TELL GOVERNOR NORTHAM NO MORE FOSSIL FUEL PROJECTS IN VIRGINIA!

Wild Virginia needs your help in signing on to a letter addressed to Ralph Northam demanding that he put a stop to fossil fuel projects in our state!

WHAT THE LETTER SAYS:

Over the past few years, we have seen the approval of multiple large-scale fossil fuel projects here in Virginia, such as the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines.  Since the approval of these projects, we have seen countless examples of their negative environmental impacts.  Unfortunately, the current administration is poised to approve two more fossil fuel projects, the Transco Southeastern Trail Expansion and the MVP Southgate projects.

Doing so would increase Virginia’s dependence on fossil fuels and cause further harm to our wild areas.  In addition to harming the environment, these projects have put our most vulnerable communities at risk, as many of those affected are low-income communities, communities of color, or indigenous communities.

Because of this, Wild Virginia and other organizations have taken to signing a letter addressed to Governor Northam that urges him to do his duty of protecting Virginia’s communities and the future of our environment.  We ask that he publicly opposes all future and current fossil fuel projects in the state and increases our role in the production of renewable energy!

HOW YOU CAN HELP: 

If you are against the fossil fuel industry and instead support clean, renewable energy, sign this letter today!  You have until August 3rd, and both individuals and organizations can sign on.

PIPELINE UPDATES: WHERE DO WE STAND?

The efforts to stop the proposed Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines (ACP and MVP) have made enormous progress over the last few years, with Wild Virginia and its allies playing central roles. These unneeded pipelines directly threaten local drinking water, homes, endangered species’ habitats, parks, economies and other vital interconnected systems and attributes of the Southeast. The passionate movement-building, legal prowess and conviction of Wild Virginia, its partners and concerned community members have produced incredible results, and these advocates are far from finished.

Legal Victories

In 2018, Wild Virginia and our allies won suits against the U.S. Forest Service, striking approvals for both ACP and MVP. A court found the Forest Service failed in its duty to protect our natural treasures. As the Forest Service returns to the drawing board, Wild Virginia and other committed groups will continue to fight for adequate reviews and rejections of crossings of the national forests.

One of the most important wins of this saga was the courts’ decision that the Forest Service cannot permit crossings of the Appalachian Trail — this could potentially be an insurmountable barrier for both pipelines.

Appalachian Trail, courtesy of Jerry Edmundson, CC 2.0 on Flickr

Also, Army Corps of Engineers approvals for ACP and MVP to cross wetlands and streams are now invalid or suspended. And, the courts struck the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit. A citizen challenge centering on potential harm to endangered and threatened species played a major role in this decision. The Service issued another flawed permit, and citizens again challenged that action. The federal court is currently deciding whether the agency has failed to carry out its duties, once again.

Current News and What You Can Do

“On the ACP, the goal is simple. Construction is now stopped, and we intend that it never start again and that as much of the damage already caused be repaired,” Wild Virginia Conservation Director David Sligh says.

The MVP has been allowed to continue its destruction of areas “upland,” even though work on other parts of the route are prohibited. Wild Virginia is leading coordinated efforts by attorneys from nearly a dozen organizations to push for strong enforcement actions, with a goal to stop MVP’s violations and halt the project.

“On the MVP, we need the Virginia State Water Control Board to intervene in our case before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and support our call for the federal authorization to be revoked or suspended. We also want to see the Virginia lawsuit against MVP result in a corrective action plan and substantial penalties that will be a true deterrent to future bad behavior,” Sligh says.

Sligh says the best action for concerned community members to take right now is to sign the “online petition to tell our Senators to stop Dominion from getting a special deal and being allowed to mar amazing public resources like the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway.”

SUGAR HOLLOW HIKE JUNE 23RD

On Sunday, June 23rd,  a group of Wild Virginia members went on a hike to Sugar Hollow. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the weather was absolutely perfect for an afternoon hike.

The Hike Begins!

Seven Wild Virginians set off on a hike led by Misty Boos, Hunter Frakes, and I. The objective of this hike was to educate members on what it takes to be an outings leader for the organization. At the trailhead, we went over the rules for backcountry areas such as Sugar Hollow, as well as the rules for wilderness areas. We also stopped to discuss National Forests and their purposes and reviewed leave no trace principles. As we walked through the woods, Hunter provided fun facts about the Sugar Hollow area and captured the attention of the hiking group.

When we arrived at Big Branch Falls, the group took a break and swam in the river. Moorman’s river runs along most of the Sugar Hollow trails and is a designated scenic river in Virginia. We found a lot of interesting things at the falls including moss, salamanders, crawdads, fungi, and mudstone. After the group was satisfied with the time we spent in the swimming hole, we began the hike back to the trailhead.  At the end of the hike, we reviewed the paperwork necessary to execute an outing with Wild Virginia. Finally, we went over how to follow up with event attendees.

The hikers were appreciative of the opportunity to learn about leading and had a wonderful time in the woods. We hope that everyone who came gives leading outings with Wild Virginia a try. We can’t wait to see where our new leaders take the organization! Our volunteers are the future of Wild Virginia.

Get Involved

If you find yourself interested in going on hikes with Wild Virginia, check out our Outings and Education page to see what we are planning next! Our outings include hiking, overnight camping, and fun water activities like canoeing and kayaking.