The Appalachian Voice
Birds on the Wing
Spring is perhaps the best time of year for watching birds, and, ironically, is one of only a couple times each year one might actually see a Tennessee warbler in Tennessee or a Nashville warbler stop to rest its wings on a WSM transmitter. There is no better time to watch birds than when they…
Read MoreSpirit in the Forest…
images/voice_uploads/ContentsOBN.gif What is the value of wilderness? The answer to this question will, of course, depend on whom you ask. A scientist might discuss the importance of wilderness for maintaining the natural diversity of species, while a business owner might discuss the role of outdoor tourism for the local economy and a real estate broker…
Read MoreConservation Easements that Work
Just as biologists count the number of fish in a body of water to gauge how clean the water is, a rural community can count its barns to understand how well it is preserving the integrity of its landscape. If you live in Southern Appalachia, chances are that you pass quite a few barns on…
Read MoreAppalachian Land Trusts
There are a number of land trusts throughout the Southeast. Many promote the use of easements to protect natural resources and ensure their sustained use over time. Below are four land trusts in the Southern Appalachians that have experience with working lands easements, protecting forests, agricultural lands, and water resources. In addition, a complete list…
Read MoreElkins, West Virginia
Make two lists: one of the top outdoor recreation destinations in Appalachia and a second of the natural wonders surrounding the town of Elkins, West Virginia, and you’ll notice the two lists have a lot in common. Within an short drive of Elkins, you’ll find many of the most treasured wild places in Appalachia, places…
Read MoreAppalachian Innovation at Work
images/voice_uploads/p2basket.gif Sometimes, creating industry means crafting a work of art. In 1993, community leaders in Asheville, North Carolina were planning a revitalization of the Asheville area. Thinking outside of traditional economic protocols, they realized their community’s strength lay not in its ability to recruit new business, but in fostering the resources it already had, the…
Read MoreRuling Will Allow Destruction of Zeb Mountain to Continue
In the last issue of the Appalachian Voice, we brought you a story about the struggle of people in the Elk Valley region of eastern Tennessee to protect their streams, mountains and communities from a new type of mountaintop removal mining that is on the rise in Tennessee. Unfortunately, a lawsuit filed in Tennessee by…
Read MoreAnother Big Roll-Back in Pollution Rules
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to weaken rules regulating both deadly fine particulate matter and toxic mercury air pollution. Knowing that these rules are strongly opposed by the nation’s public health and environmental advocates, the Bush Administration is attempting to legitimize its proposals by conducting three public hearings on February 25th and 26th…
Read MoreBloodroot
One of the first (and fleeting) wildflowers of spring is Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). In the southern Appalachians, Bloodroot typically blooms from mid-March through April, and is usually found in the loamy soils of deciduous coves and well-drained bottomlands. Desperate to outrun the canopy of spring leaves, it often competes with spring snows and heavy frosts,…
Read MoreDecision Due this Spring on Blue Ridge Mill Permit
CANTON, NC—Responding to requests from concerned citizens, public health advocates and environmental groups, including Appalachian Voices, North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ), held a hearing on January 8 regarding Blue Ridge Paper Products’ pending Title V air pollution permit for their mill in Canton. According to DAQ, this employee-owned facility has been operating under…
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