Posts Tagged ‘Virginia’
Trout Introduction Efforts Show Promise in Southwest Virginia
A southwest Virginia effort to boost trout fishing has led to the introduction of tens of thousands of trout into two area streams, and local classrooms are also getting involved.
Read MoreStar Parks Shine in the Appalachian Region
In July, Staunton River State Park in Scottsburg, Va., became the fourth park in central and southern Appalachia to receive an International Dark Sky Park designation — a marker of a prime destination for stargazing.
Read MoreVirginia Utilities Release Generation Plans
Appalachian Power Company and Dominion Power released their electric power generation plans this July. While APC released a comprehensive energy generation plan plotting the next 15 years, Dominion released a short-term plan with different options.
Read MoreVirginia city first to support POWER+
The City of Norton, in southwest Virginia, has voted unanimously to support a federal budget proposal that would steer billions of dollars for economic development to coal-impacted communities, including in Virginia. It’s the first such local resolution in the nation supporting the White House’s “POWER+ Plan.” Appalachian Voices championed the resolution with Norton’s leaders and commends them for leading the way on this vital issue.
Ginseng’s growing role in the new Appalachian economy
Most people who live in the mountains know that just being here can have a healing effect on the soul. But not as many people know that many native plants have real medicinal properties. Growing and marketing those wild medicinal plants and herbs was the subject of a recent workshop offered by the group AppalCEED in Norton, Va.
Read MoreVirginians’ electric bills could shrink under Clean Power Plan
A report by Public Citizen’s Climate Program details how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s soon-to-be finalized standards on carbon pollution could lower Virginians’ power bills. The strategy for achieving this benefit is simple: invest in cost-effective energy efficiency programs first.
Read MoreInterior Department Issues Draft Stream Protection Rule
Contact: Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373, [email protected] Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a long-awaited draft of the Stream Protection Rule, which the agency has been working on since 2010. The purpose of the rule is to prevent or minimize the impacts of surface coal mining on surface water and groundwater. The agency’s…
Read MoreHow much progress are we making on ending mountaintop removal?
Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration pointed to a steep decline in coal produced by mountaintop removal mining. But
a closer examination of the data calls into question the adequacy of the legal definition of “mountaintop removal” and, more importantly, demonstrates that much more work is needed to truly end destructive mining practices in Central Appalachia.
A “golden opportunity” in disguise
In 2013, federal funds derived from a per-ton fee on mined coal were distributed to Central Appalachia states for restoring abandoned mine lands. The result was $182 million in economic benefit and 1,317 jobs–plus cleaner streams, and a healthier future for nearby residents. A new report out shows how the federal program should be fixed to yield even better results, and sooner.
Ison Rock Ridge and land ownership in Appalachia
Earlier this summer, our friends at Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards celebrated the defeat of a proposed mountaintop removal mine along Ison Rock Ridge in Southwest Virginia. But although the imminent threat of mining is past, the land on Ison Rock Ridge is still owned by an absentee landholding company in the business of leasing out tracts to coal operators for mountaintop removal.
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