The Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance has formalized the organization by the adoption of bylaws and the creation of a Board of Directors. Earlier this year ABRA incorporated with the Commonwealth of Virginia, its stated mission being “to protect the heritage, resources and economy of the Allegheny-Blue Ridge region.”

The initial Board of Directors and elected officers are:

Allen Johnson (Chair), Eight-Rivers Council, Dunmore, WV
Kate Boyle (Vice Chair), Appalachian Voices, Charlottesville, VA
Larry Thomas (Treasurer), West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Circleville, WV
Lewis Freeman (Secretary), ABRA Executive Director, Monterey, VA
Greg Buppert, Southern Environmental Law Center, Charlottesville, VA
Joe Lovett, Appalachian Mountain Advocates, Lewisburg, WV
Nancy Sorrells, Augusta County Alliance, Stanton, VA
Rick Webb, Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition, Monterey, VA
Kate Wofford, Shenandoah Valley Network, Sperryville, VA

ABRA Creates Board of Directors, Adopts Bylaws

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.