It cites the surface mining activity on one of its primary tributaries, the Cherry River.
American Rivers points to one company specifically, South Fork Coal Company, which has operated on 3,600 acres in Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties.
That activity, the group says, has released sediment and toxic metals into waterways that support both threatened species and recreational activities.
“Local communities are paying the price for mining practices that are flaunting basic safeguards to protect West Virginians and the economically vital Gauley River,” said David Moryc, senior director of river protection for American Rivers. “This is a severe abuse of the public trust.”
The Cherry and other Gauley tributaries lie within the Monongahela National Forest, home to the eastern hellbender salamander, which is threatened, and the candy darter fish, which is endangered.
South Fork filed for bankruptcy in February. The group says the company has violated water pollution standards 80 times since 2019.
“I shudder to think what the next encroachment by the coal industry into our public land will be,” said Willie Dodson, coal impacts manager for Appalachian Voices. “Are they going to strip Spruce Knob? Are they going to put a sludge dam at Cranberry Glades? This is the time to draw a line in the sand.”
One case of avian flu was found in a backyard flock of domestic birds in Pocahontas County.
One case of avian flu was found in a backyard flock of domestic birds in Pocahontas County.
In a Friday press release, the state Department of Agriculture (WVDA) confirmed West Virginia’s second case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, since the global outbreak began in early 2022.
According to the WVDA, the Pocahontas County premises are quarantined, and the birds have been “depopulated” to prevent the disease from spreading.
“The WVDA acted swiftly to contain the disease and remains committed to collaborating with poultry owners to prevent its spread,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. “As the state’s leading agricultural commodity, protecting the poultry industry is critical, and implementing emergency response plans is essential to safeguarding its future.”
Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus also infects a wide variety of other birds, including wild migratory waterfowl.
Poultry owners should report unusual death loss, a drop in egg production, or any sick domestic birds to WVDA’s Animal Health Division at 304-558-2214.
A cold front will deliver snow, rain, and freezing temps throughout the state between Wednesday and Friday.
There is an active blizzard warning for northern portions of Pocahontas County and southeastern portions of Randolph County. A cold front will deliver snow, rain, and freezing temps throughout the state between Wednesday and Friday.
Joe Curtis, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said the blizzard-affected regions could expect 4-6 inches of snowfall over the next few days.
“It’s going to bring us a pretty drastic drop in temperatures, and along with that, we’re going to see some snow and some wind,” Curtis said.
In the southern half of the Mountain State, freezing temps in the teens and low 20s is expected.
Curtis said folks all over the state should prepare for these freezing temps and winter precipitation.
“It’s probably a good idea to give yourself a little bit of extra time to get to work tomorrow morning because we are going to have some slick spots on the roadways,” Curtis said. “It’s going to be pretty cold as well, so you’ll have to take some time to de-ice your car. Along with that, definitely bring in the cats and the dogs and any pets and check in on the elderly.”
Temperatures are expected to warm back up across the state by around 20-30 degrees this weekend.
Strong winds traveled north from Greenbrier County into the quiet community of Hillsboro Wednesday evening. There, they accumulated into a full tornado — the first recorded in Pocahontas County history.
The tornado traveled through empty fields and did not make contact with any buildings. No damages or injuries have been reported, but emergency response officials will survey the area this week for more information.
West Virginia has recorded more tornadoes this year than any before. As of Aug. 8, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that 19 tornadoes struck the state this year, with Wednesday bumping that figure to 20.
Previously, the most tornadoes recorded in one year of state history was 14 in 1998.
Tony Edwards, NWS warning coordination meteorologist for the Charleston area, said severe weather events in early April contributed to this year’s high tally. But so have new types of technology that better detect tornado occurrence, like aerial drones.
“Drone imagery was really crucial to us being able to tell that they were, in fact, tornadoes and not straight-line wind damage,” he said. “I think if that event had happened 10 years ago, we wouldn’t have called so many of them tornadoes because we would have been limited to ground surveys.”
Edwards pointed to neighboring Ohio, which has also experienced a record-breaking number of tornadoes this year. The state’s count rose to 71 this week.
“Improvements in technology are just allowing us to see and diagnose more tornadoes than in the past,” he said. “But it has been busy.”
As of early August, 19 tornadoes had been recorded in West Virginia this year, with a notable concentration in the southern region of the state.
Map Credit: National Weather Service
Kevin Stitzinger, deputy director for emergency management in Pocahontas County, said his department was notified of severe wind alerts from the National Weather Service around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
By 6:30 p.m., a tornado was spotted rolling through a rural area in the southern part of the state. Stitzinger said the storm “passed relatively quickly,” traveling toward the town of Marlinton and the Randolph County border before subsiding.
“Luckily, it avoided any homes,” he said. “We have no reports of any injuries or structural damages at this point. We are just feeling really thankful that we got through it without any problems, any injuries.”
Because it did not cause any major damages, Stitzinger said the tornado generated more intrigue than concern locally.
