about Blue Ridge Commons and When we fail to guard our public lands against ed States to be managed as National Forests. Historian Kathryn Newfont’s new book, the past century from the early days of the how Appalachian communities and those those who would tilt that balance into the deep pockets Blue Ridge Commons: Environmental Activism Forest Service’s eastern expansion to the around the world are still standing up for of a greedy few, we are selling out the American spirit. and Forest History in North Carolina, caps rise of clearcutting and the emergence of the commons (see below for interview). Supporters of big industry try to decry the very pres- ence of public land, implying that the word “public” violates our freedom. That couldn’t be further from the Author’s Corner Q&A with Kathryn Newfont truth — the public is us, and this is our land. The American Legislative Exchange Council — What is the distinction chased from timber companies. They had off the commons. A lot of times those are bility. But the notion of commons includes the ultra-conservative lobby group that championed between commons already moved out of the hands of local harvested from national forest land or land some attention to livelihood, to actually environmentalismQ and mandatory IDs for voters and launched preemptive owners. When the lands moved into govern- serving as de facto commons. Being aware make some kind of living. I do think it has wilderness environmentalism? attacks on regulation of coal ash — has set its sights ment ownership, they were under the rubric of it helps to explain the cultural perspective power in that direction. on reducing protections for public lands. ALEC is be- Viewpoint The commons relationship with the forest, of the Forest Service, which had a harvest that a lot of mountain residents are coming hind proposals that would benefit extractive industry orA it could be with another set of resources approach to forest resources as opposed to from. -- fisheries being a great example -- is a by transferring ownership of federal wilderness areas the Park Service.That harvest model dove- Across the globe, the easiest ones to Translating Intentions Around Climate Change into Religious Action harvest relationship. Wilderness is seen to states, undermine the president’s ability under the tailed really nicely with the harvest tradition point to are all the fisheries, from the Gulf as ahistorical. There is this sense that century-old Antiquities Act to establish national monu- By Mallory McDuff mental Network are working with North Carolina, Jill Rios worked of commons use. here in North America to waters off the coast people are not part of wilderness, which ments, and roll back the Endangered Species Act. As climate change becomes faith communities to address climate with parishioners on sustainable The thing that’s different is when you of Japan. There are commons systems in suggests there is not really a human history more politicized in Congress, change through stewardship, spiri- building projects for the church. get to the post-World War II era with large- lots of forests too: parts of the Amazon, A slew of bills would impose costly penalties for in wilderness. That’s only one definition of many religious leaders — from tuality, advocacy and justice. Geor- Despite this momentum, some scale industrial development happening. and the forests of Southeast Asia. Those groups or individuals that challenge leasing and drill- wilderness, but it’s one that, until recently, evangelicals to Episcopalians — gia Interfaith Power & Light, for skeptics might protest that church- That’s when you start getting big harvest systems are alive in a lot of places. ing decisions on public lands. Extractive industries wilderness environmentalism was really have expressed more agreement example, has completed 76 energy es are unprepared to confront glob- equipment in the coal mines and in the My hope is that once people can un- claim their access to public land is unfairly restricted, built on. than discord on the need to ad- audits of religious facilities, saving al warming when memberships timber arena. When the Forest Service derstand what commons is, they’ll be able even though they have more public land than they [Wilderness environmentalism] is not starts coming in and clear-cutting or leas- to see it in more places. If we just begin to dress the rising threat. Yet it’s often congregations 20 percent of their and budgets are shrinking. Others need — over 20 million acres of federal land leased by going to resonate with people who have ing to oil and gas companies for petroleum understand that these systems exist in a lot easier to acknowledge the urgency energy budgets; 200 more congrega- might say people of faith lack the these industries are unused. close working relationships to a landscape. development, well at that point local people of places, they have a lot of staying power. of the climate crisis than to trans- tions are in the pipeline. capacity to act with consensus Legislation