I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine
It’s been a month since we wrapped up the Alliance for Appalachia’s Midsummer Event, where we brought our members and allies together across virtual platforms to strategize, learn together, and raise money to continue our work. It was a nice reprieve from the isolation we’ve been facing as we keep ourselves and our communities safe from the global coronavirus pandemic.
We had fun drawing on the themes from Shakespeare’s famous play and tying it to our work, like how The course of true love never did run smooth. . . Just like our relationship with the mountains, we have to fight for what we love.
We hosted 5 online workshops with more than 50 participants and raised over $2,800 through grassroots donations. Thank you to our donors, including those of you who donated and bought items from our silent auction!
Land Liberation and the Appalachian Land Study recording: a conversation about land liberation and the Appalachian land study
Bondpocalypse recording: a discussion of how reclamation bonding mechanisms are failing spectacularly in the current era of coal bankruptcies, what we can expect to happen next, and how this informs our work.
Environmental Justice For All Act webinar slides: an overview of this landmark legislation, how it impacts our communities, and opportunities to engage.
The Alliance Steering Committee also met to strategize around federal priorities. We made new commitments to prioritize the Environmental Justice For All Act and to place a higher emphasis on equity and justice in our work together. We recommitted our regional support to the need for abandoned mine land cleanup through the RECLAIM Act, Reauthorization of the AML Fund, and exploring new federal programs to address legacy pollution.
We’ll continue supporting workers by pushing for long term funding of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund and we’ll support our members who are working for the protection of communities impacted by coal ash. Alliance members see value in maintaining relationships with the federal agencies tasked with implementing programs that affect our region.
—
Our teams are continuing this work and these conversations. Check out our call calendar or contact us if you are interested in learning more about the work teams.
Leave a Reply