“People are more or less just kind of excited about it,” he said. “It was an interesting thing to see and to have happen in our area. We don’t often get tornadoes here simply because of the roughness of the terrain.”
Still, Stitzinger said Pocahontas County Emergency Management treated the event as a standard hazard, sending out alerts that asked residents to seek shelter.
While tornadoes are still relatively uncommon in West Virginia, Edwards said the region is prone to strong winds, which can knock down trees and cause structural damage.
Regardless of a weather event’s classification, Edwards said residents should take precautions.
In moments of severe wind, “you want to be in an interior room away from windows and doors,” he said. “Hunker down in that interior room when the storms are going on.”
Now, local responders are working with the NWS to complete a survey on the area, and the Pocahontas County emergency management office is finishing up its report on the incident.
Stitzinger is grateful the event passed without any major issue.
“Things went really well,” he said. “Everybody’s doing okay.”
The National Park Service said the Steep Valley fire was first reported on Monday, Nov. 6 and is now 78 percent contained. The fire continues to burn minimally in steep and rugged parts of inaccessible terrain.
The Steep Valley fire has burned more than 2200 acres of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
The National Park Service said the Steep Valley fire was first reported on Monday, Nov. 6 and is now 78 percent contained. The fire continues to burn minimally in steep and rugged parts of inaccessible terrain.
Hunters and visitors are advised to avoid the War Ridge and Backus Mountain areas near Meadow Bridge in Fayette County.
A helicopter was brought in on Wednesday to perform aerial water drops using water from the New River. On Thursday, crews continued to monitor existing fire lines with strategic controlled burns to burn out pockets of fuel to help strengthen existing lines.
“We appreciate all the dedicated crews and the countless hours they have put in while working the fire. We will continue to monitor the fire and focus on firefighter safety,” said Nate Orsburn, incident commander trainee for the Steep Valley Fire. “We would like to thank the community for their hospitality, support, and patience since the beginning of this challenging fire, it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
State Forester and Director of the WV Division of Forestry (WV DOF), Jeremy Jones said the public is asked to refrain from calling local county emergency services centers to make smoke complaints.
“This is an effort to reduce false alarm calls that can pull resources away from local volunteer fire departments,” Jones said. “However, if you see a fire or column of smoke rising from a specific place, please call 911 immediately.”
To date, only one minor injury to a firefighter has been reported. The cause of the Steep Valley fire remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, as of 10 a.m. Thursday morning, 33 firefighters remained on the site of a 100-acre fire just off Forest Road 947 in the Monongahela National Forest in Pocahontas County. They included crews from the Boise National Forest, Tonto National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Nevada Bureau of Land Management, and the Job Corps.
So far this year, West Virginia has experienced 916 fires, burning approximately 11,340 acres. One hundred and fourteen of those fires have happened since Oct. 1.
Monongahela National Forest Public Affairs Officer Kelly Bridges said the drier weather is fanning the flames.
“West Virginia’s having a very dry fall and in the afternoons when it heats up we’re getting down to really low humidities and that’s what can make these fires grow,” she said.
The National Weather Service said it has predicted rain for Friday.
Fall fire season started Oct. 1 and continues through Dec. 31. The WV DOF reminds residents to make sure all campfires are completely out when leaving an area. For burning guidelines visit West Virginia state fire laws.
For more information and updates on current fire conditions in West Virginia, visit InciWeb or the U.S. Forest Service – Monongahela Forest Facebook page.
Staff at the Monongahela National Forest are preparing to conduct prescribed burns in the area through June.
Staff at the Monongahela National Forest are preparing to conduct prescribed burns in the area through June.
Prescribed burns are planned fires meant to maintain a forest’s health and prevent overgrowth. They help improve habitats by removing invasive species, recycling nutrients into the soil and providing forage for wild game. It also helps to prevent more dangerous wildfires.
“What we’re doing is we’re trying to reestablish fire’s natural role in forest ecosystems,” Monongahela National Forest Fire and Fuel Planner Conor Shanahan said.
The areas scheduled for prescribed burns include units in Pendleton, Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties, totaling 1,251 acres.
The areas include:
Big Mountain Unit 9 and 10 in Pendleton County
Chestnut Ridge North/South Savanna Units 1 and 2 in Pocahontas County
Hopkins Units A, B and C in Greenbrier County
Brushy Mountain Units B2, B4 and B6 in Greenbrier County
These areas will be closed off during the day of the burn, and may be closed during the few days after for public safety.
“Our burns might be seen by the public but usually we post signs on roads the day of or the day before burning,” Shanahan said. “People may see or smell smoke, but besides that, they wouldn’t really have much encounters with any of our burning corps or fire.”
No specific dates have been announced as burns are scheduled for days with specific weather conditions and could be delayed because of temperature, humidity, smoke dispersion and wind.
Information and maps about the burnings will be available online when they begin.
