Next Tuesday, September 5 is the deadline for comments to be submitted to the U.S. Forest Service (NFS) in response to the agency’s proposal to amend the Forest Plans for the George Washington and Monongahela National Forests to permit construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The NFS had published on July 21 its Draft Decision Document which concluded: “we have decided to authorize Atlantic to use and occupy NFS land to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a natural gas pipeline on NFS lands administered by the MNF and GWNF.” The proposal, which ABRA opposes because it is based on insufficient evidence to support the decision, was discussed in more detail in ABRA Update 140.

Details on how to file objections to the NFS proposal are set forth here.

Comments Due September 5 on Whether to Accommodate the ACP

ABRA CONSERVATION HUB

ABRA’s Conservation Hub program promotes responsible resource management by providing access to critical information needed for effective public involvement in environmental review and oversight.

Following the defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020, ABRA initiated the Conservation Hub to support informed public engagement with the broader range of environmental issues confronting the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Mountain region. The Conservation Hub builds on the analysis and information sharing capacity achieved through ABRA’s Pipeline CSI project during the years of ACP opposition.

The Conservation Hub is based on the use of GIS mapping to provide details and context for land development projects and management practices that involve risk of environmental harm, as well as for environmental preservation and restoration initiatives. The Conservation Hub also provides access to regulatory documents and assessments related to specific projects or issues.

Multiple Conservation Hub sites, focused on individual projects or issues, have been developed collaboratively with ABRA’s partners and allies. Going forward, we invite conservation groups, individuals, and communities to provide ideas for new Hub sites and GIS mapping that can contribute to informed public engagement on behalf of environmental integrity in the Allegheny-Blue Ridge region.