Save Our Sandhills and Palustris, Mar. 24

Save Our Sandhills is participating in the Palustris Festival again this year, all day Saturday, March 24, at the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania and Ashe. We'll have lots of food and drink.

Consult the most recent edition of Pinestraw magazine for a schedule of festival events.

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS/PALUSTRIS FESTIVAL

Saturday, March 24, 2012, 9:00AM - 5:30PM

Southern Pines Civic Club, 105 S. Ashe St.

9:00AM-5:30PM Nature Photography Exhibit by David Blevins

9:30AM-11:00AM Michael Schafale, author of Wild North Carolina, will discuss his book.

11:00AM-12:30PM Biologist Terry Sharpe will discuss the joys of eating wild foods.

12:30PM-1:30PM Live bluegrass music

1:30PM-3:00PM Lawrence Early, author of Looking for Longleaf, will discuss his great book.

3:00PM-4:30PM Photographor David Blevins will describe new ways of looking at natural areas.

4:30PM-5:30PM Live bluegrass music

Public Comment on Fracking, two meetings

Legislative Watch: Fracking Report Released, Hearings Planned

The long-anticipated state report on fracking was released late last week, and contains conclusions guaranteed to dissatisfy all perspectives. In sum, the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) draft report concludes that 'fracking'--hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas contained in rock layers--and the horizontal drilling to conduct it can be done safely. However, it also says that additional legal and regulatory safeguards are needed first.

The report's recommendations for safety steps proceeding the authorization of fracking include the following:
--Further study of the potential impacts on groundwater in areas where exploration may take place.
--State-approved plans limiting the amounts of water that can be withdrawn during the process.
--Mandated disclosure of chemicals used in the fracking process, with public disclosure of any information not protected by 'trade secret' status.
--Development of an oil and gas waste management regulatory program.

The report's recommendations are not likely to please either those whose position is 'no fracking, no way', nor those whose mantra is 'drill now, drill everywhere, for everything'.

DENR's press release with more information is available at http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/journal/view_article_content?groupId=21953&articleId=6157644, and the full draft report can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/denr-study.

The two meetings to accept public comments on the draft report are scheduled for March 20 at the Wicker Center in Sanford, and March 27 at the East Chapel Hill High School auditorium in Chapel Hill. Both public meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

DENR is required to make its final report to the N.C. General Assembly no later than May 1. The legislature's special Energy Policy Committee is set to meet April 21, and is likely to take up the report for discussion whether the final is ready or not.

One Showing Only- Green Fire, Sunrise Theater, 7 pm TONITE

Save Our Sandhills and Palustris, Mar. 24

PALUSTRIS SCHEDULE

Save Our Sandhills: Learning from the Past for a Better Future

Saturday, March 24, 2012

9:00 am  -- 5:30 pm

Southern Pines Civic Club, downtown

There is a “web of connection” throughout life, a web between past and present, a web between plant life and animal life to create an ecosystem, a web between mankind and nature. Save Our Sandhills celebrates those webs that create sense from chaos, thereby making our lives more meaningful and enjoyable.

9am –5:30pm: Enjoy a celebration of North Carolina’s natural landscapes through the photographic display by David Blevins. Items will be offered for sale.  Blevins’ website is www.blevinsphoto.com.

9:30am – 11am: Wild North Carolina: Author Michael Schafal, a community ecologist for the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program) and nature photographer David Blevins, also a forest ecologist, will discuss their book Wild North Carolina, illuminating our state’s natural communities and highlighting the reasons plant and animals are found where they are, with a special focus on the Sandhills. Autographed books will be offered for sale.

11am – 12:30pm: “Eating Wild”: Terry Sharpe, a wildlife biologist and forester who spent 30 years working with the NC Wildlife Commission, will describe the joys of reconnecting with a more natural way of life. Considering the great outdoors to be one big dinner plate, he will discuss favorites on his menu, provide guidelines on finding and preparing them, and bring samples to taste.

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Traditional bluegrass music by Joe and Abby and Friends. Refreshments will be served.