was also introduced this spring, ironi- For them, the woods are richly historical. can actually exert their power as citizens, late that knowledge into action on Many of these stories have around a politically divisive issue. Used, cally called the Sportsman’s Heritage Act, that claims Hunters typically learn to hunt when they’re protecting lands that they ultimately own. Can the idea of the commons a congregational level. ties to Appalachia. In Kentucky, But history tells me that Chris- very small. They go out with [their] fathers be used to exert pressure on Rare & Out to open wilderness for hunters and anglers, but would Can we see the commons at Q As a lifelong Episcopalian, I Father John S. Rausch describes tians have mobilized around moral and uncles and cousins and so on. They corporations? actually lead to the intrusion of more roads and log- work today? traveled across the country with the decades-long effort to combat and political issues such as the of Print Books ging in wild areas that are already open to hunting. go to places that their ancestors have gone Q I’d like to think so. I think taking on the big my two children to document mountaintop removal through anti-slavery and civil rights move- to for a century or more. They’re inheriting In this region, just think of opening day of Specializing in Opponents to the bill see it as a petty attempt to divide corporate development is much more chal- how churches were integrating the advocacy and liturgy, such as us- ment. Climate change has brought this sense of history, which is very different hunting season or fishing season. Right now, Alenging than taking on the government. At Books about Black hunters and conservationists and prevent them from Mountain College environment into their ministries. ing the Stations of the Cross to together diverse religious denomi- from wilderness. ifA you walk up to your local produce stand, some level government is supposed to be standing up for their shared resources. This research revealed a need for highlight the horrific impacts of nations that often disagree about you’ll find ramps. If you go to a store that answerable to the people. Corporations Yet if there’s one thing Americans agree on, it’s stories and strategies about how mountaintop removal on Appala- issues such as abortion or gay mar- How did the regional notion deals in medicinal plants, those are coming don’t always recognize that same responsi- the protection of our public lands, even if some of our congregations were confronting chian communities. riage, especially in North Carolina. of the commons change when elected officials don’t understand the land’s value. Qthe early national forests were climate change, the greatest moral Food, faith and climate are We must reinvigorate churches established? Undeveloped public lands help to clean our air and crisis of our time. connected through the church through climate action that reflects he ntains water, and provide economic boons to municipalities The coming of the national forest, in a lot usic from t Mou To that end, the anthology Sa- garden at Oakley United Meth- loving our neighbor as ourselves. M across the country via recreation and tourism. Ameri- cred Acts includes voices from local odist Church in Asheville, N.C. Our faith prepares us for sacred of ways, enabled the persistence of the commons.A In other parts of Appalachia, cans have a public covenant to protect our remaining congregations that are harvesting Newcomers to the church receive acts of resistance that can reconcile wild places for future generations. Championing the food from church gardens, weath- a jar of salsa, canned with garden us with the earth, each other, and people treated coal company land as de facto commons. But when coal companies short-term wishes of corporate power brokers over erizing parish halls, installing solar tomatoes; elders have hosted can- ultimately with God. come in with bulldozers and plow down the long-term needs to protect our health and local com- panels on sanctuaries and advocat- ning parties for young families, and Mallory McDuff, Ph.D., is the author commons, there’s not much people can do munities means that profit wins out over humanity. ing against mountaintop removal. the church parking lot is the site of Jean & Carl Franklin Powered of Sacred Acts: How Churches are about it. They can’t defend the commons by (PV) It’s up to us to determine whether this is the mo- Faith-based environmental or- a farmers market. 103 Cherry Street Solar Cells Working to Protect Earth’s Climate very effectively from corporate owners. ment in history where our natural heritage is sold to ganizations such as Earth Ministry, At La Capilla de Santa Maria, Black Mountain, NC 28711 (New Society Publishers, 2012) and Most of the Pisgah and Nantahala the highest bidder or where the voices of the people Interfaith Power & Light, Green- a church that ministers to Spanish- (OUP, 2010). She (828) 669-8149 Natural Saints national forests in North Carolina were pur- unite to protect our public lands. Faith and the Evangelical Environ- speaking immigrants in Western teaches at Warren Wilson College. Listener-supported radio o ering a diverse mix of music & informative programming for the heart of Appalachia. [email protected]

