ARRI's Reforestation Brings Jobs & Cleaner Water
Central Appalachians May Get an Economic and Environmental Boost
Sep 23, 2009
In a monumental effort, Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative, or ARRI, proposes a plan to reforest former coal mining sites, provide thousands of new jobs to the local communities and improve trails in deforested areas of the Appalachians. ARRI wants to plant 125 million trees in these environmentally and economically challenged areas of the Central Appalachian Mountains.
ARRI Plans to Convert Former Coal Mining Sites into Forests
The plan proposes to reforest hundreds of thousands of acres that have been deforested and drastically altered in the strip mining process. While some of these former mining sites are considered wastelands, many have been converted into grassland. This is a standard practice employed by numerous mining companies. According to Bill Estep, in the September 12, 2009 McClatchy Newspapers article, "A Massive Idea to Reforest Appalachian Mine Sites," while grassland does help prevent excessive run off, it is nothing like the ecology of the land prior to strip mining.
The transition of dense forest ecology into widespread grassland does little to benefit those species that are hardest hit from habitat loss. Specialist species need large, continuous expanses of forest instead of small patches that are widely separated from each other. Reforesting these areas will help provide habitat as well as improving environmental health.
Reforestation Improves the Property Values, Job Rates and Environmental Health
Reforestation improves soil stability and water purity through better groundwater filtration. Air quality will also be improved as the trees will absorb carbon dioxide. Reforested properties will provide a profitable source of revenue for landowners. As the forests mature, logging and logging jobs will increase land value and job rates.
Hardwood trees will be planted in order to both increase profitability for landowners and restore, as closely as possible, the forest ecology. In her August 6, 2009 report entitled "Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative Conference" for WKYT News, Angela Sparkman explains how one of the hardwood species being reintroduced to the area is the American chestnut tree. These trees died off one hundred years ago and members of ARRI hope reestablish the American chestnut forests, once again.
According to Estep, one of the key factors for success in this proposal involves heavily tilling the land, up to four feet deep, prior to planting. Soil scientists have found that trees grow larger and faster in loose soil. It also filters water more effectively and lets the tree roots grow deeper where they can reach soil moisture during dry weather.
Reforestation and Jobs Depend on Funding
Despite the importance of reforestation and the detailed planning that has gone into this proposal, there is one thing holding the ARRI back and that is funding. Although the leaders of the proposal are initially asking for $15 million, the overall projected cost is $422 million over five years. However, they are extremely determined. In case the proposal does not get full support from the federal government, ARRI have been looking into other sources of funding.
Once funds are obtained, ARRI will begin the hiring process for two thousand jobs. These jobs will be extremely welcome in areas of the Appalachians where unemployment rates are high and job rates are low. Although reforestation is the main goal of this proposal, job positions may not be limited to reforestation efforts. ARRI plans to locate sites for solar or wind energy production and maintain the trails on the 175,000 acres of the proposed reforestation.
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