Calendar
February 18
(Thursday) - Public hearing on issuance of permits to Waco Oil & Gas Co. at 6 p.m. at second floor courtroom/Pocahontas County Courthouse in Marlinton. Contact: DEP Office of Mining and Reclamation, 105 S. Railroad St, Philippi, WV 26416. Written comments accepted.February 19 thru 21 - Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) Spring Conference. Where? College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio. Registration 5-11 PM on Friday, Feb. 19. Members $5, non-members $30. Bring food to share for that evening. Workshops and speakers. Activist skills and network building will be stressed. For more information, check www.SEAC.org or contact Jim Hardy at hardyje@acs.wooster.edu or (330) 287-4418. Directions to the College of Wooster can be found at www.wooster.edu/SEAC/directions.html.
February 20 (Saturday) - BlackwaterFest & Winter Bene-Bash. Where: White Grass Ski Touring Center and Natural Foods Cafe in Canaan Valley. FUN, FOOD & FROLIC while you help save the Blackwater Canyon from logging and development. Proceeds help us pay for mailings, legal fees, ads, and more. Ski by day, party by night -- yup, just what you might expect from "Almost Heaven?" Ski By Day - at White Grass (X-C), or Timberline and Canaan Valley (downhill - on your own). Party By Night - Dinner’s at 6:00; reservations please (white tie NOT required). Special Mexican buffet at the White Grass Natural Foods Cafe, including vegetarian and non-vegetarian specialities. Then it’s music, Blackwater Canyon videos, a raffle, special guests, fashion show, cash bar and more.
Come back Sunday for more - we ski (or hike if nature doesn’t provide white stuff) the Blackwater Canyon, downhill all the way (guaranteed!). Tickets include dinner and all evening activities. Make check out to WV Sierra Club and mail it to Blackwater Bene-Bash, P. O. Box 112, Thomas, WV 26292. Or order by email on WISe or at benebash@wvsierra.org Tickets are Regular $20, Student $15. Include your name, address, phone number.
Proceeds benefit the West Virginia Sierra Club Blackwater Canyon Campaign.
Monongahela Watershed
February 22 - Monongahela watershed scoping meeting. WVU Agr. Science Building, Rm 2001, Morgantown.
To find out more, contact Jessica Welsh at 304-558-3614 or jwelsh@mail.dep.state.wv.us or Chris Daugherty at 304-558-2108 or cdaugherty@mail.dep.state.wv.us.
February 26 - E-Day, annual West Virginia environmental event at the Capitol rotunda. Hours: 10 a.m. til 3 p.m.
Theme: Mountaintop Removal Isn’t Here to Stay and...Corridor H--The Better Way. Key Note Speaker: Denise Giardina, West Virginia Novelist. Lots of exhibitors representing organizations, groups, and "green job"/sustainable businesses from throughout the state!! Also to memorialize the 27th Anniversary of the Buffalo Creek disaster.
February 26 - E-Day Benefit at the Empty Glass. 410 Elizabeth St. 6 PM until 1AM-ish. Live music, fun, green people (and not from Mars!). Music provided by John Blisard, Kate Long, The Crawfords, Leon Waters Blues Band, The Squirrels, The Porch Band, Tribal Axis and others. $10 donation suggested.
Contact: Denise Poole 346-5891.
March 27 - One-day conference on "Acid Rain, Ozone, and the Great Eastern Forest" at Duke University School of Environment. For further details, contact Appalachian Voices , Anthropology Dept., ASU, Boone, NC 28608; or Harvard Ayres at (704) 262-6381 or email harvard@boone net
April 12 thru 14 - Backpack Dolly Sods. Sierra Club Outing. Three days, two nights. For more info call John Harris at 229-9227.
April 16 thru 18 - Cranberry Wilderness and Backcountry led by the Sierra Student Coalition. For info call christy Moses at 284-0155.
April 24 - Rally against MTR at the Capitol.
May 1 - Canoe the Smokehole Canyon. Sierra Club Outing for experienced paddlers. Call Joe Carney for more info at 344-2797.
May 8 - Blackwater history tour. Sierra Club Outing. Call Jim Sconyers for more info at 789-6277.
May 14 thru 16 - The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Spring Review. Blackwater Falls State Park. Note that this event has been rescheduled so as not to conflict with the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage at the Park. Some rooms have been blocked off for prospective attendees. You may make reservations now for rooms if you wish – mention the WVHC when you do this.
Details will be forthcoming in subsequent Voice issues (March, April, May).
May 15 and/or 16 - Wildflower weekend sponsored by Sierra Club. Come for either or both days. Easy walks. Call Jim Sconyers at 789-6277.
May 22 - Allegheny Trail hike near Watoga State Park. Sierra Club Outing. Possibility of overnight camping. For more info call/email Tom Prall at 924-6553 or wvabooks@aol.com
May 29 thru 31 - Three wild lands in this one Sierra Club outing – Laurel Fork Wilderness, east fork of the Greenbrier Wildland from base camp at Middle Mountain Cabin. Call Jim Sconyers on this one (789-6277).