2019 — June/July
Plans for Development at Tennessee’s Rocky Fork State Park Meet Opposition
Conservation advocates claim that the state’s plans to build build a visitor center, parking lot, bridge and two-lane road at the rustic state park would endanger wildlife habitat.
Read MoreTribal Governments Dispute Proposed Casino
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians claims that a federal bill allowing the Catawba Indian Nation to build a casino in North Carolina is “a modern day land-grab” of Cherokee aboriginal lands, while the Catawba argue that they have rights to the land.
Read MoreCongress Needs to Pass the RECLAIM Act
Politicians like to talk about helping rural Appalachia. The RECLAIM Act is a chance for them to show that they mean it.
Read MoreEPA Rejects Proposed Oak Ridge Landfill
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rejected a controversial landfill in Oak Ridge, Tenn., that was to contain low-level radioactive and mixed waste from a federal laboratory and security complex.
Read MoreDeadly Elk and Deer Disease Spreads
Wildlife officials discovered cases of Chronic Wasting Disease, which causes brain degeneration in elk and deer, in Tennessee. This has led to some states taking precautions to avoid disease spread.
Read MoreStudy Finds Red Wolves are a Distinct Species
The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that red wolves are a distinct species, allowing the species to be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Read MoreAgency Says Hellbenders Not Endangered
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list the Eastern Hellbender salamander as endangered, prompting protest from conservation groups.
Read MoreCleaner Air in North Carolina and Virginia
Although state officials in North Carolina and Virginia reported significant improvements in air quality in recent years, a nonprofit organization released a report in May stating that 96 percent of national parks are damaged by air pollution.
Read MoreTennessee Law Blocks Localities From Banning Plastic Bags
Gov. Bill Lee signed a law banning local governments from enacting regulations against certain plastic bags and utensils after Nashville and Memphis considered taxes on single-use plastic bags.
Read MoreDisrupting the Status Quo and Putting People and Planet First
We are committed to disrupting a status quo designed to line the pockets of the government-protected utility monopolies who have been calling the shots. We are citizens demanding a system that puts people and the planet first.
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