HOME | About VCC | New | Fish Stories | Va. Fishing Info | Guestbook
This page is maintained by Bill Britton; send email or use the Guestbook. Last updated: 1/17/99.
ACTION ALERT: WOOD CHIP MILLS
There has been a recent proliferation of wood chip mills in Virginia. These chip mills can have a devastating impact on our watersheds and coldwater fisheries. Six high capacity chip mills are currently operating in Virginia and more are anticipated.
About 1.2 million acres of trees are being cut each year to feed the existing chip mills in the Southeast. In four years, an area larger than all nine of the National Forests in the Southern Appalachian region has been cut. The coniferous forests of the Southeast are being being destroyed and replaced with tree plantations.
A recent Virginia Department of Forestry study has determined that on suitable rural forestland, timber removal now exceeds growth. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Forest Service are very concerned about the cumulative impacts of these chip mill facilities.
The Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited (VCTU) has joined a coalition of groups asking that the Virginia General Assembly pass legislation to require an unbiased study of the cumulative impacts of high-capacity wood chip mills on our environment.
ACTION REQUIRED:
Please write a letter, make a phone call, or send an e-mail message to your state delegate and state senator, urging them to support and pass legislation to study the cumulative effects of wood chip mills on our wildlife resources. There is a toll-free phone number (1-800-889-0229) where citizens can call to leave a message for their delegate and senator. If you do not know the name of your delegate and/or senator, they will identify your delegate and senator for you. You can call this number and leave a message for your delegate and senator, urging passage of study legislation.
If you would like to write a letter, send letters to:
The Honorable (Senators Name)
P.O. Box 396
Richmond, VA 23218
The Honorable (Delegates Name)
P.O. Box 406
Richmond, VA 23218
Also, please write a letter to Governor Gilmore:
The Honorable James Gilmore
Commonwealth of Virginia
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23212
When calling or writing say that you are a concerned angler and environmentalist. Please write those letters, make those phone call, and send those e-mails immediately. Please encourage friends and family to do the same.
Remember, trout can't write letters or lobby, but you can!
1998 Action Alerts:
HOME | About VCC | New | Fish Stories | Va. Fishing Info | Guestbook
This page is maintained by Bill Britton; send email or use the Guestbook. Last updated: 1/17/99.