Joe and Isak from Appalachian Mountain advocates met today with a group of landowners on the new alternate route across the James river. The one which takes the pipeline much closer to Yogaville, and allows the pipeline to run along the watershed that feeds the headwaters of the Sycamore Creek for about two miles.
While the original route crossed the creek headwaters above where the main wetlands of the headwaters start, and quickly made it’s way south and east away from the creek, the new route will cause a much greater impact to the drainage from rainfall.
The new route also passes very close to wells and springs of several residences, and will assuredly affect the landowners day to day water supplies, and cause their properties to become much more difficult to sell and bring much lower prices.
The Sycamore creek is a great place to live, I moved here because of the creek and have a strong desire to protect it as a pristine water supply. I have watched the creek flows moderate as the forest cover has been restored from the last clear cut back around 2000. Starting with unbelievable flooding, and equally unbelievable drying, till today with a 15 year old forest in progress and flows that don’t flood as strong or dry as quickly.
While these effects are fairly obvious to experienced foresters, and land managers, it is often difficult to prove them in court.
So the pipeline may not seem to be a big departure from Buckingham’s routine forest “management” where large tracts are routinely clear cut, but the reality is those tracts begin to reforest almost immediately, unlike the clear cut of a pipeline which lasts forever.
I’ve heard Dominion has good lawyers, so maybe they will never have to pay the damages that will follow this altered route, but we will be writing to Ferc and opposing Dominion at every turn to try and prevent this damage to our beloved creek. So if you live on or near the creek, or have equally fond memories of it, you might want to write to FERC( https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eregistration.asp )also to oppose this merciless permanent alteration of our landscape to benefit profiteers who want to compromise our environment to line their pockets .
Bob, that all sounds good. we are signing on with the group and so are others here in creasy hill subdivision. we really have nothing to lose and I sure want them on my side to try to stop this and also if it comes.