By Megan Naylor
Editorial Communications intern, Spring/Fall 2010

North American River Otters are the jesters of the waterways.

Officially they belong to the Mustelidae family, sharing ancestry with badgers, minks and weasels.

It is not unusual to see them using grass, mud and snow banks leading to the river as their own personal playgrounds, slipping and sliding as they launch their bodies into the water below.

Moving agilely in the water is their strong suit since they are quick, nimble, playful and sleek.

Otters can swim backwards as well as forwards, do their own version of the back stroke (more like a back float kick), and tread water which is important because they must remain in motion to keep their position on the surface.

Their small eyes and ears, long slender bodies, thick tapered tails and compact round muzzles give them a stealthy distinguished look, which is fitting in their line of work since they need to move quietly and efficiently when fishing.

They can swim up to 6.8 miles per hour, dive up to 60 feet, and stay below for nearly 4 minutes.

Their eyes are protected by a translucent eyelid called a nictating membrane. The membrane is essentially a built-in pair of swimming goggles allowing them to see uninhibited while submerged.

The tail is used for stabilization and for short bursts of rapid propulsion, often used to chase food or escape predators.

Short legs,webbed feet and thick waterproof fur round out their swimming costume.

Having fully webbed toes allows them to glide smoothly and pick up speed quickly when chasing down a meal.

Otters tend to favor fish but also eat amphibians, turtles and crayfish.

The title river otter can be somewhat misleading, since they dwell in saltwater areas as well as freshwater. Habitat areas they frequent include: lakes, rivers, inland wetlands, coastal shorelines and marshes and estuaries.

Shelter typically consists of hollow logs or abandoned dens and burrows of other animals.

Though North American River Otters once played and swam freely along the banks of North America’s rivers their numbers have lowered due to heavy trapping, habitat destruction and pollutants.

Conservation and reintroduction have helped to repopulate areas in the U.S where numbers were low to non-existent, but river otter populations are still struggling to stay afloat.

They are still viewed as vulnerable throughout much of their range in mid western United States and the Appalachian mountains.

Many biologists believe that the best way to ensure the survival of the otter is to vote for clean water and support sustainable agriculture and development.

By Brittney Baker

After being offered (and accepting!) the Outreach Assistant position I was eager to start my internship at Appalachian Voices. Finally, in mid-May I started my position. Throughout my position I have learned, worked hard, and have constantly been amazed and impressed at the talented staff and supporters of Appalachian Voices.

Appalachian Treasures Tour
The first task I was assigned was to schedule an advocacy tour throughout the state of Pennsylvania to educate citizens about mountaintop removal coal mining. This involved a lot of cold-calling to potential hosts. At first, I hated the cold calling. I would dial the number quickly before I could change my mind about making the call and my heart rate would increase with each ring. Eventually, after much coaching, I realized that I was just talking to another human being on the phone. By the end of the planning, I had built relationships with some of the tour hosts through our contact on the phone and e-mail. The passion that these supporters have to end mountaintop removal coal mining would remind me of why Appalachian Voices’ work is so important. I enjoy every opportunity I get to talk to these supporters. All of my planning was put into the hands of the amazing Austin Hall who engaged supporters on the road in Pennsylvania. My favorite part of my internship at Appalachian Voices was being able to get to know a few of the supporters well and I would have not had this opportunity if I was not forced to make a few cold calls.

Mountaintop Tuesdays DC Volunteer Nights
Each week, volunteers gather in the DC office to contact supporters by phone to encourage them to call, write, and meet with their Senators and Representatives about the Appalachia Restoration Act (S.B. 696) and Clean Water Protection Act (H.R. 1310). At first, just like setting up the Appalachian Treasures Tour, I was not thrilled to be making calls to strangers. I was surprised at how willing people were to say “yes!”. In addition to making contact with supporters during our volunteer nights, we also had some fun. Jed Grubbs led us in some sweet t-shirt making. These t-shirits are meant to be worn to be a conversation starter about MTR. Volunteer nights would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and travel of Jed!

Speaking at Limestone Presbyterian Church
Much of what I learned throughout the summer was applied at my speaking engagement at Limestone Presbyterian Church. My friend Sarah Marshall is an Elder at the church and connected me with the pastors Bruce and Carolyn Gillette, who are passionate about environmental justice and creation care. After the church service, Magpie played their song “Barons of King Coal” to introduce the topic of mountaintop removal coal mining. Their music is powerful and moving and if you have not had an opportunity to hear them, definitely check them out. After the music I described mountaintop removal coal mining and showed a brief DVD about the practice. Then came the “call to action”. Members of the congregation and guests in attendance wrote letters to Senator Tom Carper, Senator Ted Kaufman, and Representative Mike Castle urging them to end the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining. It was awesome that people were receptive and willing to take the time to write letters.

