Restoring the American
Chestnut to
Arbor Day Event at 9 May 2008 |
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View the news stories posted in the links below and see our story and photos on this page below. http://www.hazard-herald.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/doc482ae080dc566968496139.txt, |
In his book, Lost Mountain, Erik Reece chronicles the year he spent in 2003 witnessing the surface mining of a single mountain and opines, “The economic and environmental consequences are devastating on an unprecedented scale”. |
Click on image to enlarge: ![]() THEN |
Students from W.B. Muncy and Robinson Elementary Schools found Lost Mountain quite different than what had been portrayed in Reece’s book. Now that mining is complete and reclamation is in progress, they participated in an Arbor Day event by planting American chestnut and oak seedlings and learned about future plans for the site by International Coal Group (ICG) and others. |
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Kentucky’s Lt. Governor Dan Mongiardo, M.D., whose grandfather emigrated from Italy to Kentucky in 1910 to work in U.S. Steel’s Benham Mine, discussed his vision for adventure tourism in the state. According to Dr. Mongiardo, a surgeon makes a scar in his or her work, just as a miner does. In both cases, success is judged by the end product after the scar heals. Tourists can travel roads and trails on reclaimed mine land by hiking, biking, or on ATVs or horses to hunt, fish, observe the largest elk herds east of the Mississippi River, and experience all manners of outdoor activities. |
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Dr. Tammy Horn from Eastern Kentucky University, affectionately known as the Queen Bee, discussed her partnership with ICG to bring more creativity to mine reclamation by reforesting areas with bee-friendly trees and encourage a beekeeping infrastructure among people in Hazard. In addition to honey production, she is exploring the potential for value-added cottage industries such as candles, lotions, beeswax, and soaps. |
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David Ledford from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation learned that every student in attendance had seen an elk. He then informed them that they are the first generation in Kentucky in 150 years that can make such a claim and how reclaimed surface mine land was essential to the elk restoration effort in Kentucky. |
![]() Elk on reclaimed mine land |
Scott Freidhof, President of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation summarized the state’s progress in developing orchards of blight-resistant American chestnut hybrids. He challenged attendees to find native American chestnuts around Hazard that can be incorporated into the backcross program. The planting of pure American chestnut seedlings on mine land prepared by the Forestry Reclamation Approach at the Tip Top Mine will be judged to aid in the planting of blight resistant hybrids in the future. Students marked the seedlings they planted with a metal tag so they can observe how they grow on subsequent visits. |
![]() Chestnut seedling and student tag |
C. Stephen Allred from the Department of Interior, Hank List from the Kentucky EPPC, Joe Blackburn from the Office of Surface Mining, and Larry Arnett and Paul Rothman from the Kentucky DNR presented ICG with an Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) Award for its reforestation efforts at the Tip Top Mine. |
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