The Cherry River uprising: A David vs. Goliath showdown to defend the Monongahela
By Andrew Young, chair of the WVHC Extractive Industries Committee and staff attorney for the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance
Since 2023, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, together with the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance and Appalachian Voices, has been shining a bright light on South Fork Coal Company’s brazen use of oversized coal haul trucks through the Monongahela National Forest—home to some of West Virginia’s most cherished headwater streams. Despite repeated alarms, this illegal haul road above the South Fork of the Cherry River continues to threaten our public lands, imperiled and rare wildlife like the candy darter, and nearby communities who rely on the forest’s clean waters.
Now, a new development demands our attention: the United States Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has opened a formal public comment period on South Fork Coal’s belated request for a Valid Existing Rights (VER) determination. Below, we revisit how we got here, explain why the coal company’s claims don’t hold water, and rally readers to take decisive action—because your voices can shut down this rogue operation once and for all.