Reclaiming West Virginia

The name of our organization is “Reclaiming West Virginia”, and we are focused on addressing the historical effects of un-remediated coal mines in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. According to the State of West Virginia’s Coal Heritage website, the valuable resource was discovered and extracted for the first time in the 1840s. After this first boom, coal quickly took the region, and soon the country, by storm. The completion of the railway through West Virginia greatly expanded the export of the resource, and by 1883, most of the state’s economy depended on the use of coal. 

According to an article published by DSIREinsight, the United States still depends on West Virginia for over one eighth of the nation’s coal. However, with the decline of coal use globally, the region is experiencing severe poverty due to the decline in the export of their historic livelihood. This economic instability leaves West Virginians dependent on government grants to gain the funding necessary to clean up the mess left by the coal industry. These downstream effects include contaminated water from mine tailings, disrupted and deforested landscapes, and general ecosystem degradation due to the use of heavy machinery necessary in extracting coal. The goal of “Reclaiming West Virginia” is to mitigate and reduce the harmful social and environmental effects of abandoned mine sites in order to improve human and ecological health in the Appalachian region of West Virginia. 

The Appalachian Mountain range is full of biological diversity. With its unique ecosystems and resource rich hills, this land has fallen victim to coal mining. This activity has taken a toll on ecological health. The abundance of coal there makes it hard for people and companies to switch to an alternative energy source, especially since the region has been dependent on the export of coal for so long. One of the biggest employers in the Appalachian region is coal mining companies. These jobs, and the materials that they produce, are necessary to the economic survival of West Virginia as a state and its associated mining towns. A switch to a cleaner energy source would require long term commitment and specific, attainable goals.

Though these activities are necessary, they have an extreme and negative impact on the land. Waters have been severely polluted, the soil has been degraded to a point of extreme erosion, and workers' health is at risk due to physical conditions such as black lung, a disease that causes respiratory failure. We are a non-profit ready to take on this issue and come up with viable solutions, such as alternative energy sources that are safe for workers as well as the land and restore this beautiful mountain range to a state that resembles what it was prior to mining operations. This will include native plant species, healthy, flowing rivers, and nutrient-rich soil. Our non-profit is committed to restoring the ecological health of the mountains and reviving them to their prior glory.

The geographic scope of “Reclaiming West Virginia” will focus on the reclamation of historic coal fields and mining sites in the state. These areas are coincidentally located along the Appalachian Mountain range that runs through the center of the state. The sites shaded on the map are most specifically where project work such as reforestation and tailings cleanup will be based.

The issue requires a systematic and linked social ecological economic approach.

Coal mining itself is a practice involved as a social-ecological system. People coal mine for a living and companies profit off of coal products through the use and export of the material. The solution needs to account not only for the well-being of the mountains, but for the peoples whose careers are on the line. 

Issues need high trust from Stakeholders to achieve its goals.

Stakeholders such as the miners, corporations, local people, and conservation non-profits need to have trust and good faith in each other to accomplish this goal. This initiative requires input, strategizing and planning from all involved stakeholders, especially since the Appalachian community has been known to be more insular and small-town oriented. As a result, this dynamic must be accounted for when earning stakeholder trust.

The issue needs a specialized or localized approach.

The geographic scope of this issue is the Appalachian Mountains, specifically those in West Virginia. The solutions for this specific mountain range might not work for other regions due to the unique nature of the people and natural features of the area. The solution needs to be specific to the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and the people who have a stake in its reclamation.

The issue requires a long-term commitment to achieve its goals.

Coal mining has been in practice for over one hundred years in the Appalachian Mountain Range. The transition to reclaiming these lands via reforestation and implementing clean energy sources will be a long one. This transition will likely take 20 years or more to fully carry out.

The issue requires local action to address an issue that exists at a broader scale.

This issue needs to start with local communities and stakeholders. Once a solution has been found and carried out, they can try to expand the solution to other regions of the mountain range if successful.

The issue requires new ideas and approaches.

To say the solution is to find new energy sources is easy, but to carry it out is another thing. The challenge becomes, what is the other energy source? How do you implement that energy source is a successful way without striping coal miners of their livelihood? What does reforestation look like on a site vs. statewide scale? How can we be sure that these initiatives will be successful?