Page 20 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 21 INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work Appalachian Voices is committed to Storming Capitol Hill protecting the land, air and water of Join Our 15th Anniversary Celebration the central and southern Appalachian On June 2, more than 150 people show of mourning region. Our mission is to empower Just a few short weeks from our press date, Appa- Founded in 1997 in Boone, N.C., Appala- people to defend our region’s gathered in Washington, D.C., for for mountains de- lachian Voices will be celebrating its 15th anniversary chian Voices now has offices in Charlottesville, rich natural and cultural heritage the 7th annual End Mountaintop stroyed by moun- of working to protect the air, land, water and com- Va., Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C. We by providing them with tools and Removal Week in Washington, taintop removal strategies for successful grassroots munities of Appalachia. We hope you’re able to join use grassroots organizing, education, citizen For information on reserving tickets, please visit sponsored by The Alliance for coal mining. campaigns. us at the “Artists for Appalachia” event on June 21 activism, high-tech online tools, litigation and legisla- Appvoices.org/ArtistsforAppalachia. If you’re not Appalachia. After a day of train- In addition, in Charlottesville, Va., where we will enjoy a special tion to empower everyday citizens to speak up for the able to attend but would like to join the effort to Organizational Staff ing, participants spent three days thousands of indi- evening of music, readings and revelry with distin- mountains and help shape policy on a range of issues preserve Appalachia’s natural and cultural heritage, meeting with Congressional repre- viduals across the Executive Director...... Willa Mays guished guests including Jeff Goodell, Kathy Mattea, including mountaintop removal coal mining and air and please visit appvoices.org/membership to find out irector of rograms sentatives to urge them to support country joined the D P ...... Matt Wasson Daniel Martin Moore, Michael Johnathon, and more! water pollution from coal-fired power plants. how you can get involved. Deputy Program Director / Va Director...... Tom Cormons legislation restoring the Clean Water action from afar by Campaign Director...... Lenny Kohm Act to its original language, as well contacting or visit- 125 bi-partisan co-sponsors from all as talking with federal agencies ing their congressional representa- across the country. Recent cospon- OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT Controller...... Susan Congelosi Appalachian Water Watch: Bringing Polluters to Justice, One Lawsuit at a Time tasked with regulating coal mining tive district offices. Independent sors include Representatives Mike Operations Manager...... Shay Boyd Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Hansen Clarke Appalachian Voices has joined the Sierra Club and Frasure Creek Update the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet of and its impacts. groups working with AppRising Director of Leadership Gifts ...... Kayti Wingfield On Wed., June 6, a Rally for simultaneously staged peaceful (D-MI), Janice Hahn (D-CA) and Operations and Outreach Associate ...... Maeve Gould Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards in filing In April, the Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled $670,000, less than one percent of the allowable fines, Appalachia took place in the Up- sit-ins at four offices throughout Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). suit against A & G Coal Corporation in Virginia. The in favor of Appalachian Voices and our partners and Appalachian Voices and partners decided to PROGRAMS per Senate Park across from the Capitol Hill. For more information about the suit, represented by the environmental law firm Ap- Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Waterkeeper intervene. Washington, D.C. Director ...... Kate Rooth Capitol building. More than 100 By the third day of the Week Alliance’s efforts to end mountain- ational ield rganizer palachian Mountain Advocates, alleges that A & G has Alliance and the Kentucky Riverkeeper. The ruling The Supreme Court decision stands as confirma- N F O ...... Kate Finneran people attended to listen to speak- in Washington, the Clean Water top removal coal mining, and to see Legislative Associate ...... Thom Kay been polluting Virginia’s public waterways through upheld a lower court decision that allows us to inter- tion of citizens’ rights to take part in the enforcing ers and watched as more than six Protection Act, the Alliance’s legis- images from this year’s event, visit Tennessee Director ...... J.W. Randolph unpermitted