Restoring a Healthy Forest at Quarry Drive
This video features a green sea of autumn olive covering the Quarry Drive site in the fall of 2025, with a native forest visible on the ridgeline. Autumn olive can reach 20’ high and 30’ wide, and outcompetes native flora because it leafs out earlier in spring and keeps its leaves longer in the fall. Drone video by Rebecca Jones
North of Clinchco, Virginia, in the far southwest portion of the state, lies a 193-acre coal mine site on Quarry Drive.
Like many former mines in Appalachia, this site was reclaimed in a way that met legal requirements, but left the land covered in invasive species and generally in poor ecological health.
In early 2026, Appalachian Voices purchased Quarry Drive through the Mineland ReLeaf project. Our goal is to steward the land and restore a healthy, native forest on the site.
Why reforest the site at Quarry Drive?
This parcel sits on slopes that face south, east and west, and looks out on long-range views of intact forests. Mining activities on the site concluded decades ago, and the mine operator completed the required reclamation in 2013.
But the scars remain. Coal mining and the reclamation work that followed disrupted the flow of surface water at the site, and the heavily compacted soils made it hard for native plants to take root.
These conditions can exacerbate runoff, which can increase flood risk downstream and make the land harder to use for commercial or recreational purposes. Invasive species planted by the mining company flourished and displaced the local plants that wildlife typically prefers. These invasive species can continue to spread to nearby properties.
Quarry Drive is one of a growing number of reclaimed mines dealing with these sorts of problems throughout the region. The federal Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act, passed in 1977, prioritizes erosion control and soil stabilization in mine reclamation. But the law does not compel coal companies to do the hard, costly work of restoring native ecosystems, including replanting native forests.
With the coal industry's continued decline, more coal companies filing for bankruptcy, and the shortcomings of the current mine reclamation system, the land restoration system needs an overhaul.
By restoring the land at Quarry Drive, this project will showcase the potential of formerly mined land to host a healthy, biodiverse environment while supporting the community’s needs.
The one benefit to autumn olives is that you can make a tasty jam from the berries. Photo by Rebecca Jones
Project Details
The Mineland Releaf project on Quarry Drive includes replacing thickets of invasive autumn olive with a primarily shortleaf pine and oak forest. Autumn olive outcompetes native species and adds high levels of nitrogen to the soil, making it hard for most native plants to return. This invasive takeover limits the diversity of food and habitat available for wildlife.
Since purchasing the land in February 2026, Appalachian Voices has cleared approximately 140 acres of autumn olive in partnership with Green Forests Work. The next step in creating a native forest includes planting over 100,000 tree and shrub seedlings in the spring of 2026.
At multiple points along the way of project planning and execution, Appalachian Voices has engaged community groups and local government officials to ensure the needs of diverse stakeholders are incorporated into the evolving vision.
As part of this process, we hosted a listening session in March 2026 to hear from Clinchco residents about their outdoor recreation desires and priorities.
Thanks to our neighbors' suggestions, we are including fruit and nut-bearing species in the planting mix. As the seedlings mature, we will explore pathways towards future community use.
Removing invasives including autumn olive and kudzu
Prepping the land for planting
Planting over 100,000 native trees & shrubs
What's Next
Join us on Thursday, April 30, for our first Community Tree Planting at the Quarry Drive site! Food and beverages provided.