The national publication, "In these Times" cited the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy as a "Green Hero" in its April 30 issue. This citation had to do with the Conservancy’s dedication to trying to preserve southern West Virginia’s mountains that are being destroyed to get the coal out from inside them. From the text of the citation, "A century’s worth of mine-shafts fill in the hollows of Appalachia, but nothing compares to the eyesores of bald and broken mounds that now scar West Virginia. ‘Mountaintop removal,’ or the blowing up of entire peaks to harvest deep pockets of coal, now makes up one-third of the state’s mining industry. But one local group [referring to the WVHC] is making some good headway in putting this practice to rest..."

Nine other groups or individuals were mentioned as "green heroes." Three others were from the US besides the WVHC, one of whom was Alison Cochran of Heartwood; two from Latin America; and one each from Russia, India and Kenya, respectively.