discharge of selenium. The unpermitted vene in a settlement between Frasure Creek Mining of the Clean Water Act. Despite this provision in the North Carolina Campaign Coordinator...... Sandra Diaz people shaved their heads in a lation in the House, had garnered iLoveMountains.org. discharge violates both the Clean Water Act and the and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. federal law, the Kentucky cabinet opposed Appala- Virginia Campaign Coordinator...... Mike McCoy Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. The original lawsuit brought against Frasure chian Voices’ intervention and joined Frasure Creek Water Quality Specialist ...... Eric Chance Water Quality Specialist ...... Erin Savage Selenium is a naturally occurring element in some Creek Mining and International Coal Group in 2010 in appealing the Circuit Court decision that allowed Organizational Roundup rock layers in Central Appalachia. Left in the ground, was for 20,000 violations of the Clean Water Act us to intervene. Technology & Communications residents to use their zip code to explore their personal Making Sure Dominion Doesn’t its toxic properties do not cause harm. However, with potential penalties of over $700 million. Viola- The case is currently in court-ordered mediation, Technologist...... Benji Burrell connection to mountaintop removal mining, and the new surface mining can release this element into streams, tions listed in the suit included false and potentially and settlement talks are ongoing. Dominate Our Energy Future IT Specialist...... Jeff Deal Human Cost of Coal page, built in conjunction with The Communications Coordinator...... Jamie Goodman where it accumulates in fish and other aquatic life, For more information about our Appalachian While the Southern Environmental Law Center rep- fraudulent reporting of water pollution levels. The Americorps Communications Outreach...... Brian Sewell Alliance for Appalachia and launched on iLoveMountains. resented us in front of the Virginia State Corporation causing deformities and reproductive failure. coal companies reached a settlement agreement with Water Watch work, visit appvoices.org/waterwatch. Americorps Public Outreach & Education...... Molly Moore org in February. Commission (SCC) during a hearing over how Dominion Graphic Designer...... Meghan Darst To date, millions of people have viewed mountaintop re- Virginia Power will meet electricity demand for the next Organizational Roundup INTERNS to end mountaintop removal coal mining. moval through the Google Earth layer, and thousands more 15 years, Appalachian Voices teamed up with the Sierra Coal Ash Debate Spills Stanback Mountaintop Removal Fellow ....Dillon Buckner A hearty thank you to both of these amaz- have accessed the My Connection and Human Cost tools. Club, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and about 50 Into Transportation Bill a House and Senate Committee. ing Chester, W. Va., have complained of Stanback Mountaintop Removal Fellow ...... Emily Yu ing groups — please be sure to check Visit google.com/earth/outreach/stories/ to read the case passionate Virginians outside the building to rally for clean Virginia Campaign Assistant ...... Stacy Casey Appalachian Voices’ Red, White and The provision was introduced by Rep. gushing leaks from the side of the pond. them out! Visit: possumjenkinsband.com study and learn about other Google Earth success stories. energy. Some attendees wore air breathing masks and N.C. Campaign Assistant ...... Erin Burks Water campaign is working to oppose an David McKinley from West Virginia and is Seventy-nine House members, includ- and wurlitzerprize.wordpress.com black shirts on one side, representing Dominion’s cur- N.C. Campaign Assistant ...... Tabitha Lunsford amendment on the federal Transportation identical to another bill he introducted which ing several Appalachian lawmakers, signed Tennessee Mining Research Assistant ...... Nick Amis rent dirty plan, while others wore blue shirts and carried Bill that would essentially halt the U.S. was passed by the House last fall. McKin- onto a letter to committee co-chair Senator Reaching the World, One Coal Data Assistant ...... Clifford Garth windmills to represent the cleaner alternative. Environmental Protection Agency’s rule- ley’s district is home to the Little Blue Run Barbara Boxer, asking that McKinley’s pro- Google Earth Layer At a Time Meet the Incredible Water Program Assistant ...... Kara Dodson Dominion, one of the nation’s largest utilities, has Water Program Assistant ...... Pallavi Podapati making process on toxic coal ash storage coal ash pond, the largest in the country, vision be kept in the final version of the bill. Appalachian Voices was recently Environmental Duo made no plans for significant investments in renewable Water Program Assistant ...... Jillian Kenny and disposal. The bill passed the House spanning two states and covering approxi- featured by Google Earth Outreach in a Editorial Communications Assistant ...... Madison