Background:

The County of Wise, VA, located in far southwest Virginia, is characterized by its mountainous terrain and legacy of coal-mining. Because nonprofit and civic organizations are few and lack resources in this region, counties are often the impetus in initiating community projects and in promoting economic development. Wise County, established in 1856, became a busy economic center with the rise of the coal industry in the 1880s. Wise County has taken on regional leadership by establishing an extensive GIS department, bringing in broadband service, and by establishing a technology park. In addition, the County is now sponsoring a series of Growth Readiness Workshops that address sustainable economic growth and emphasize water quality, stormwater issues and best management land-use practices. The OSM/VISTA will tackle problems of sustainable economic growth as well as acid mine drainage, sedimentation from abandoned mine sites, bacteria-laden streams from inadequate sewage systems and a lack of citizen involvement in these issues.

Goals and Accomplishments:
The OSM/VISTA position will address environmental and public health needs in the following ways:

• Inadequate septic systems are a public health hazard in southwest Virginia; the OSM/VISTA will coordinate with partners, individuals and communities to replace these systems.
• Acid mine drainage continues to pollute local streams; the OSM/VISTA will monitor several AMD sites and support the remediation of at least one AMD site.
• Many residents are not aware of causes and solutions to degraded water; the OSM/VISTA will assist in funding and implementing environmental education components on two walking trails. And since obesity and attendant conditions such as diabetes and heart disease plague a significant percentage of the population, the OSM/VISTA will also help publicize the health benefits of the walking trails.
• Abandoned mine lands are persistent eyesores that discourage tourism and other private investment, while loose soil from these sites results in turbid water and fishkills. However, these rural brownfields can be reclaimed and reused; the OSM/VISTA will assist in educating the public about the need to do so, as well as applying for and coordinating funding to reclaim them.
• The region lacks an overall strategy for sustainable growth. The OSM/VISTA member will promote low impact development strategies by participating in Growth Readiness Workshops and advancing new local ordinances.
• Watershed groups lack essential skills and resources to carry out improvement projects. The OSM/VISTA will bolster area coalitions by contributing strategies, ideas and outreach to extend the influence and effectiveness of these organizations. For example, the OSM/VISTA will support the activities of an EPA-funded environmental justice initiative, The Coal Country Watershed Coalition, sponsored by a local nonprofit group, Hands Across the Mountain.

Partners and Contributors:

• TVA
• Upper Tennessee River Roundtable