I had many fabulous experiences this summer. I am grateful for the support of all of the staff members at Appalachian Voices, but especially the support from Kate Rooth, JW Randolph, and Lenny Kohm who taught me invaluable lessons about the campaign, the hill, and DC in general. Thank you for an awesome internship experience!

For serious.

Just check out last week’s NYTimes piece entitled Nuclear Energy Loses Cost Advantage, which notes:

Solar photovoltaic systems have long been painted as a clean way to generate electricity, but expensive compared with other alternatives to oil, like nuclear power. No longer. In a “historic crossover,” the costs of solar photovoltaic systems have declined to the point where they are lower than the rising projected costs of new nuclear plants, according to a paper published this month.

See the full piece here.

Yay! Kinda like this but with less pink hair…

Yesterday, the agency rejected 10 petitions, including those of coal companies such as Massey Energy and Peabody Energy, that challenged the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 determination that climate change is real, caused by humans and a threat to human health and the environment.

According to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:

The endangerment finding is based on years of science from the U.S. and around the world. These petitions — based as they are on selectively edited, out-of-context data and a manufactured controversy — provide no evidence to undermine our determination. Excess greenhouse gases are a threat to our health and welfare. Defenders of the status quo will try to slow our efforts to get America running on clean energy. A better solution would be to join the vast majority of the American people who want to see more green jobs, more clean energy innovation and an end to the oil addiction that pollutes our planet and jeopardizes our national security.

—Well I’ll be!—

Check out EPA’s informative full statement here

EPA’s ‘Facts vs. Myths” page here

And more information on EPA’s findings and the petitions here

News from the Upper Watuaga Riverkeeper Blog:

On July 21, 2010 an oil spill occurred at Mountain Oil Company in Boone, NC. The spill happened at the Mountain Oil facility on King Street.

The day before the spill, one of the workers Mountain Oil left a maintenance door open on one of the storage tanks. Early the next a different person began filling that tank with kerosene. The kerosene spilled straight onto the ground, it soaked into the soil and eventually reached the water table, and then it began seeping out into Hardin Creek.

Head over to the Upper Watauga Riverkeeper Blog for the full story.

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signaled its approval of Arch Coal subsidiary Coal-Mac’s Pine Creek surface mine in Logan County, WV. Yesterday, the agency announced that the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) had issued its final Clean Water Act permit for the mountaintop removal mine.

In other words…

They are still blowing up our mountains, and we still need a law.

This permit was issued despite…

– EPA’s new guidance for mountaintop removal operations and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s proclamation that “No or very few valley fills…are going to meet standards like this.”
– The fact that the mine could create three new valley fills (each over 40 acres).
– The fact that the site will impact over two MILES of already suffering headwater streams.
– The fact that local communities are already contending with increased flooding due to strip mining in the area (a problem additional sites will exacerbate).
– The fact that deforestation on site will continue to dismantle an important global carbon sink, while the mine itself will produce over 14 million tons of coal – which when burned in power plants – will contribute over 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas pollution to our planet’s atmosphere.

We can end mountaintop removal in 2010. Ask your Congressman to support two bipartisan bills aimed at sharply curtailing mountaintop removal: the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310) in the House and the Appalachia Restoration Act (S 696) in the Senate. The health and heritage of Appalachia is at stake and a “few valley fills” is a few too many.

Back on July 17, asphalt sealant killed off 1.5 miles of Hodge’s Creek in Boone, NC. Turns out the sealant is made from coal tar, making this yet another consequence of using deadly coal by-products.

Coal tar, which would be listed as a ‘hazardous waste,’ were it not for a special federal exemption, contains benzo[a]pyrene. Benzo[a]pyrene is dangerous chemical that made EPA’s list of 12 priority “persistent bioaccumulative toxins.” Still, coal tar is being applied to asphalt across the country, and concerns are growing that toxins from the product are being tracked into homes, schools, hospitals and other buildings.

Check out the following presentation from Austin that more fully explains how coal tar sealants harm our environment.

The city of Austin, TX banned the product almost 5 years ago, when it was recognized to be damaging the local ecosystem. More recently a few other cities, including Washington, D.C., have followed suit. Overwhelmingly, though, the product remains unregulated, exacting unmeasured costs on cities and ecosystems (like Boone and Hodge’s creek) across the country.

Click here to check out a story in the Watauga Democrat’s about Hodge’s Creek accident.

Click here to see photos of the Riverkeeper Team doing an aquatic life assessment on Hodge’s Creek with the Division of Water Quality.

The word on everyone’s mind after the first ever Watauga Riverkeeper Festival: Success!

Kids and adults alike came out in droves to celebrate the beautiful mountain rivers of Appalachia at the Valle Crucis Community Park on Saturday. The Watauga Riverkeeper and Appalachian Voices worked together to create a family-friendly event with plenty for kids (and adults) to do.

Between the arts and crafts, hula hooping, make-your-own trail mix, poker run, nature walks, face painting, costume parade, and beautiful weather, people of all ages had a day full of fun in the sun. There was even a watermelon-eating contest, with a messy twist – contestants had to keep their hands behind their backs for the duration of the contest!

