The Appalachian Voice
Traditional Trout Hang on to Native Waters
By Molly Moore Although they only occupy about 25 percent of their historic range, southern brook trout are doing alright, says Jim Habera, a cold water fisheries biologist for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. He has worked on every brook trout stream in the eastern part of the state, and the remaining population has stayed…
Read MoreOrganizational Roundup
Teaming Up For Virginia Appalachian Voices’ Virginia campaign team partnered with Downstream Strategies to help in their research for a report that details how the coal industry is reaping huge benefits from the Commonwealth of Virginia each year. Released in mid-December, “The Impact of Coal on the Virginia State Budget” reveals that Virginia taxpayers have…
Read MoreThe Ebb and Flow of Appalachia’s Game Species
By Davis Wax From the mythic, raccoon-crowned Daniel Boone to the adventurous, tradition-minded hunter of today, hunting in Appalachia makes up a long and colored tale. Its most intriguing characters may be the game species themselves, each accentuating a pastime and way of life which is slowly becoming history. A Game Icon of Southern Appalachia…
Read MoreVirginia Bill to Lift Uranium Mining Ban Withdrawn | Inspecting Fracking in Ohio
By Davis Wax On January 31, legislation to lift a 31-year old ban on uranium mining was withdrawn from the Virginia Senate floor before voting could commence that afternoon. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Watkins, removed the bill from the agenda of a panel expected to defeat the proposal. Like many others across the state,…
Read MoreCoal Report
Impoundment Safety Called Into Question Questions and criticism followed a Nov. 30 accident at a CONSOL Energy-operated coal slurry impoundment in West Virginia that left one worker dead. A few days after the incident, The Charleston Gazette reported that records “outlined company concerns that construction to enlarge the dump had not been moving fast enough…
Read MoreAt Long Last, A Safer School for Marsh Fork | Inside the Kudzu Bug
On Jan. 7, more than 200 students of Marsh Fork Elementary began classes at a new facility a few miles from the old school in Raleigh County, W.Va. Because of health concerns brought on by a coal processing plant and a high-hazard coal slurry impoundment located adjacent to and above the original building, Marsh Fork…
Read MoreVested Power: State-Level Legislative Agendas in 2013
By Brian Sewell, J.W. Randolph and Nathan Jenkins At the state level, the public often has greater access and input on decisions and the processes of their governments. But so do special interests — especially campaign funders and industries that play a significant role in state and large-scale economies. State governments in Appalachia create their…
Read MoreThe Conception of Wild Ideas: Scientists Confront Conservation Challenges of Our Times
This essay by Travis Belote, Greg Aplet, and Pete McKinley ran abridged in the print version of The Appalachian Voice. 1934 was a big year for conservation in the southern Appalachians. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in June, and in October, on a roadside somewhere outside of Knoxville, The Wilderness Society was…
Read MoreMembership Spotlight: Michael Elchinger
Regional Representation
Marking the beginning of the most diverse Congress in the nation’s history, the 113th meeting of the U.S. House of Representatives began on January 3. Nationwide, the Democratic party gained nine seats in the House as a result of the November election, but it remains narrowly under Republican control. We looked at 16 central…
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