We engage with member and ally organizations to strengthen our partnerships and the collective experiences and knowledge we hold together. We consider ourselves allies and supporters of many different aspects of social and environmental justice movements surrounding mountaintop removal coal mining and working towards a sustainable, just Appalachia.
The Grassroots Water Monitoring & Enforcement Team convenes a space for members to learn from each other’s work around water monitoring, develop enforcement strategies, and share resources between states on issues like tracking and challenging mine permits, mining bond proceedings, and teaching residents how to submit complaints and petitions to hold coal corporations accountable. We hope to use on-the-ground fieldwork to support our narrative with agencies, legislators, and the public.
The Federal Team works to combat the dangers associated with mining, address the legacy costs of more than a century of coal mining, and organize for a healthy environment through regional and federal campaigns. This team advocates for and defends key water protections seeks to improve regulatory oversight promotes beneficial legislation and coordinates around key federal rulemakings, rule changes, policies, and coal mining permits.
See our upcoming call & event calendar or contact your local member group about how you can get involved or below on how to become a member group.
Our Steering Committee is our larger decision-making body. This Committee is made up of one representative and one alternate from each of our member groups. The Steering Committee sets big picture direction of The Alliance for Appalachia’s strategy and meets throughout the year.
Our Coordinating Committee acts as an administrative committee and oversees the day to day Alliance work. This team has representatives from Appalachian states, as well as one person from a regional group. They are empowered to make decisions about the budget and organizational operations, and oversee the work of our the Alliance and staff.
Connections with ally organizations like Earthjustice, Climate Justice Alliance, Extreme Energy Extraction Collaborative, and Catalyst Project are important channels through which we connect with broader movements. These connections keep us informed on interrelated issues, particularly at the national and international levels, which we see as vital to making sure that our work is aimed at effective, systemic change.
Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center (ACLC) has been our key partner on the AML Policy Priorities Project. They worked closely with The Alliance to develop the AML Policy Priorities research paper and currently coordinate work around the RECLAIM Act.
The Alliance for Appalachia is a coalition of organizations that promote a healthy, just Appalachia by supporting our members in communities impacted by destructive resource extraction. We are interested in engaging with a variety of Appalachian organizations, in order to strengthen our alliances and the power we hold together. We consider ourselves allies and supporters of many different aspects of social change in Appalachia and beyond. Organizations interested in working together with us as a member organization should be supportive of the Alliance mission.
There are two levels of membership that organizations can participate in the Alliance for Appalachia – Core Member Groups and Ally Groups. We put these distinctions in place to accommodate the different needs and capacities of our member groups.
In order to become a member of The Alliance for Appalachia, our Steering Committee, made up of representatives from all of our organizations, would like some input in person or in the form of a letter with regard to the following questions:
Finally, we need to know whether or not you would like to become a “Core Member Group” or an “Ally Group.” Please contact us to submit a request at info@theallianceforappalachia.org