A very engaged U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) heard on February 24 arguments for and against overturning the Fourth Circuit Court Appeals’ December 13, 2018 decision to vacate the U.S. Forest Service (NFS)permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). After the

Environment, Renewables Top List of Concerns in New Utility Survey

The seventh annual survey on the State of the Electric Utility was published this week by Utility Dive, an on-line utility industry publication. It concludes that renewables and sustainability are the top issues for utilities, but notes that there is

Hearing on Proposed NEPA Changes Receives Strong Opposition

A February 25 public hearing on changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) elicited strong opposition from many witnesses, as well as protests outside of the hearing room by environmental activists and at least one Member of Congress, Sen.

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.