Fresh off the road from a fantastic Appalachian Treasures Tour in Colorado, I wanted to take a moment to wrap up the tour with a brief recap of events.

First of all I wanted to give my profound thanks from the entire Appalachian Voices team to Dustin White who joined us on the Colorado tour. Dustin is originally from Boone County WV, and knows firsthand the impacts mountaintop removal coal mining poses to coalfield communities. Dustin is rapidly becoming leader in the fight to end mountaintop removal coal mining, and I am honored he is willing to travel with us.

We had a great presentation tour in Colorado. Throughout my travels there is a consistent theme of understanding and comprehension for the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining from States that have invested in preserving and protecting what we know to be integral to a healthy economy: clean air, clean water and intact mountains. Colorado was certainly not an exception to this rule.

We shared the story of mountaintop removal and it’s devastating impacts to communities and the environment of Appalachia to approximately 100 Coloradans. We spoke in churches, conference rooms of solar panel installers, and a renovated stagecoach stop in Rollinsville Colorado elevation 9000 feet! The presentations generated dozens of hand written letters to Senator Mark Udall and Senator Michael Bennet urging them to protect the mountains of Appalachia and co-sponsor the Appalachia Restoration Act S 696. Hopefully our efforts and the efforts of our presentation hosts and audiences will result in two new Western co-sponsors to this bill that will help end mountaintop removal!

Thank you so much to all of our hosts, without you these trips would be impossible.

If you have not seen it yet, check out this video update from the tour.
Appalachian Treasures Colorado.
For more information about the Appalachian Treasures road show contact Kate Rooth at kate@appvoices.org