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November 21, 2006
Mountaintop Removal: What's at Stake?
Cerulean Warbler - Photo credit: USFWS
I just received my November-December 2006 copy of AT Journeys, the official magazine of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. In there is an article entitled Slip-Sliding Away by Scott Kirkwood. Kirkwood is the Senior Editor of National Parks magazine, the official publication of National Parks Conservation Association.
The article discusses the threats that Mountaintop Removal poses to a small migratory songbird - the Cerulean Warbler. The coalfields overlap with the breeding grounds of the Cerulean Warbler, and 10-20% of the bird's habitat is threatened with destruction due to Mountaintop Removal. That's a lot, considering that the bird's population has plummetted by more than 70% since the 1960s. For many folks - like me - birds are an integral part of the hiking experience.
For more information about the conservation of migratory birds - you can visit the Partners in Flight (PIF) website. American Hiking Society is a non-governmental member of PIF.
Conservation | By Jeffrey Hunter | 04:15 PM