Musical entertainment was provided by the Alberta Boys and Melissa Reaves, both of whom had the crowd excited about the mission of the Watauga Riverkeeper and Appalachian Voices.

The festival featured local foods, including homemade slaw and tomatoes straight from the garden of Appalachian Voices’ own Willa Mays.

The festivities concluded with a raffling of items donated from supporters of Appalachian Voices. All proceeds from food, T-shirts, and raffling will go to support the Riverkeeper and Appalachian Voices in protecting the mountains of Appalachia and their rivers.

Special Thanks to Mast General Store, Earth Fare, Foscoe Fishing, River and Earth Adventures, and all the volunteers who helped to make the event possible.
Be sure to check out photos from the Festival!

Appalachian Voices staff was on hand at the National Press Club last week to watch Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship predict further mining tragedies, dismiss coalfield citizens, and brag about blowing up Appalachia to export coal to India. Needless to say that the press walked away unimpressed. Sunday’s Washington Post put the quick kibosh on Don Blankenship’s high flying public relations circus with Dana Milbank’s headline screaming” Massey Energy’s Blankenship: No shame, but plenty of blame.”

Milbank laments for Blankenship:

Poor CEO Blankenship. That mean federal government is not allowing him to pursue his happiness, just because his employees are dead.

Massey Energy is the #1 perpetrator of mountaintop removal. Don Blankenship is the man leading the charge. If you care about ending mountaintop removal, and protecting Appalachia from greedy, reckless CEOs, read the whole piece here and then call your Congressman (202-224-3121) and ask them to stop mountaintop removal. They can support the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310) in the House, or the Appalachia Restoration Act (S 696) in the Senate.

Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate JW Randolph was quoted on Friday in an article by the news organization Truthout. The piece, entitled Protesters Crash Massey Energy Lunch, but Don’t Sway Conversation, was about Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship’s recent July 22 luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. There, Blankenship argued that expanding surface mining is essential not only for the US economy but also global health.

Randolph’s presence at the event offered a refreshingly sane perspective on surface mining in Appalachia and a not so refreshing jar of murky tap water from a home in the heavily strip mined Mingo County in West Virginia.

“We want every American to see … that Massey Energy creates dangerous communities for anybody living in Appalachia,” the article quotes Randolph.

Click here to read the entire piece.

For more on Massey’s less than earnest PR campaign head over to Coal Tattoo. Ken Ward Jr.’s insightful blog has covered the company’s shenanigans in depth.

By Colette Henderson

Five days ago, we kicked off the Dear Companion tour in Lexington, KY in full force. We packed the house and many stopped by the Appalachian Voices table to pick up materials and ask questions. The amazing part of doing this work in areas like Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia is the stories you can come across. One of the ushers at the Lexington show stopped by and commented on how she had protested strip mining in Eastern Kentucky back in the 60’s. Others talked of family and friends in the region who have come and gone due to the the distressing effect mining has on the area. A young woman nabbed an I Love Mountains bumper sticker before rushing into the show calling over her shoulder, “I’m from Eastern Kentucky, I”m so glad they are doing this work..”

After a great show in Knoxville, TN which brought in a new App Voice member (whee!), Dear Companion took a small break in Louisville before working our way to Charleston, WV. On stage in Charleston, the Dear Companion crew showed no shyness in letting the audience know why they were doing this tour. The crowd was receptive and the boys received a standing ovation for their performance. Later that night, many of us jumped on bicycles and rode around town, enjoying the cooler climate and new scenery.

It’s day five of the Dear Companion tour and we have landed in the small mountain town of Marlinton, WV. The town’s population is probably around 2,000. Nestled in Pocahontas County with the Greenbrier River running through, Marlinton is quiet and charming. I currently bring this update to you from a small local coffee shop called the Dirt Bean where the conversation has been abuzz with tonight’s performance. A family walked in earlier that drove from Huntington, WV to see the show. They were excited about the project and were looking forward to the evening. A young girl skipped in and said she had been to a gas station in Lewisberg, WV where a sign was posted condemning anyone who attended the show this evening. The barista commented the town was mostly pro coal and that she was skeptical about how many would attend.

Marlinton, WV is an interesting stop. It’s the smallest town we will be visiting on this tour and could be the most challenging. This is what this tour is about though, further opening a difficult conversation through the beautiful voices of Kentucky artists. Perhaps we’ll reach some new audiences today.

If you haven’t seen them yet, there’s still time! Catch em at the following venues:

Jul 27 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
Jul 29 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
Jul 31 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival
Aug 1 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival

Learn more about the Appalachian Voices tour by clicking here.

Don’t miss yesterday’s enlightening Salon interview with US Senate candidate Ken Hechler of West Virginia.

Click here: Meet the World’s Oldest Senate Candidate