The Story of Appalachian
Forest Recovery
By Shay Chandler
The coal mining
industry is synonymous with the hearty Appalachian folk who cling to the rocky
surface of their mountains like moss. For an area that is often described as poverty
stricken, coal represents the last gasps of life for many communities. Often,
when the coal mining industry leaves an area, so do the jobs, and then so must
the people (Semuels). These are heavy consequence in themselves, and yet the
situation gets even worse. Decades and lifetimes spent digging through the
earth have resulted in damages, damages that until now were left thinly veiled
by the land reclamation attempts of the coal industry. Now, several nonprofit
organizations are focused on bringing back the ecological health to the
Appalachian Mountains, and in doing so, may just be able to bring back economical health as well.
Although
up to 80% of the Appalachian region is forested, large amounts of naturally forested
land have been lost to coal surface mining, including over 600,000 hectares
(Zipper et al). Think 600,000 football fields filled in with stripped, compacted
dirt instead of well-manicured grass. Due to past laws that require mining
companies to mitigate the ill effects of mining, reclaimed lands have been “fixed”
using herbaceous and woody species. These species may grow quickly and stabilize
the stripped land, but compared to the old species that performed necessary and
imperative ecological services, the new species do not stand a chance (Radmacher).
One such species, Elaegnus umbellate, is commonly known as autumn olive. Autumn olive
is a non-native and invasive species that can hinder growth of native species
(Zipper et al).
In
West Virginia, a nonprofit organization named Green Forests Work began a reclamation
effort to really fix the land on
40,000 acres known as the Mower Tract. In order to bite off only slightly more
than any sane organization can chew, they began work on 2,000 acres near Cheat
Mountain. Here, a bulldozer operator named Bill Moore works on what some
naysayers refer to as nothing more than “Mine Restoration 2.0” (McGowan).
Brad
Edwards, who oversaw the first reclamation efforts, likens the new work to
repainting a perfectly good room a new color. He sees it as a luxury. But what
if the old color was created using lead paint? Lead paint can cause irreparable
damage to kidneys, nerves, and blood, similar to how insufficient reclamation
attempts cause harm to native trees, roots, and soils. Doesn’t seem so luxurious
now, does it? (EPA)
Safe to say, Moore and his coworkers see the
situation differently than Edwards. In fact, they don’t think that you can
simply put a Band-Aid over the destroyed land. Now they have to rip the bandage
off to truly start the healing process.
Their
method involves knocking down non-native Norway spruce and other undesirable
species before scoring the heavily compacted dirt with steel blades. This
process is known as “deep ripping” and allows for native species, including
saplings, shrubs, and flowering plants, to be planted.
In fact, the
co-founder of Green Forests Work, Chris Barton, sees this method as the only
option: “Ripping so deep might seem extreme, but it’s the only way to give
these native trees a chance.” (McGowan).
And when native
trees are given a chance, so is everything else. Appalachian Headwaters,
another nonprofit group funded by bankruptcy settlements from mining companies,
is hoping to restore streams that can support native aquatic life and insects. One
insect they are focused on is the bee: thanks to a $1.5 million grant,
Appalachian Headwaters hopes to train displaced Appalachian miners as
beekeepers. The nonprofit plans to offer financial startup assistance, as well
as helping the locals along the way until they are able to market and produce
their own honey. Soon apiaries – manmade beehive containers -- will be popping
up everywhere on reclaimed sites (Radmacher).
The reclamation of
Cheat Mountain will take several years, but it won’t create an “instant forest.”
In fact, a mature forest is at least 50 years away. Moore, who has lived on the
mountain his entire life, hopes the next generation will experience the mature
forest, and thanks to the several nonprofit organizations that have stepped in
to bring the ecosystems back to health, the next generation may just stick
around to see it (McGowan).
McGowan,
Elizabeth. "Reclaiming Appalachia: A Push to Bring Back Native Forests to
Coal Country.” Yale Environment 360, 15 Dec. 2017, https://e360.yale.edu/features/reclaiming-appalachia-a-push-to-bring-back-native-forests-to-coal-country.
Accessed 1 March 2018.
Radmacher, Dan. “Restoring
Land for Native Plants, Bees and Streams.” Appalachian
Voices, 15 Jun. 2017, http://appvoices.org/2017/06/15/appheadwaters/.
Accessed 1 March 2018.
Semuels, Alana. “Imagining
a Post-Coal Appalachia.” The Atlantic, 8
Apr. 2015, https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/imagining-a-post-coal-appalachia/389817/.
Accessed 1 March 2018.
Zipper, C. E.,
Burger, J. A., Skousen, J. G., Angel, P. N., Barton, C. D., Davis, V., &
Franklin, J. A. (2011). Restoring Forests and Associated Ecosystem Services on
Appalachian Coal Surface Mines. Environmental Management,47(5),
751-765.
“Learn About
Lead.” EPA, https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead#effects.
Accessed 1 March 2018.
Great analogy between repainting the forest with the bulldozer, and lead paint.
ReplyDelete"The coal mining industry is synonymous with the hearty Appalachian folk who cling to the rocky surface of their mountains like moss." - Yowza!
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