1:30pm – 3pm: Looking for Longleaf: Lawrence Earley, former editor of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, and a writer and photographer, will discuss his book Looking for Longleaf. Having the ability to bring the past to life, he will explain how the longleaf pine ecosystem was exploited, the problems with regeneration of the pines, and the renewed commitment needed to help this biodiverse ecosystem thrive. Autographed books will be offered for sale.

3pm – 4:30pm: “Photographing Nature”: David Blevins, a nature photographer and forest ecologist, will describe how patterns in landscapes help people to see familiar places in a new way and new places with a sense of familiarity.

4:30pm – 5:30pm: Traditional bluegrass music by Joe and Abby and Friends. Refreshments will be served.  Refreshments courtesy of The Fresh Market and Nature’s Own, both of Southern Pines

Leasing Your Mineral Rights? Carthage, Aug. 23

August 23rd, 2011, 6-8pm
Old Town Hall Building, 203 W. Barrett St., Carthage NC

Thinking About Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

With the arrival of natural gas leases in central North Carolina, landowners should understand the complexities of natural gas exploration, acquaint themselves with how to critically assess mineral rights contracts and learn about the potential impacts of drilling on agricultural fields, water resources, timber, and personal property. On August 23nd at 6pm the Rural Advancement Foundation International will host Penn. St. Cooperative Extension Educator Tom Murphy and N.C. St. Cooperative Extension Specialist Dr. Ted Feitshans for a public community information session on hydraulic fracturing and mineral rights leasing. Topics of discussion will include understanding the gas drilling process, negotiating a fair mineral rights lease, potential impacts on land resources, and limiting landowner financial liabilities in contracts.

Mr. Tom Murphy is a Penn. St. Cooperative Extension Educator with extensive knowledge of gas exploration and experience working with landowners in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania. Mr. Murphy will lead a presentation on gas exploration process, potential impacts on land and water resources, and the experiences of landowners leasing mineral rights in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ted Feitshans, attorney and an Extension Specialist in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at NC State University, will also give a presentation on how NC landowners can evaluate leases offered to them by drilling companies and determine the status of ownership of the mineral rights on their land. Dr. Feitshans is one of the few mineral rights experts in North Carolina, with extensive experience in environmental and agricultural law.

Representatives from RAFI-USA, a farmer advocacy non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, will be present to help landowners with additional resources on natural gas extraction and information on legal supports available to landowners interested in signing a mineral rights lease. Following the presentations there will be a question and answer session for program participants.

This event is free and open to the public and will run from 6pm-8pm on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 in the Old Town Hall Building in Carthage, NC. For additional information you may contact RAFI staff member Jordan Treakle: 919-444-1321; jordan@rafiusa.org

More information on mineral rights leasing can be found on RAFI's website: http://www.rafiusa.org/gaslease.html

Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

July 19, 2011, 6:30-8:30 pm
Agriculture Building Auditorium, Pittsboro, NC

Thinking About Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

With the arrival of natural gas leases in Chatham County, landowners should acquaint themselves with how to critically assess mineral rights contracts and understand the potential impacts of drilling on agricultural fields, water resources, timber, and personal property. Topics of discussion will include negotiating a fair mineral rights lease, potential impacts on land resources, and limiting landowner financial liabilities in contracts. The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension in conjunction with Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA) will be conducting a program to help answer landowners’ questions about these issues.

Dr. Ted Feitshans, attorney and an Extension Specialist in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at NC State University, will lead a presentation on how landowners can evaluate leases offered to them by drilling companies and determine the status of ownership of the mineral rights on their land. Dr. Feitshans is one of the few mineral rights experts in North Carolina, with extensive experience in environmental and agricultural law. Representatives from RAFI-USA, a farmer advocacy non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, will be present to help landowners with additional resources on natural gas extraction and information on legal supports available to landowners interested in signing a mineral rights lease. Following the presentations there will be a question and answer session for program participants.

This program will run from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday July 19, 2011 in the Auditorium of the Chatham County Agriculture building in Pittsboro, NC. For additional information you may contact the Chatham County Center of NC Cooperative Extension at 919-542-8202 or by e-mail at extension.programs@chathamnc.org.

North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran’s status. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Sam Groce, County Extension Director at 919.542.8202 or sam_groce@ncsu.edu or in person at the County Extension Office at least 5 days prior to the event.

