In 2018, the Clinch Coalition of southwest Virginia celebrated their 20-year Anniversary. They began together out of alarm with what the logging industry was doing to the National Forest, specifically at High Knob. Using grassroots power, they collected 5,000 signatures protesting that logging, reducing the proposed 1400 acres down to 680 acres. That same on-the-ground energy is what has sustained them all these years.
The Clinch Coalition works to protect the forests, wildlife and watersheds of the Clinch Ranger District of the Jefferson National Forest. Their focus is the High Knob, “a 4,223 foot peak located on which is home to more rare and endangered aquatic and botanical species than any other region in the continental United States. High Knob is at the heart of the Clinch Valley Bioreserve, a 2,200 square mile section of southwestern Virginia and upper east Tennessee that has been designated by the Nature Conservancy as one of the Last Great Places in the World.”
In 2001, they endured the Big Stony Creek Flood, which brought new energy to the group. Flash flooding from extensive logging caused widespread property damage and killed an elderly man in the community. In response, The Clinch Coalition, together with allies, proposed creating a High Knob National Recreation Area, which was unfortunately sidetracked by the logging lobbyists, even with Congressional support.
As they approach their 25th anniversary, the Clinch Coalition has much to be proud of:
- 2003: Stopped a proposal to remove decorative surface rock from High Knob with the band Blue Highway performing three fundraising concerts. Rallies, and trail hikes brought the community together
- 2005: Initiated new programs to better engage the community in environmental issues related to the Knob and the Clinch Bioreserve, partnering with Virginia Save Our Streams to start a Citizens Stream Monitoring Program on several local waterways, with trail work continuing today
- 2006: Started the High Knob Naturalist Rally, and an annual EARTH Awareness Essay/Art Contest in our local public schools
- 2008: First Earth Week Film Festival at the NortonCinema and received a $40,000 grant from the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation to do restoration work on the Chief Benge Scout Trail
- 2009: The Stone Mountain Wilderness was established by the Ridge and Valley Act, and the Clinch Ranger District gained its first Wilderness Area, which became incorporated into Congressman Boucher’s Jefferson Wilderness Bill
- Stopped a proposed 30-mile ATV Trail on High Knob
- Participated in the revision of the Jefferson Forest Plan
- Stopped an unnecessary 1200-acre prescribed burn and reduced the size of several timber cuts
- Continually monitoring active timber sales and working on trails.
2021 began with a lawsuit. The Clinch Coalition together with Virginia Wilderness Committee, the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, the Chattooga Conservancy, Cherokee Forest Voices, Defenders of Wildlife, Georgia Forest Watch, Mountain True and Wild Virginia. They propose that weakened regulations will lead to more logging in the Jefferson National Forest and other federal woodlands, and seek to reverse the rollbacks and stop “putting profits ahead of both the environment and the public.”
In February 2021, The Clinch Coalition launched an online tip tool for area residents wanting to report environmental damage by logging, trail construction and other activities. “‘Citizens may not know the various local, state and federal agencies tasked with enforcing environmental regulations,’ said Coalition President Sharon Fisher. ‘Having this messaging system will allow The Clinch Coalition to intercede for citizens who have become frustrated from not having their voices heard.’”
In April 2021, the endangered Candy Darter Fish won 368 stream miles of protected critical habitat in Virginia. The Darter gained Endangered Species Act protection in 2018 after The Center, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Clinch Coalition petitioned for its protection in 2010.
If you find yourself in Virginia any September, you can join the High Knob Naturalist Rally, being held in 2021 on September 25th. It’s an annual event, and promises fun for the family in the beautiful mountains of the Jefferson National forest at the High Knob Lake with educational hikes and presentations for everyone. As volunteer Martie Bell shared during their 20th Anniversary, “‘[The Clinch Coalition] is a very issue-driven, love-of-the-Earth group that does a lot beyond just saving the trees,’ says Bell. ‘It’s a group that really has an impact; it doesn’t just talk, it has actions.’”
Written by Michele Gielis
Links
Clinch Coal vs The Forest Service – complaint, January 8, 2021
Big Cherry Update, The Clinch Coalition, November 10.2020
Big timber sales come back in the Clinch, The Sierra Club, by Sherman Bamford, January 25, 2017
Contact
Sharon Fisher
Melissa Hines
Website
Social Media
Climate Impacts
Air Pollution, Flooding, Water Contamination, Wildfires
Strategies
Fighting Industrial Contamination, Halting Bad Development, Nature-Based Solutions, Renewable Energy
501c3 Tax Deductible
Yes
Accepting Donations
Yes