The Appalachian Voice
Plundering Private Property Rights
By Paige Campbell Half a dozen generations ago, when a coal-mining boom first enticed southwest Virginians to sell the rights to minerals beneath their land, the deal they were making concerned the coal itself. At least, that’s how Virginia’s courts have defined mineral ownership through most of the state’s mining history. But on April 9,…
Read MoreGuardians of our Public Lands
The employees of our state parks, national agencies and conservation organizations are committed to preserving the land we all own and enjoy. The future of our forests, air and water is in their care, and their work to protect our public lands deserves recognition and respect. Taking Community to the Summit By Jesse Wood “He’s…
Read MoreLast Stand for the Southern Spruce-Fir?
Ancient Mountaintop Species Are Most Vulnerable As Appalachia Warms By Molly Moore At the nonprofit park atop northwestern North Carolina’s Grandfather Mountain, Director of Education Jesse Pope surveys the park’s cold-loving plants, keeping an eye out for the brassy Weller’s salamander and small Saw-whet owl, two of the many creatures that depend on the mountain’s…
Read MoreRooted: The Evolution of America’s Conservation Movement
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” Edward Abbey, The “Thoreau of the American West” in Desert Solitaire By Brian Sewell In 1963, when the first woman to receive the Audubon Award for achievements in conservation accepted the honor, she said that “Conservation is a cause that has no end.…
Read MoreThis is OUR LAND
Imagining a Land Ethic for a New Era By Brian Sewell There is no shortage of writers who have made the case for conservation and abundant public lands in which all Americans can take pride. It was Wallace Stegner, the historian and environmentalist, who said that “National Parks are the best idea we ever had.…
Read MoreOSM Threatens Takeover of Kentucky Surface Mining Regulation
By Molly Moore Office of Surface Mining Director Joe Pizarchik made headlines in May when he sent a letter to Kentucky regulators warning that their failure to require appropriate reclamation bonds could lead to a federal takeover of all or part of Kentucky’s surface mining enforcement program. Surface mining law allows states to enforce the…
Read MoreEPA to Appeal Spruce No. 1 Court Decision
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced in May that it would appeal a court decision that overturned the agency’s veto of the Spruce Mine No. 1 mountaintop removal permit in West Virginia. The mine in question — Arch Coal’s Spruce Mine No. 1 — would span 2,278 acres and be the largest mountaintop removal mine…
Read MoreEnvironmental Summer Camps — The Sequel!
Spring is here and that means it’s almost time for summer camp fun! From the coast of North Carolina to the mountains of West Virginia, there are camps tailored to young nature lovers. We’ve compiled a list of summer camps to get your kids outside, where they can meet lifelong friends and learn about protecting…
Read MoreBertha’s Love
Energy Efficiency in the 112th Congress
A number of bipartisan energy-efficiency bills have emerged or been reintroduced in the 112th Congress. The following four Senate and three House bills are representative of the suite of legislation that aims to incentivize energy-efficiency in homes and businesses. There many bills not listed here, including bills that would extend tax incentives for efficiency upgrades…
Read More