Hinshaw A Prize Possum energy and instead plans to meet demand through large in April, and is now undergoing review by mately 1000 acres. Residents of neighbor- case study detailing the organization’s Editorial Communications Assistant ...... Jessica Kennedy Thanks to the big hearts of some investments in natural gas plants. use of advanced Google mapping tools Online & Communications Assistant ...... Anna Norwood North Carolina musicians, Appalachian Attendees cited a study that shows that over 10,000 to make a difference for the planet. The Voices is making new friends in the jobs could be created if Virginia took clean energy seri- case study focused on the Appalachian Board of Directors Voices gently rolling hills of the Piedmont. Molly ously. Professionals from the medical community and Appalachian Google Earth layer that provides a high- Chair ------Christina Howe McGinn, the sultry-voiced singer from the owners of businesses from the solar, wind and energy Business League resolution tour of a mountaintop removal Vice Chair ------Heidi Binko Greensboro, N.C., collaborative country- efficiency industries spoke to the SCC at the rally about Secretary ------Cale Jaffe Thanks to the sponsors of our A t! mine site, before-and-after overlays for rtists for Appalachia even alt band Wurlitzer Prize, and David the consequences of continuing to depend on fossil fuel Treasurer ------Bunk Spann hundreds of mountains destroyed by Brewer, the massively talented musician power. Virginia State Delegate Morrissey offered the com- Members-At-Large mountaintop removal, and video and Blue Mountain Brewery — Afton, Va often fronting Americana rock and roll Tom Cormons, Deputy Director of Programs and Director of mission a letter signed by 13 other state representatives Clara Bingham Silas House Brenda Sigmon photo accompaniments. The layer was our Virginia office, and his wife Heather recently welcomed to Rev. Jim Deming Landra Lewis Lauren Waterworth Jefferson Theater — Charlottesville, Va favorites Possum Jenkins, hosted a fan- urging them to reject Dominion’s plan outright. The SCC Dot Griffith Rick Phelps Willa Mays (Ex- built using Maps, API, KML and a MYSQL the world not one, but two budding Appalachian Voices con- tastic evening of music with their bands judges may take a month or so to deliberate. Mary Anne Hitt Kathy Selvage officio) Jefferson Vineyards — Charlottesville, Va database. The case study also highlights servationists and whitewater rafting enthusiasts (if mom and as a benefit for Appalachian Voices. At the For more on our Virginia coalition work, visit WiseEn- Advisory Council Starr Hill — Crozet, Va our My Connection tool, which allows dad have anything to say about it!). Cassie and her brother Kai end of the show, the musicians donated a ergyforVirginia.org. Jonathan C. Allen Randy Hayes join big sister Brooke in rounding out the very active Cormons Jessica Barbara Brown Liz Riddick hefty portion of the proceeds to our work Continued on next page To become a business member visit AppalachianVoices.org or call us at 877-APP-VOICE family advocates. Congratulations! Alfred Glover Van Jones

Page 22 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012 June/July 2012 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 23 Non-Profit The Appalachian Voice Organization US Postage Paid 171 Grand Boulevard Permit No. 294 Boone, NC 28607 Boone, NC www.appalachianvoices.org

A black bear cub takes a break from wrestling with his siblings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to pose for Tennessee nature photographer Brian Shults. The playful cubs were found climbing trees in Cades Cove, near the northwest corner of the park. While cubs like these sure are cute, be sure you don’t get too close. Federal law prohibits willfully coming within 150 feet of black bears in the wild, and the National Park Service recommends using binoculars or telephoto lens to view the animals. View more of Shults’ work at facebook.com/brianshultsphotography. (To submit a photo for our back page, email [email protected]) GET INVOLVED environmental & cultural events in the region Email [email protected] to be included in our Floyd Country Store Traditional Cyclo.Via Keepers of the Mountain Appalachian Music June 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Parts of downtown July 4th Festival Get Involved listing. Deadline for the next issue Thurs.