ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, June 24, 1996 TAG: 9606240012
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: the green scene
SOURCE: CATHRYN MCCUE
Last week, the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests announced it would not grant permission to American Electric Power Co. to build its proposed 765,000-volt power line through forest land.
The decision came after four years of study showed that the impact on forest resources (mountain streams, wildlife habitats and the like) would be too great.
Although a major blow to AEP's plans, and a major boost to the power line's opponents, the battle is far from over. The controversy will wend its way through state agencies in Virginia and West Virginia, the upper echelons of the U.S. Forest Service, and probably the courts. That leaves lots more opportunity for public input.
The public comment period on the draft of the environmental impact statement runs from July 1 to Oct. 7 - twice as long as usual. Comments can be sent to:
USDA Forest Service
Attention: Draft EIS Analysis
George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, Va. 24019
Copies of the environmental impact study will be available in late June at the following locations:
Bland County Courthouse
Craig County administration office
Giles County administration office, Iris Brammer Public Library in Narrows, Pearisburg Public Library, Pembroke Town Library, White Gate Community Center.
Newman Library at Virginia Tech in Montgomery County
Pulaski County Library
Roanoke Public Library downtown, National Forest headquarters at Valleypointe.
Wytheville Community College library.
The forest has scheduled the following dates for public meetings:
July 31, McCleery Elementary School, New Castle
Aug. 1, Monroe County High School, Lindside, W.Va.
Aug. 2, Concord College, Athens, W.Va.
Aug. 5, Lord Botetourt High School, Daleville
Aug. 6, Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg
Aug. 7, Giles County High School, Pearisburg
Aug. 8, Twin Falls Resort State Park, Pineville
For more information, call the Forest Service at: (800) 595-USFS.
Chestnut lab blooms in Virginia
The American Chestnut Foundation, with the aid of a newly hired scientist, is making strides in its effort to bring back the American chestnut to Eastern forests.
The foundation recently hired Yan Shi to help with the annual pollination of experimental, blight-resistant chestnut trees. Shi, a graduate of the University of Arkansas and a native of China, will be hand-pollinating the trees.
The foundation established a research farm in Meadowview in 1989. Today, there are more than 7,000 trees at various stages of growth on the 120-acre plot. The American chestnut was the most dominate hardwood species in the east until it was wiped out by blight at the turn of the century. Today, chestnuts sprout but do not live beyond a few years.
Researchers are breeding young American chestnuts with Chinese chestnuts, which are resistant to the blight. The final tree will be 94 percent American.
All kids winners in poster contest
A group of concerned residents in Saltville and federal health officials held an educational program this month at Saltville Elementary School to tell kids not to eat fish caught from the North Fork of the Holston River.
The Mountain Empire Environmental Team, along with representatives from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, wanted the children to be aware of the state's ban on eating fish from the river, said Fred Dye, president of the local group.
In 1972, the state Department of Health imposed the ban when mercury was discovered in the river from Saltville downstream. Olin Chemical Corp. had used mercury to make chlorine gas at its Saltville plant since 1950. Olin shut down the plant in 1972 and has been working with federal officials since then to clean up the pollution.
Mercury collects in the fat tissue of fish and accumulates in the food chain. If ingested over a long period of time, the chemical can cause nerve and kidney damage, birth defects and death.
Dozens of children drew pictures for a poster contest, showing people catching fish and releasing them back into the river. Dye said the posters will be exhibited at shops in Saltville.
His group provided prize money for winners of the poster contest: $50 for first prize in two divisions went to Brittany McCray and Amber Collins; $10 for second place went to Whitney Roberts and Tessa Roop; and $10 went to Shane Frye for third place.
But all the elementary school children are winners, Dye said, now that they understand the dangers of eating fish from the North Fork.
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