ryan,
I agree with you about the timing of the meeting and that a coal mine doesn't necessarily mean disaster. I realize the necessity of coal for us as a society at the moment but acknowledge the detrimental effects that every coal mine has on the environment with or without a “catastrophic” incident. I also believe that accepting the small chance of a new spill in the Yough is a bad gamble. The river is still coming back from the 93 spill, and has a hard time dealing with amd still—especially during low-water periods. Also, should certain places be sacred? Would you for instance like to see a new mine overlooking Spruce Creek or the Letort? Water does flow downhill after all. As a guy who has spent almost every one of his fishing (non-working) days on some part of the Yough for the past five years, I like to think I know how good the river actually is and how good it could be.
As for voting with their pocketbooks, I am hoping that is exactly what they do. I am in the process of writing a paper to present at the meeting that will highlight the economic disadvantages of the proposed coal mine in river towns like Ohiopyle, Connelsville, Dawson, West Newton, and Sutersville. Others are focusing on the economic benefits of the bike trail and the draw of Ohiopyle State Park. I've been looking at various trout towns across the country and our own state and tallying total income generated by angling and angling related spending. The numbers are pretty impressive. The goal, obviously, is to consider the long term rather than the short. Two years of mining will only allow a set number of paychecks. It will also almost certainly impact local economies that rely on the bike trail and the river for their livelihood. A recent poll conducted by the Presidents Commission on American Outdoors asked national and state park visitors what the two most important criterion were when enjoying the outdoors. Natural beauty and quality of view were the two most common answers. People don't want to see gaping sores in places that are supposed to be protected by the state. But I don't want to sound like some pea-brained fanatic. I don't like what we've done to the land as a culture, but I also realize the necessity of energy to the society we've built.
I'm not saying the Yough has the same draw as the Bighorn, or even the Delaware for that matter, but it is good and with more and more people interested in its health and with the state finally beginning to make the shift to policies that create destination fisheries, it will continue to get better. When you compound that with the proximity to three really great fisheries right across the border in Maryland, you get a trout destination not unlike those in other regions around the country.
That should be worth protecting.