What are limits with the public and private sector regarding this issue?

The government might not be willing to wait for an alternative energy source. Since 2021, there has been a decline in the mining of coal due to a historically low demand for it. Though, the practice of coal mining hasn't stopped completely, which still endangers the ecological integrity of the mountains. Because of this decline in demand, the government might not have any economic incentive to do anything about it. The industry will lose money, and the government's commitment to a free market with little to no intervention will likely be honored above the economic needs of the community. Another limit in the public sector is lack of funding. The government might not be able to allocate as much money for funds as a non-profit or the private sector would.

Private coal companies may not be willing to find an alternative energy source. Right now, despite the decline in demand for coal, coal companies in the area are making a substantial amount of money and are not willing to give this up. Private mining companies will not be willing to try an alternative energy source and risk losing money or putting themselves out of business. Mining in Appalachia has been seen as a declining line of work for miners. Many private companies might only be interested in helping with the conservation side of the issue (like reforestation projects) and not helping these miners' transition to clean energy, which is a vital part of the project.

Summary Of Work

Reclaiming West Virginia is a non-profit committed to restoring the ecological health of the mountains of West Virginia. These mountains have been heavily used due to coal mining as an energy source. Restoration to prior beauty is a key priority for the mountain range, which will look like remediating past damages to the land and looking forward to the future of clean energy. Research is being done into how to transition into these alternative energy sources and how to transition miners into alternative energy careers. Our organization is willing and able to donate all necessary funds and resources to this cause, including on-the-ground volunteers and administrative staff in order to achieve goals established by partner organizations. We can obtain funds from other organizations in both the public and private sector, secure donations, and obtain grants. Solving the issue of coal mining in West Virginia is a problem that will require massive amounts of trust and commitment to the long-term goals of restoring the ecological health of the mountains.

Our organization’s activities are most likely to be more aligned with conventional or mainstream approaches, but in order to best address all socioecological impacts, we will use a variety of participatory approaches, as well. Our organization’s mission focuses on the restoration of the ecology of West Virginia that has been impacted by coal mining, which creates the need for on-the-ground conventional mainstream approaches. In order to best address issues such as water and soil quality, our nonprofit focuses on the implementation of these mainstream conservation approaches in communities that show need for it. The decrease in mining operations in West Virginia has also created numerous social and economic issues, which is where we can include more participatory approaches. By drawing on existing institutions in West Virginia that contribute to the health of coal miners, we can align our organization’s programs with participatory approaches such as education of risks and future lifestyle changes.

Program 1: Restoration of Native Species in Previously Mined Areas

Many native species located in the Appalachian mountains have seen their habitats desecrated since the establishment of coal mines. Many aquatic species such as crayfish and mussels have seen drastic decreases in habitat. Our organization will work on-the-ground at restoring this important native habitat for these species by creating better protection for rivers and creeks and implementing conservation approaches like planting native plants to prevent stream bank erosion. This will also include river and water cleanup projects and pushing for new protections for West Virginian water sources. 

Program 2: Skill Workshops for Previously Employed Miners

As coal mining continues to decline, the West Virginia economies that relied on coal for so long have declined. It also leaves many previously employed miners with a lack of livelihood. By creating and establishing skill workshops that work on educating miners on new job opportunities, such as sustainable energy, or areas of educational expansion, the Appalachian workforce will be better prepared to handle any changes that come to their region. These workshops can also include new skill training to make job finding success come much easier. This program helps address social and economic decline that has occurred because of the decline of mining. 

Program 3: Educational Presentations and Community Outreach surrounding Mining Mitigations 

Our organization can establish a variety of community outreach projects to get communities and the public to care about the ecological restoration of the state specifically from the impacts of mining. These educational presentations and outreach can help connect communities, specifically youth, with the knowledge to get invested into restoring the ecological health of the area as well as new livelihoods. 

4 people of diverse backgrounds and experience will serve on our Board of Directors in order to address the issue of abandoned coal mines in West Virginia in the most holistic and informed way possible.  

Over the first 5 years of our organization, the primary purpose of our Board will be to establish trust with the public and gain traction and funding for our projects. This will be done when we are in the Founding Stage of development, when all of our work is completed by the Board members. We will likely spend lots of time collaborating with both private and public landowners/agencies, such as local farmers and government land management entities. This will likely look like negotiating easements and determining how to best approach the issue of reclaiming abandoned mines that have downstream effects on these stakeholder’s lands. Since the entire Board of Directors was born and based in West Virginia, it will allow them to create strong relationships with the surrounding community. 

