Tennessee

In Tennessee, the Appalachian Mountains are the foundation of our cultural identity, a unique environmental treasure, and our greatest economic asset. From the Cumberland Plateau, to the Great Smokies, our mountains make up the best of what we call state and country.

Appalachian Voices is committed to protecting these mountains, and is proud to fight for the heritage, jobs, and rural communities of Tennessee. Here are our three biggest priorities for 2012.

Priority #1. Passing the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act

Priority #3. Invest in job-creating clean energy and energy efficiency measures

Besides being a part of our identity, the mountains drive our economy here in Tennessee. The mountain-driven tourism industry employs more than 175,000 people and brings more than $14 billion into Tennessee state coffers every year. The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the #1 most visited national park in the country, drawing more than 9 million visitors annually, twice as many as the Grand Canyon.

In contrast, jobs in the coal industry have plummeted to less than 400, with recent studies indicating that the coal industry’s negligible impact on the state budget is probably a negative one, costing Tennessee taxpayers millions every year.

Across Central Appalachia, the coal industry has lost the ability to provide any job growth or sustainable economic benefit to the communities who live where they mine coal. Tennessee doesn’t need surface mining to provide good jobs, economic development, or affordable electricity for the people of our state.