Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
Help protect North Carolina’s forest wilderness
More than 50 years after the Wilderness Act was signed into law, less than one third of one percent of North Carolina’s land area has been protected as wilderness. The U.S. Forest Service is revising its plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala Forests, and is seeking public comment to help determine the future of some beloved places in the state.
An end to Frasure Creek’s water violations in Kentucky — finally
Late Monday evening, Appalachian Voices and our partners finalized a historic settlement in our case against Frasure Creek Mining. The settlement follows a five-year-long legal battle to protect eastern Kentucky’s waterways and bring a coal company notorious for violating environmental laws to justice.
NC DEQ’s blatant bid for control
Over the past few months, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has seemed determined to have complete environmental regulatory control with little regard for federal or public input. In this endeavor, DEQ has taken every chance to highlight how external forces, including citizens groups and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are simply getting in its way.
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship guilty
After a six-week-long trial that included 27 witnesses and hundreds of exhibits, followed by a week and a half of dramatic deliberations, Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has been found guilty of conspiring to violate federal mine safety laws.
Student leaders support the POWER+ Plan
Yesterday, a group of student leaders in eastern Kentucky took a commendable step in support of Central Appalachia’s youth and economic future. By a unanimous vote, the Appalachian Renaissance Initiative Student Senate passed a resolution of support for the Obama administration’s POWER+ Plan.
