Replanting Appalachia — a redemption story

Over 95 million trees have been replanted on land ravaged by coal mining in the Appalachian region — a geographic area in the United States that extends from southern New York to northern Mississippi.

Newly-verdant mine lands have improved water quality, produced greater biodiversity in forests, boosted land stability, captured carbon and improved wildlife habitats. Government reforestation efforts have also helped galvanize public-private initiatives such as the Green Forest Works (GFW), which provides green jobs for locals in areas economically devastated by the closure of coal mines

But it wasn't always this way. “This is a story of redemption that led to a major cultural and conservational renaissance,” said Patrick Angel, senior forester and soil scientist at the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). Without consulting scientists and academics to help devise a new approach backed by research, the government may never have been successful.

Coal Country

Appalachia isn’t known for the diverse ecosystem of plants and species that live in its forests, but rather the natural marvel that exists underneath: coal.

Deemed “coal country”, due to the extensive strip mining throughout the region, two billion tons of coal have come from the Appalachians since the 50’s, and at its peak in 2010, it employed over 150,000 people. The once-booming sector has led to the destruction of over 1.4 million acres of forest and 500 mountains.

In 1977 former President Jimmy Carter passed the Surface Mining Control and Restoration Act, to accomplish two things: regulate active coal mines and reclaim abandoned mine lands for reforestation. After the law was enacted, the OSMRE department was created within the US Department of the Interior.

Mining the Appalachians for coal created mass land instability, leading to landslides, erosion of sedimentation and rockfall, which damaged homes and in some cases led to death, said Angel, one of the first OSMRE officials assigned to the department.

Government officials in the department began to undertake costly replanting efforts on deserted mine lands to generate more land stability, but when they planted trees, they died – in vast amounts. It became apparent that the land was too damaged to regenerate the forest on its own without trees.

Perplexed officials, including Angel, headed to scientists and university professors in the region to solve the problem.

Angel admitted that it took a lot of discussions with scientists to be fully convinced that new methods needed to be in place, “My advice [to public servants] is to listen to the scientists.”

In 2005, once OSMRE officials relented on a new plan, they worked together with scientists and academics to devise The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA). Using scientific research to create a long-term reforestation strategy with the help of academics marked a turning point in their efforts, and led to the rebranding of their duties as the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI).

Working with academics also generated a green jobs and environmental sustainability movement, Green Forest Work (GFW), an organisation that employs thousands of local citizens whose job prospects have thinned due to coal mine closures.

Devising ARRI for success

Dr Christopher Barton, a professor at the University of Kentucky, said that FRA was responsible for putting ARRI on the right track for success.

Through a land investigation, the academics discovered that the soil was the biggest hindrance of OSMRE efforts. In order to remedy the situation, FRA directed reforestation efforts at increasing the survival and growth rate of hardwood trees on mine land and ensuring that plant species were contributing to a healthier, thriving forest ecosystem and soil composition.

Nature-based Solutions (NBS), policies that use nature as a way to offset the effects of climate change, including reforestation, are complicated to design and require a significant amount of technical expertise.

Understanding the biodiversity, species and ecosystems that are in the environment being targeted for NBS is crucial to ensure that the intended outcome of these policies is achieved and should be the first step in the design process.

OSMRE officials spent years on unsuccessful reforestation attempts because they did not fully understand how the environment was altered by coal mining.

Under the FRA method, public servants and scientists leverage their unique skill sets and expertise to tackle AARI. There are two designated teams, the first is the Core Team made up of mining officials and OSMRE. The second is the Science Team, comprised of landowners, representatives from the coal industry, university researchers, environmental groups and state agencies.

The Science Team is tasked with creating evidence-based strategies for reforestation longevity, while the Core Team devises a strategy with all actors. The two coordinate their efforts to ensure that all recommendations are based on scientific evidence and adhered to throughout the entire process.

Green jobs and the environment

Angel pitched a green jobs initiative within OSMRE and ARRI after 2012, but struggled to get federal funding for a green jobs fund for the Appalachian region. Barton then created GFW around the same time to focus on environmental impacts and green jobs.

Despite the benefits such as green jobs, there is a significant funding shortfall for NBS. For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responsible for overseeing the conservation of nature only receives a mere 2% of overall government spending.

Creating public-private partnerships with community groups and philanthropic groups that know the area is not only one way to ensure the longevity of these policies, but can also help fill the funding gap.

According to the EPA, public-private partnerships for restoration expedite the delivery of services, reduce costs and improve quality controls.

GFW works alongside ARRI to address environmental issues by improving watershed protection, restoring natural landscapes for native species, and captures carbon, which improves air quality.

While promoting economic development in the region, GFW also models its techniques after the FRA approach for environmental improvements in the area, including tree planting and forest conservation.

GFW, partners with several philanthropic groups and US departments including OSMRE, US Department of Agriculture, USDA, and the National Park Service.

Angel added that AARI and Green Forests Works is a cultural phenomenon that has created a movement where people from everywhere from industry and environmental groups to regulators and citizens are getting involved.

“It is something that everyone can get on board with on both sides of the spectrum,” said Angel. “It’s like apple pie — it's as an American as you and as worldly as you can get.” - Amelia Axelsen

(Picture Credit: Unsplash)