Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance

Twenty-four conservation groups, including ABRA, have voiced strong support to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the agency to finalize designating the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species. The groups’ May 23 letter to FWS, sent on

An Adieu from Lew Freeman

I announced two months ago that I would be stepping down as Executive Director of the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance in June. Today is my last day. I’ve had the privilege of helping co-found ABRA in 2014 and serving as its

A message from Allen Johnson, Chair, ABRA Board of Directors

As Chair of the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance, speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, we commend and thank Lew Freeman for his extraordinary and competent leadership. Lew developed, coordinated, and empowered diverse peoples and organizations into the collective ABRA

Opportunity to comment on commercial gold mining in Virginia

As previously reported, the Canadian exploration company, Aston Bay, has been performing exploratory drilling for gold across central Virginia, and advertizing their finds internationally. As one of the most environmentally destructive activities undertaken by humans, modern industrial-scale gold mining saddles

ABRA CONSERVATION HUB

ABRA’s Conservation Hub program promotes responsible resource management by providing access to critical information needed for effective public involvement in environmental review and oversight.

Following the defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020, ABRA initiated the Conservation Hub to support informed public engagement with the broader range of environmental issues confronting the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Mountain region. The Conservation Hub builds on the analysis and information sharing capacity achieved through ABRA’s Pipeline CSI project during the years of ACP opposition.

The Conservation Hub is based on the use of GIS mapping to provide details and context for land development projects and management practices that involve risk of environmental harm, as well as for environmental preservation and restoration initiatives. The Conservation Hub also provides access to regulatory documents and assessments related to specific projects or issues.

Multiple Conservation Hub sites, focused on individual projects or issues, have been developed collaboratively with ABRA’s partners and allies. Going forward, we invite conservation groups, individuals, and communities to provide ideas for new Hub sites and GIS mapping that can contribute to informed public engagement on behalf of environmental integrity in the Allegheny-Blue Ridge region.