Samuel E. Groce
County Extension Director
Administration, Community & Rural Development, Livestock & Forages
Chatham County Center, NC Cooperative Extension
North Carolina State University
Post Office Box 279  Pittsboro, NC 27312
Office 919-542-8202, Mobile 919-548-2220
webpage: http://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/
e-mail: sam_groce@ncsu.edu

Call the Gov. Today re Fracking/Offshore Drilling Bill

Last chance to have your voice heard on VETO of S709 — Deadline tomorrow!

As tomorrow's decision deadline approaches, we still need as many people as possible to make their voices heard on Senate Bill 709 (promoting offshore oil, fracking and bad energy policy), and S781 (makes new protective rules essentially impossible, gutting current rules by endless cost-benefit analyses)! Please call again or for the 1st time, and urge friends and family to do the same. The veto of these bills is truly vital to our environment and quality of life in NC.

Call 919-733-2391 or email governor.office@nc.gov today!

Lawmakers Seek Inquiry of Natural Gas Industry
Federal lawmakers are calling on agencies to investigate the natural gas industry and whether the picture that has been painted accurately reflects the reality of projections. State and Federal concerns about the financial and environmental impacts sparked the inquiry. Five companies have been subpenaed including Talisman and Chesapeake Energy. Supporters of natural gas sent a letter signed by a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers to President Obama calling on him for continued support of natural gas development.
EPA Fracking Study to Focus on Five States
The Environmental Protection Agency will focus its national study of hydraulic fracturing on seven areas in five states. Five of these research projects will take a forensic approach, retroactively investigating places where drilling has already occurred and where contamination has been alleged (including sites in North Dakota, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado). At two additional sites—in DeSoto Parish, La., in the Haynesville Shale and a separate site in Washington County, Pa.—the EPA will attempt to observe and measure the changes drilling brings to an area as it happens.

Worst Drought in More Than a Century Strikes Texas Oil Boom

The water crisis in Texas, the biggest oil- and gas- producing state in the U.S., highlights a continuing debate in North America and Europe over the impact on water supplies of an oil and gas production technique called hydraulic fracturing. The worst Texas drought since record-keeping began 116 years ago may crimp an oil and natural-gas drilling boom as government officials ration water supplies crucial to energy exploration. Environmental groups are concerned the so-called fracking method may pose a contamination threat, while farmers in arid regions like south Texas face growing competition for scarce water.

Movie, May 22, from Sustainable Sandhills--About Honey Bees' Plight

Vanishing of the Bees

Sunrise Theatre, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines

SUNDAY, May 22, 2:30pm

$7.00 general admission

Jan. 27 lecture, Endangered and Rare Species, Ft. Bragg, Camp McCall

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES ENDANGERED AND RARE FLORA AND FAUNA ON FORT BRAGG AND CAMP MACKALL

