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By SHARON K. HALL
A government official from the Department of the Interior traveled
from Washington, D.C., to Eastern Kentucky for an Arbor Day celebration.
Assistant Secretary of the Department of Land and Minerals, Stephen
Allred, joined other prestigious leaders in government and business
for the day long event on Friday, May 9, at the Tip Top Mine
in Perry County. Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative
(ARRI) hosts Arbor Day events in only one location in each state
of the Appalachian Region. This year ARRI hosted Kentucky's celebration
on an ICG mining site.
ARRI is a cooperative effort by the states of the Appalachian
region with the Office of Surface Mining to encourage restoration
of high quality forests on reclaimed coal mines in the eastern
part of the United States. ARRI's goals are to communicate and
encourage mine reforestation practices that plant more high-valued
hardwood trees on reclaimed coal mined lands in Appalachia, increase
the survival rates and growth rates of planted trees, and expedite
the establishment of forest habitat through natural secession.
The well planned celebration was opened by Larry Arnett, Deputy
Commissioner for Natural Resources.
The talented Tyra Short of Knott County sang the National
Anthem. Scott Perkins, Senior Vice President, Kentucky Operation,
ICG, held prayer. Following the opening activities, speakers
talked about the reforestation project including planting Chestnut
and other trees and discussed the reintroduction of honeybees
in eastern Kentucky.
Secretary Allred stated coal is extremely important. "One
half of electrical energy is made in the U.S.," said Allred.
"We still have to have fossil fuel. Even if all actions
were taken, we still would reduce the amount around 50%. You
need to understand the role you are taking in the future for
your land and country."
Two eastern Kentucky coal companies have stepped forward to work
with Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative and the Lost
Mountain Honey Bee Project. International Coal Group (ICG) and
James River Coal have been offered an opportunity to join a honeybee
pilot program. They accepted.
The two mine companies were selected because the surface
mining sites were already in the beginning stages of reforestation
and there were no active bee programs in Perry County. ARRI encourages
the coal companies to plant high-nectar trees. These reforestation
efforts support both beekeeping and sustainable forest industries
in the near future. Other factors that made the Perry County
mine sites attractive were easy access to the Cooperative Extension
Service and adequate transportation routes.
Barry Thacker with Geo/Environment Associates talked about reestablishing
the American Chestnut tree. An estimated 4 billion trees in the
eastern forests were American chestnut trees. It was in the first
half of the 20th century that a deadly fungus struck, and the
American chestnut trees were nearly destroyed.
Barry explained that before the infestation one in four trees
in the Appalachian Mountains were American chestnuts. Then in
the 1950's, blight destroyed most of the American chestnut trees.
For the past 25 years, The American Chestnut Foundation (TAFT)
has been working on a hybrid tree that is 94 percent American
and 6 percent Chinese.
Barry said that the Chinese chestnut tree is blight resistant.
Scientists are trying to cross the American chestnut with the
Chinese chestnut to have the tree mostly American but with enough
Chinese to make the tree Barry told the nearly 80 students from
Perry County and Leslie County in attendance at the celebration
that they would be planting a tree on the ICG Hazard mine site.
He instructed the children they would be given a rod and a tag
that will have their name engraved. The rod and tag will be set
in the group beside of their tree. He invited the children to
return to the site to see the growth of the tree. Anyone that
wanted to plant a tree was permitted to participate. A large
area of the reclaimed land supported numerous red flags staking
the place for the seedlings.
Another interesting speaker was Dr. Tammy Horne, EKU Environmental
Research Institute apiculturist (bee keeper). Horne, author of
"Trees help Bees", talked about the Lost Mountain Honey
Project, that ICG and James River were involved. The honey bee
project has a mission to protect honey bees, restore the environment,
and encourage economic development in Appalachia by establishing
apiaries (bee yards) on reclaimed mine sites. Horne has a goal
of creating a honey industry on reclaimed strip mines.
Horne explained the history of the honeybee and its importance
to the environment and food supply. In the early 1980's, mites
caused the death of 50 to 80 percent of their colonies. In recent
years, late frost in Spring have contributed to the decline of
honey bees.
Hiorne said, "We are losing a lot of our trees [in Appalachia].
'Trees help bees'. We are trying to set up a Honey industry.
We are losing a lot of our trees. Planting trees today will help
bees to pollinate."
See the current issue of
the Troublesome Creek Times for this and other stories.
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