July 17, 2001.

Folks, just a quick update on the Highlands Conservancy (WVHC) / Coalition on Responsible Logging’s (CORL) Flood relief effort. The first delivery of supplies to Coal River Mountain Watch (CRMW) in Whitesville, Boone County, was made by myself and a groups of our members on Sunday afternoon. A trailer load of cleaning supplies, shovels, bedding, and food was handed out to flood victims within minutes of its arrival at CRMW headquarters. All the recipients were extremely appreciative of the help, as were the CRMW staff, led by Judy Bonds.

Afterward, we were able to tour some of the nearby sites of flooding with the help of one of the local residents. The level of destruction, and amount of damage was overwhelming. Most folks lost everything they had, and few had any flood insurance. The force of the waters destroyed most bridges, undercut roadways, and washed houses off their foundations. It really reminded me of a war zone, with the National Guard everywhere, manning checkpoints at each intersection, and army bulldozers and trucks clearing and hauling away debris!

I came away with a feeling that although the devastation was massive, these determined folks will do whatever it takes to restore their communities.

Obviously, much remains to be done. I encourage folks to continue sending donations to: WVHC, P.O. Box 306, Charleston, WV 25301, so that we may take more supplies and materials to the flood victims. Anyone wishing to help with the cleanup personally, may call Judy Bonds, CMRW, 854-2182. If you have donations of supplies, call me at home at 372-7501 after 8 PM. We are planning more deliveries this week, and next. The support from our members so far has been tremendous. Thanks for all your help, let’s keep up the good work.

August 6, 2001. As our relief effort developed in the following weeks, thousands of dollars of donations have been given to WVHC, for CORL to distribute to the needy. We had a follow-up delivery by Dave Saville, with help from Frank Slider and Doug Miley, a paddler from Ohio, about a week from the first trip to Boone County. The supplies were immediately snatched up by folks who truly appreciated the help, and often were falling thru the cracks of the systems in place in the flood areas.

Most recently, we have elected to work through two local groups, Plateau Action Network (PAN) in Fayette County, and the Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS). Both groups received $1,000 from the WVHC the first week of August, to be used in the long-term recovery process, such as to help rebuild homes and repair salvageable buildings. We felt that people who already had a presence in the flood area could better utilize and distribute the funds, and I feel that both PAN and SALS are kindred groups to WVHC, as we share many of the same views and goals.