-Sat. throughout summer: The Floyd Boone will be closed to vehicles but open to “hu- June 30- July 1: This two-day gathering will will be Sunday, July 15, at 5 p.m. for events taking Country Store, home of the Friday night Jamboree, man powered fun.” Bike, walk, run, skate or play in be held at Kayford Mountain’s Stanley Heirs place between August 5 and October 10. hosts regional Appalachian music Thursdays through the wide-open roads to promote active lifestyles and Park. It will feature local and regional musicians Sundays throughout the summer. Floyd, Va. Free Ad- safer streets. Visit: boonecyclovia.com. playing a variety of bluegrass, gospel, country feature over 50 workshops, tent camping, healthy, mission. Visit: floydcountrystore.com for the schedule. and old time music, as well as poetry and pot-luck home-cooked meals, and guest speakers. Berea, Ky. Stormwater Speaker Series: meals. Attendees are encouraged to camp out, as Visit whippoorwillfest.com for pricing. Save The French Broad Float Vegetated Buffer Zones local musicians will gather around the campfire to June 9-17: Join the Western North Carolina Alliance June 26, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Guy Sabin from sing at night. Kayford Mountain, W.Va. Visit: moun- Grandfather Mountain for the grand opening tour of the French Broad River the South Carolina Forestry Commission will speak tainkeeper.blogspot.com. Highland Games paddle trail. During this nine-day trip, paddlers will about vegetated buffer zones and how they relate to July 12-15: The 57th Annual Highland Games cen- experience the Biltmore Estate, beautiful Appalachian the draft Construction General Permit. Lunch provid- Gathering of the Peacemakers ters around the gathering of Scottish clans. Brawny Mountains, and river rapids while testing water quality ed. Seating limited. Tri County Tech Campus, Easley, July 6-8: This three-day yoga retreat features work- athletes, delicate dancers, noisy bagpipe band pa- along the way. Camping and most meals included. S.C. Email [email protected] to register. shops on leading a loving, balanced and sustainable rades, rocking Celtic music and a spectacular highland Visit: savethefrenchbroad.com for pricing. life. At night there will be performances by various setting mark this colorful celebration of Scottish culture. A Summer Solstice Event artists, wisdom circles and multimedia presentations. Grandfather Mtn., N.C. Visit gmhg.org for pricing. The Harpers Ferry Outdoor Festi- June 29-July 1: This three-day program aims to High Country Motorcycle Camp, Boone, N.C. Tickets val & Tim Gavin Down River Race help participants identify and clear old patterns and $75, includes camping. Visit: onelovepress.com. Music on the Mountain June 16: This annual event raises money for river paradigms that hold us back from experiencing The July 14, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Enjoy traditional conservation and environmental awareness. The Language of Collaboration in Intimate Relationships MusicFest ‘N Sugar Grove bluegrass music as local musicians gather at Table festival brings together participants, activists and with our fellow beings and environment. Sponsored July 12-13: The 15th annual music festival will Rock to keep this talent alive. Visitors are invited to outdoor enthusiasts. Admission is $10 and is free by Sweet Springs Institute, a non-profit organization celebrate legendary Doc Watson. With small stages, bring their acoustic instruments and join in a jam ses- for participants in the Tim Gavin River Race. Harpers dedicated to contributing to a new dream for human- local food, musician workshops and a songwriter sion or simply sit back to enjoy the music a beautiful Ferry, W.Va. Visit: harpersferryoutdoorfestival.com. ity. $60 donation per person. Sweet Springs, W.Va. showcase, the audience will experience a personal backdrop. Pickens, S.C. Free with Park Passport Plus. To register, call 304-536-1207 or email: registration@ celebration of Appalachian culture. Performers in- Visit: southcarolinaparks.com. Listening for a Change: Oral His- sweetspringsinstitute.org. clude Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Kruger tory and Appalachian Heritage Brothers. Sugar Grove, N.C. Tickets $20 Friday, $25 Brews N’ Views Beer Festival June 24-29: This workshop is designed to explore An 18th Century Independence Saturday. Visit: MusicFestNSugarGrove.org and July 21, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Beech Mountain the means and purposes of story gathering. Par- Celebration & Muster CoveCreek.net. Resort will host a celebration of craft beer complete ticipants will have the chance to develop profound June 30- July 1: Experience the 4th of July, 18th with live music, views of the slopes from 4,500 feet, listening skills and approaches to interviewing, century-style! Walk among historical characters to The Whippoorwill Festival activities for children and fireworks at dark. The event beyond the mere informational listings of facts and hear their diverse responses to the declaration. The July 12-15: HomeGrown HideAways presents this will be in the same area as the Mountain Biking Gravity dates generated by traditional oral history. Elkins, celebration will take place on Saturday; the muster festival to celebrate Appalachian heritage and tradi- Nationals. Beech Mtn., N.C. Visit beechmtn.com for W.Va. $195. Visit: folktalk.org. will continue until Sunday at 3 pm. Elizabethton, Tenn. tions while teaching earth-friendly and sustainable tickets and pricing. Visit: www.tn.gov. living skills in a family-friendly atmosphere. It will Page 24 | The Appalachian Voice | June/July 2012