Bill Wolf,
Co-Chair Craig, Inc.
~ Preserve Craig moves to protect Craig’s history ~
This past Monday the Forest Service and MVP published an unprecedented emergency closure order, prohibiting anyone from being on two sections of Jefferson National Forest unless associated with Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). Claiming it is for public safety, any person found within 200 feet of the pipeline construction site or on three previously public roads will face $5,000 fines and six months imprisonment and $10,000 fines for organizations. Interestingly, this order coincides with a request by MVP for a court order to remove several protesters from their roosts high up in trees on National Forest near the Appalachian Trail on Peters Mountain.
Isn’t it heartening to know that through-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, access to the Brush Mountain East Road, and emergency personnel are exempted? Monroe County neighbor, Maury Johnson doesn’t think so. He has been hiking and protecting the Appalachian Trail and National Forest for more than 40 years and said “I am appalled at this directive. It may seem to the average person that this was done to ensure public safety, but I assure you that this order intends to keep citizens, the press and other local officials from monitoring the pipeline construction activities. This is government overreach by bullying and threat of arrest, fines and imprisonment. With this order the giveaway of our PUBLIC Lands and the destruction of NATIONAL TREASURES like the Appalachian Trail is complete. We the People of WV and Virginia will stand together to fight this government give away for private profit.”
This week also saw MVP hurrying to cut down all the trees before the March 31 deadline, and new notices by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) saying MVP can start construction in Giles and Roanoke County. Meanwhile, Preserve Craig’s attorneys, the Water & Power Law Group, filed another motion opposing construction in Craig County and demanding that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) intervene and properly protect the Adlai Jones and Fisher Cemetery historic properties in Craig County from harm by MVP.
Please help to protect our forest from abuse by our own government
Preserve Craig has raised more than 50 percent of the funds needed for our lawsuit against the Forest Service. We must not allow the government to set illegal precedents that will allow private companies to harm this special Mountain-Valley region for private gain. Can you help us protect our public lands? Please donate to protect Craig County and this special place.
Preserve Craig, Inc. is a 501C3 nonprofit volunteer public charity formed in 1991 to protect our natural, historical, and cultural resources. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at www.preservecraig.org or by mail to Preserve Craig, Inc., PO Box 730, New Castle, VA. 24127. Phone: 540-309-9560. Email: preservecraig@gmail.com