On January 27, Save Our Sandhills will host Beth Evans, a Certified Wildlife Biologist, to speak about Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall’s commitment to endangered species. Both military installations are located within the rare longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem. Less than 3% of the original 92 million acres of this ecosystem still exist. This ecosystem, dependent on fire maintenance, supports a wealth of flora and fauna populations, many of which are endangered or rare.
Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall contain 23 vegetative community types with over 1,200 plant species, approximately 200 bird species, 51 reptiles, 44 amphibians, 41 mammal species, and over 50 known aquatic species. Among these species, 5 are federally endangered; namely, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, American Chaffseed, Rough-leaved Loosestrife, and Michaux Sumac. Overall, 48 species are considered rare. A few rare species of flora, such as the Sandhills Lily and Sandhills Pixie Moss are on the Army’s Species at Risk list, and could potentially impact military training if they become federally listed. Some rare fauna species, such as the Gopher frog, Eastern Salamander, Northern Pine Snake, Southeastern Bat, and Rafinesque Big-eared Bat are also being studied for their survival and management requirements.
Of the 5 federally endangered species, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW), listed in 1970, was declining through loss of habitat by fire suppression, forest management practices, and urban development. In 1990 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Jeopardy Biological Opinion and recommended specific military training restrictions, monitoring, surveys, and habitat restoration in order to stem the decline. In 1992 Fort Bragg biologists began monitoring the RCW population, provided cavity enhancement, worked on habitat restoration, and placed protective measures around cavity trees. And in 2005, Fort Bragg succeeded in reaching its goal of 350 breeding pairs with assistance from the Sandhills Conservation Partnership and was able to reduce training restrictions by 50%. The Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, listed in 1995, was thought to be extinct. It has been rediscovered, however, and is being studied by Fort Bragg biologists and university researchers in order to understand its survival requirements and to manage its habitat. The 3 federally listed plants, American Chaffseed (listed in 1992), Rough-leaved Loosestrife (listed in 1987), and Michaux’s Sumac (listed in 1989), are found in open uplands and in wetland ecotones. The areas in which these plants are found are monitored and managed by midstory removal and frequent fire.
Beth Evans will identify these 5 federally endangered species, and will discuss their life histories and their management requirements. She will also highlight a few other rare species in our globally rare longleaf pine ecosystem of the Sandhills. Evans received a B.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Vermont in 1990. Subsequently, she served as a Research Assistant at Eglin Air Force Base in northwest Florida, surveying RCW cavity trees and becoming a member of one of the first teams to initiate banding of these endangered birds. Evans has been with the Fort Bragg Military Installation since 1993, working her way up from Biological Science Technician to Certified Wildlife Biologist. She monitors and surveys Fort Bragg’s endangered and rare flora and fauna species, and is involved with all aspects of protection and habitat restoration. Nevertheless, the majority of her work pertains to the RCW. Evans also participates in the NC Sandhills Conservation Partnership and the NC Chapter of the Wildlife Society, and conducts educational presentations to military personnel and the general public.

Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served Thursday, January 27 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe and Pennsylvania.

SOS, July 29, Ft. Bragg's Environmental Stance, Sou. Pines

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES FORT BRAGG’S COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

On July 29, Save Our Sandhills will host Alan Schultz to speak about Fort Bragg’s commitment to conservation and wildlife management. Fort Bragg, initially constructed in 1918 in order to fulfill an essential role in our national security, has also evolved into an outstanding natural resource for the North Carolina Sandhills. Fort Bragg’s and Camp Mackall’s 160,000 acres (they are managed as one) comprise only a fraction of the nation’s Department of Defense lands. Nevertheless, the Fort’s forest managers began a visionary program decades ago that has had profound implications for research involving the health of the longleaf pine ecosystem with its unique wildlife habitat.

Alan Schultz, currently Chief of the Fort Bragg Wildlife Branch, leads teams of biologists, conservation officers, and public use specialists as they collaborate with others to enhance and protect the Sandhills natural resources. Schultz’ academic training is in Wildlife Ecology and Management, and his career spans over 27 years in the southeast with specializations in wildlife ecology and management, ornithology, forestry, and public natural resource regulation and usage.

In all, Schultz’ varied experiences make him comfortable in addressing the issue of multiple land use in conservation. Fort Bragg’s multiple land use incorporates the following into a single management strategy: military training, conservation, forest products, prescribed fire, and the public use of natural resources. Some of this strategy evolved as a by-product of experience. For example, military training exercises occasionally produced small fires, and these fires mimicked the natural lightning strikes common in the Sandhills. This fire was found to be essential to both the flora and the fauna of the longleaf pine ecosystem.
Because of Fort Bragg’s focus on conservation management and its immense amount of acreage, it not only serves as an ecological laboratory, but also as a showcase for diverse habitats and their resultant diversity of species. Its combination of natural resource managers and military trainers working together helps humans, plants, and wildlife benefit from a unique symbiotic relationship.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served.  Thursday, July 29 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe and Pennsylvania.

