The Appalachian Voice
Exposed: Fracking
The last decade has seen a rapid expansion of the drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Sand and chemicals — including known carcinogens — are mixed with water and injected deep underground to extract natural gas from shale rock formations. Yet many chemicals remain unknown because companies may claim them as trade secrets.…
Read MoreCounting Birds, A Holiday Tradition
By Kimber Ray Tens of thousands of birdwatchers will take part in the world’s oldest citizen science survey this winter during the Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. This 115-year-old tradition invites teams of new and seasoned birders to join a friendly counting competition to help assess bird population health…
Read MoreThe Book of Lenny
By Matt Wasson In September, Appalachian Voices lost a dear member of our family. Lenny Kohm worked at Appalachian Voices for nearly 13 years, during which time his wisdom and deep understanding of what moves people to take action became woven into the fabric of the organization. Lenny came to Appalachian Voices in 2001 after…
Read MoreEcotourism Rises Along with Hope for a Region’s Future
After enduring generations of the booms and busts of an economy almost entirely dependent on the coal industry, the residents of far southwest Virginia are beginning to take their economic future into their own hands by capitalizing on the mountainous region’s incredible natural beauty to promote ecotourism.
Read MoreA Family’s Troubled Water
After mountaintop removal coal mining began near their eastern Kentucky home, the Halberts saw their water quality and quality of life plummet. Three years later, they continue to seek answers.
Read MoreColossal Conifers: The Quest to Restore the Mighty Hemlock
Both central and southern Appalachia are teeming with life, but threats to their natural sanctity — coal mining, acid rain, climate change and invasive pest outbreaks, to name a few — threaten irreparable harm to these ancient mountain landscapes.
Read MoreGetting Wild: The Tennessee Wilderness Proposal
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Currently, a proposal to designate nearly 20,000 acres of the Cherokee National Forest as official wilderness sits in Congress. Writer Chris Samoray takes a hike through a proposed wild area along the Bald River.
Read MoreSeeking Justice: Activists and agencies react to systemic violations of mining laws
James C. Justice is the rare, modern-day coal baron who actually resides in Appalachia. Despite his local ties, Justice-owned operations in five states have earned him a reputation among environmental advocates as one of the region’s worst violators of mining laws.
Read MoreForest Fugitives
Wanted: Six invasive species accussed of trespassing on American soil and robbing her of her natural resources.
Read MorePetition Focuses on Va. Regulatory Failures
Appalachian Voices recently joined the Sierra Club, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and Appalachian Mountain Advocates to file a formal petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alleging that a Virginia agency had failed to comply with requirements of the Clean Water Act since 2011.
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