Sallie Fir is the President of the Board of Directors for “Reclaiming West Virginia”. A West Virginia Native, she has a PhD in Ecosystem Science from Marshall University, where she continues to teach and research sustainable and holistic forestry practices. Her expertise in reforestation techniques, enforced through her Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the area as a self-identifying Indigenous woman, gives her an incredible advantage in seeing the Appalachian Plateau for what it could be: a thriving and healthy ecosystem that is in dire need of restoration. The incorporation of the knowledge provided by a Native woman is the exact kind of leadership this organization needs. 

Secretary Chris Pine is another crucial Board member for the organization. His expertise is in Geology, a field of study that he obtained his Masters degree in from the University of West Virginia. After working in the oil industry for several years postgrad, Pine’s eyes were opened to the environmental effects of fossil fuel extraction and witnessed the destruction it caused on his beloved home mountain. Since then, he has decided to dedicate his life to remediating these lands that mean so much to him and his family. His understanding of the ins and outs of the industry are vital to the success of our negotiations. 

Our treasurer, Mary Maple, was born and raised in Williamson, West Virginia but moved to State College, Pennsylvania to double major in Economics and Finance at Penn State University. After partaking in the investment banking scene in New York City for several years, Maple knew that West Virginia was where she wanted to raise her family. After moving back to her hometown, she sought financial job opportunities in coal, but quickly saw how fast the industry was dying. She now works for a renewable energy company based out of Williamson and is instrumental in coordinating the allocation of funds for our reclamation projects. Her insight of economics is a perspective that we often miss in natural resource fields, so we are extremely lucky to have her. 

Annie Oak is our public outreach coordinator, and deals almost exclusively with coordinating volunteers, recruiting youth interns from historically coal-mined towns, and engaging college students in environmental education. She believes that the only way that “Reclaiming West Virginia” and the mission it follows will have a future is if young people are at the center of it’s work. Her ability to connect with all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds is necessary to building a good reputation and relationships with local people, land management agencies, and private landowners alike. 

Key Roles/Responsibilities

The first key role of our staff will include on-the-ground fieldwork such as planting of trees, clearing of nonnative/invasive pest species, stabilization of riverbanks/water sources, and more. These actions will likely be completed by a group of 8-10 volunteers recruited by Annie, or by a local conservation corps that “Reclaiming West Virginia” would contract out that would host a crew of 5-10 youth. By using some funds to contract out some field work, the organization can ensure that quality efforts are being utilized in their goal of restoring abandoned mining sites. By using the conservation corps, the organization is also ensuring that the entire scope of their projects are being hit without having to spend tons of money/resources on transporting volunteers to more remote sites. 

Additionally, we will need a team that specializes in fundraising/financial management. Since we are operating in one of the poorest states in the nation, we will need to get creative on how we obtain donations without outsourcing too much, lest we lose local trust. This team does not need to be large, maybe 3 people, but they must have experience dealing with fiscal responsibilities. These would be paid positions. 

We will also need an administrative/law-based team that deals with coordinating easements and project goals with stakeholders. Building community trust and relationships will be an essential part in our organization’s success, so a team that can parse through the bureaucracies of private and public land management policy is necessary. This group does not need to be larger than 2 or 3 people, but they must execute the goals proposed by the organization within its geographic scope. 

Near-Term Outcomes

Restoring the ecological health of the mountains in West Virginia through reforestation and collaborative management in order to preserve the natural history and wonder of the region for years to come.

Community engagement via youth involvement in conservation initiatives sponsored by the organization, which will foster love and appreciation for the Appalachian Mountains in future local environmental leaders and changemakers.

Long-Term Impacts

Restore animal habitats that were destroyed or displaced during the coal mining. Implement strategic management plans with specific check points determined by Reclaiming West Virginia and key stakeholders to ensure that progress is being made.

Be an example for other communities formerly dependent on fossil fuel extraction, like coal, that are currently struggling with the economic decline that comes with an economy dependent on the use of natural resources. Show other communities it is possible to make these transitions successfully.