Colbert on Mountaintop Removal

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/261997/january-18-2010/coal-comfort---margaret-palmer

Save Our Biodiversity, SOS

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS HOSTS EXPERT ON
IMPERILED INSECTS AND THEIR HABITATS

On January 28, 2010, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Dr. Stephen Hall to give a talk on “Insects and Habitats That Are of Special Conservation Concern in the North Carolina Sandhills.” Dr. Hall, an Invertebrate Zoologist with the NC Natural Heritage Program, conducts studies of insects associated with specialized habitats.
The importance of this topic is two-fold. First of all, scientists are trying to determine whether certain insects are facing extinction. They are trying to give as much weight to preserving rare and threatened insects as they do to vertebrates and plants. Secondly, they are trying to gauge the ecological integrity of the habitats of specific insects. For example, they have found a high degree of ecological integrity in some longleaf-wiregrass woodlands, and a strikingly low degree of integrity in some wetland habitats. Integrity of habitat is important to healthy interrelationships between insects and their host plants. Each species of insect, plant or animal plays an essential role in its ecosystem. Destruction of habitat is cause for alarm. When plants and insects disappear, the food source of birds and other animals is compromised and can even lead to the extinction of local wildlife populations.
Dr. Hall, who received a B.A. in Zoology from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of North Carolina, has been the Invertebrate Zoologist for the NC Natural Heritage Program since. 1990. He has extensively surveyed insect populations and their habitats in the Coastal Plain. In the Sandhills, he conducted a survey that resulted in the Saint Francis’ Satyr butterfly being listed as a Federal Endangered Species. With regard to this project, he worked at Fort Bragg with both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army to determine how best to protect and manage its populations. For several years, he also worked at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, preparing an inventory of the Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, and skippers) at the park.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments follow. We will meet on Thursday, January 28 at 7 P.M. in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Permaculture in Haiti Right Away

http://www.permaculturehaiti.org/

SOS, Jan. 28, Inperiled Insects and Their Habitats in the Sandhills

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS HOSTS EXPERT ON


IMPERILED INSECTS AND THEIR HABITATS
On January 28, 2010, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Dr. Stephen Hall to give a talk on “Insects and Habitats That Are of Special Conservation Concern in the North Carolina Sandhills.” Dr. Hall, an Invertebrate Zoologist with the NC Natural Heritage Program, conducts studies of insects associated with specialized habitats.

The importance of this topic is two-fold. First of all, scientists are trying to determine whether certain insects are facing extinction. They are trying to give as much weight to preserving rare and threatened insects as they do to vertebrates and plants. Secondly, they are trying to gauge the ecological integrity of the habitats of specific insects. For example, they have found a high degree of ecological integrity in some longleaf-wiregrass woodlands, and a strikingly low degree of integrity in some wetland habitats. Integrity of habitat is important to healthy interrelationships between insects and their host plants. Each species of insect, plant or animal plays an essential role in its ecosystem. Destruction of habitat is cause for alarm. When plants and insects disappear, the food source of birds and other animals is compromised and can even lead to the extinction of local wildlife populations.

Dr. Hall, who received a B.A. in Zoology from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of North Carolina, has been the Invertebrate Zoologist for the NC Natural Heritage Program since. 1990. He has extensively surveyed insect populations and their habitats in the Coastal Plain. In the Sandhills, he conducted a survey that resulted in the Saint Francis’ Satyr butterfly being listed as a Federal Endangered Species. With regard to this project, he worked at Fort Bragg with both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army to determine how best to protect and manage its populations. For several years, he also worked at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, preparing an inventory of the Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, and skippers) at the park.

Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments follow. We will meet on Thursday, January 28 at 7 P.M. in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Climate Summit, This Time in Bolivia

http://allalongtheedge.blogspot.com/2009/12/evo-to-resue.html

What Is an EcoVillage

http://earth911.com/blog/2009/10/05/sustainability-in-suburbia/

Our Cultural Landscape, Oct. 28, Sou. Pines

Media Contact:
Ray Owen (910) 638-3982, E-mail: information@classicaldesignfoundation.com

Event title: “Our Cultural Landscape” with Charles Birnbaum
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 7:00-9:00 PM
Location: Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines, NC
Presented by: The Classical Design Foundation
Admission is free and open to the public.

Southern Pines, NC - October 28, 2009, THE CLASSICAL DESIGN FOUNDATION presents CHARLES BIRNBAUM, Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC. Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest."

When a design is successful, how long is it worth keeping? When the design is a landscape of historical significance, why should we care? Understanding the value of where we live will be the subject of “Our Cultural Landscape.” This event unites two acclaimed speakers in an illustrated talk on the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.

Charles Birbaum is the Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, DC. Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills--from our lumber and turpentine industry past, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate.

