We love our mountains. We love the beautiful mixed mesophytic forest that blankets their surface, the pristine headwaters that pull and tumble throughout them, and the majestic and diverse creatures that inhabit these hills and hollows. We love our mountains’ shape, are drawn in by their corporal topography, respecting their inherent values that in turn shape and color who we are as individuals and as a regional community.

But the Blair Mountain March proves that when it comes to mountaintop removal, there are no “environmentalists.” The Blair Mountain March makes clear, that to simply call this an “environmentalist” march is lazy. To call opposition to mountaintop removal an “environmentalist” position is inaccurate. There is a national coalition of opposition to mountaintop removal that consists of Democrats, Republicans, faith leaders, civil rights leaders, conservationists, union workers, economists, underground coal-miners, health care professionals, scientists, journalists, me, you, and just about everybody who understands the issue. Together we form a majority of citizens who oppose the permanent destruction – by a few – of a special, historic, ancient mountain which so many of us hold dear. This is much more significant than just trying to protect a few trees, or a stream, or even an ancient mountain. The March on Blair Mountain crystallizes a moment when a broader coalition of Appalachian citizens have come together organize ourselves into a bigger tent to protect ourselves from the abuses of an overzealous and arrogant coal company. We are working to protect each other.

This moment is yet another key turning point when the majority of the Appalachian people stand up against the few who would destroy what we hold dear. The proposed destruction of Blair Mountain is not just an attack on our environment, it is not just an attack on our economy, it is not just an attack on our history, it is not just an attack on our health, it is not just an attack on working men and women. This is an attack on us, our very selves, and the heritage of generations that binds us to our families and to each other.

That is why we have come together. Labor, citizens, “environmentalists,” remember this. We don’t march for the environment. We march for each other and for our future.

Please listen to the citizens who have joined the march, and take a minute to take action*.

* -even if it’s only for “the environment”. 🙂

Former miners describe why they are marching 50 miles to stop mountaintop removal and to save Blair Mountain.

By Meg Holden
A journalist and editor with a keen eye for detail, Meg served as AV’s Communications Intern for summer 2011.

You might be saying “huh?” But the kids and families who came to RiverFest on Saturday, June 4, are all saying “yes, please!”

Families from all around the High Country — and a few from out of town — joined Appalachian Voices at Valle Crucis Park in Valle Crucis, N.C. to spend a sunny day learning about our Appalachian Rivers and the creatures that make them so special.

Hellbenders (also called snot otters), giant salamanders that can grow up to two feet long, are important indicators of water quality and have been slowly disappearing from our mountains in the last 25 years. Rocky, a hellbender from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, made a special appearance at RiverFest, joined by Snotty the Snot Otter — a new mascot from the N.C. Zoo. Both were a huge hit with everyone!

In between cake walks, face painting, and storytelling by Orville Hicks, kids had the opportunity to try out gyotaku, a Japanese fish printing method, while learning about fish adaptations. Parents and other visitors checked out the Pickin’ Parlor and live music from Appalachian musicians, practiced fly-tying, and learned primitive skills. Everyone enjoyed the no-hands watermelon eating contest and river parade.

RiverFest also served as the Appalachian Voices annual membership gathering, and a host of new members were represented.

Lots of folks ended the day with a splash in the river. A good time was definitely had by all.

Appalachian Voices wants to thank all our many sponsors as well as the wonderful people who came out and enjoyed RiverFest. See you next year!

We’ll be posting more as these come in.

Blair Mountain strikers were often referred to as “red necks” by the press, on account of the red scarves they wore around their necks to symbolize solidarity against the coal company police. Participants in the modern Blair March wear red scarves in memory.

A strong coalition of impacted residents, citizens opposed to strip-mining, conservationists, union members, historians, and progressive activists have come together to oppose the destruction of this historic mountain.

While what happened at Blair was historic in size, its important to remember that this anti-miner violence did not happen in a vacuum. The mine wars lasted intensely for decades, and their memory lives on in the intensity of those standing up to coal company abuses. Watch Harlan, USA or Matewan for other stunning examples of just how far the coal companies would go to keep miners and communities down.

Please see more at Appalachian Voices Flickr feed.

Appalachian Voices’ team will be here with updates all week from the historic march on Blair Mountain. We’ll have a longer piece on the background of the march up this afternoon, as well as a report from the first day.

This video by the phenomenal Jordan Freeman includes some great footage and provides a wonderful historical primer for this week.

The Battle of Blair Mountain from jordan freeman on Vimeo.

The march is already receiving some major media from outlets all across the country. Links below the fold…

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[Friends, we are fortunate today to share the voices of two of the leading advocates for Virginia’s mountains; Kathy Selvage of Wise County and Parson Brown, Director of the Topless America Project. Kathy and Parson join us today in unison to ask Congressman Frank Wolf to continue his cosponsorship of the bipartisan Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1375). Congressman Wolf is a northern Virginia Republican, who has previously cosponsored the CWPA, and who voted with Appalachian Voices against all four bad amendments to the budget bill passed by the House earlier this year. Kathy and Parson, thank you for sharing your voice with us, and please encourage your friends in Northern Virginia to contact Congressman Wolf’s office TODAY! – jw]

Dear Parson and Friends in the 10th District of the Commonwealth of Virginia,

Please encourage your Representative Frank Wolf to return to the fold and proclaim that he has regard for the integrity of water once again by being a co-sponsor on the Clean Water Protection Act in the 112th Congress. I know that you and colleagues in the 10th love mountains and clean water as much as we do in the 9th District; please share that with Representative Wolf to encourage him to be a co-sponsor once again.

Parson, we were proud to have this picture taken with Rep. Wolf in 2010 when he affirmed his commitment to clean water for all Virginians even those tucked in the far southwestern corner where we mine coal and have sacrificed greatly for the energy needs of this country. But we also live with 300 million + year old mountains that willingly give drinking water to many eastern cities of the United States, and have a rich treasure of great biological diversity (plant and animal) that is admired by the entire world.

Those who live in the ancient, wise mountains of southwest Virginia are daily confronting the ravages of mountaintop removal that decapitates our mountains for the coal beneath them and then heaps the waste, their remains, into our stream beds and upon our watersheds.

No matter how we feel about the extraction process of coal, we must understand the full benefits of another of our most precious resources—water. The very requirements for the sustaining of human life—namely, relatively clean water and clean air—are being destroyed daily in southwest Virginia. How can this be, I often ask myself.

We cannot stand for and should not tolerate the desecration of our most precious resource — water. Nature provided us with an abundant supply of water but we have squandered the use of it through waste and contamination. We can no longer afford to do this! We do not want to have to explain to our grandchildren one day that we were concerned about energy production and the economy when they have no safe water to drink.

Parson, please have all our friends in the 10th District contact Representative Wolf and ask him to reaffirm his commitment to clean water by again becoming a co-sponsor on the bill in the House. Tell him all Virginians must unite and stand together for the protection of our most valuable resource, water.

Sincerely,
Kathy Selvage

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