As the Vanderbilts were to Asheville or the Tufts to Pinehurst, so were the Boyds to Southern Pines. Under their influence, town founders overcame the devastations of clear-cutting that by the turn of the twentieth century had left a wasteland. With emphasis on plantings of native flora along with naturalized drought-tolerant ornamentals, Southern Pines emerged as a "garden place." A leader in this movement was Alfred Yeomans, a Boyd family relative who guided town landscape design in a patchwork of efforts spanning more than half a century.

Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest," will describe the cultural and natural history of our region's longleaf pine habitat, setting the stage for an understanding of Southern Pines as a resort named for a forest, and why residents should care to sustain our landscape heritage.

This event is presented by The Classical Design Foundation in association with The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Preservation North Carolina, The Sandhills Council of Garden Clubs, Sandhills Natural History Society, The Southern Pines Garden Club and Sustainable Sandhills.

The Classical Design Foundation is a Southern Pines based nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. It exists for the preservation, education, and practice of classical visual design. For more information visit The Classical Design Foundation website at www.classicaldesignfoundation.org, or contact Ray Owen at (910) 638-3982, E-mail: information@classicaldesignfoundation.com. Mailing address: 115 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387.

How Much Can We Destroy?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/13/MN0218DVJ8.DTL

Coal Country, the Movie; Too Bad It's So Dirty

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/07/03-9

Let's Dim the Lights for W.VA.

Published on Saturday, July 4, 2009 by The Charleston Gazette (West Viginia)
Mountaintop Removal: Fourth of July Festival Organizers Fear Violence
by Paul J. Nyden

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Larry Gibson, the well-known, 72-year-old activist against mountaintop-removal mining, will host his annual July 4 music festival at his Kayford Mountain home above Cabin Creek Saturday and Sunday.

"I've been having this event, which is open to the public, for 23 years. Everyone is welcome," Gibson said.

Maria Gunnoe, a Boone County native, who won this year's international Goldman Environmental Prize in April for her anti-mountaintop-removal activism, is among the many planning to attend.

"A lot of elders and a lot of children, show up," Gunnoe said. "Normally, it is very peaceful.

"People get together, socialize and listen to very diverse music," she said. "Some is traditional Appalachian music. Some is music for younger teenagers, including rock music. It is a good time with your family and friends."

But both Gibson and Gunnoe worry this year's festival could spark hostility and possibly violence, especially after last week's arrest of demonstrators protesting Massey Energy's mountaintop removal operations in Boone County.

Gibson, in particular, said he has received threats since the arrests.

No one could be reached at Massey Energy's offices in Boone County on Friday.

A spokesman for the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department said he had heard nothing about any rumors of violence at Gibson's planned July 4 celebration.

On June 23, 31 picketers were arrested, including: actress Daryl Hannah, National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist James Hansen and former Democratic Congressman and West Virginia Secretary of State Ken Hechler.

Protesting near Sundial, the picketers were charged with obstructing police officers and impeding traffic after sitting in the middle of W.Va. 3 near a controversial Massey coal preparation plant next to Marsh Fork Elementary School.

A nearby Massey dam impounds about 3 billion gallons of coal sludge from company mining operations.

Gibson's festival started out as a family reunion, but quickly grew into an annual community event.

Last week, Gunnoe distanced herself from "out-of-state environmentalists," explaining, "We are connected to the environment around our home lands. We care about our culture. But that does not make us tree huggers."

Gibson hopes today's event is well attended.

"Everyone is welcome. Bring a covered dish. But this is not a place for any kind of violence. But bring a conversation to the table. I would be glad to talk to anyone," Gibson said.

Gibson, whose family has lived on or near Kayford Mountain since the late 1700s, travels around the country speaking about mountaintop removal at colleges, churches, public seminars and community groups

"The stand I am taking here is not so much for myself," Gibson said, "but for all of the people living in this part of the country."

Gunnoe said, "Some people have had windows broken out of their vehicles because they had 'We Love Mountains' stickers on their bumpers.

"For years, mountaintop removal blasting has covered our homes up with dust and polluted our water," she said. "People fight mountaintop removal because they have lost their water, their land and their quality of life."