Mountaintop removal coal mining is the most destructive form of coal mining on earth. Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander is trying to protect Appalachia from this reckless mining by co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation -- the Appalachia Restoration Act -- that would effectively ban mountaintop removal coal mining. In retribution, coal companies based in neighboring Kentucky and West Virginia are encouraging their workers not to vacation in Tennessee and to otherwise boycott the state.

Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau and the Appalachian Mountains are home to wildlife and other natural resources found nowhere else in the world. Historically, these mountains have also been home to small-scale coal mining operations, but reserves in the area are so small and profit margins so thin that most mining operations ceased years ago. With rising coal prices fueling renewed interest in coal mining throughout the Appalachian region, mining companies are clamoring to export mountaintop removal into Tennessee's borders.

Senator Alexander cherishes the natural beauty of his home state and also recognizes that tourism pumps $14 billion into Tennessee's economy every year. The Smokies are among America's most visited national parks, and millions of people also flock to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge and other popular destinations in the mountainous eastern region of the state. Senator Alexander is trying to protect special places like the Great Smoky Mountains from out-of-state coal companies that want to blast Tennessee's mountaintops to bits, level its lush forests and pollute its valley streams with toxic waste.

One way to stand up to the coal industry's bullying is to show local businesses in Tennessee that you support preserving America's mountains, not destroying them. So, don't let the boycott disrupt your plans to visit Tennessee. Explore the Smokies, hike the backcountry, fish in clear mountain streams and soak up the scenic vistas of the Volunteer State.

What to do:
Send a message to Chambers of Commerce in affected areas of Tennessee, expressing support for protecting the state's beloved mountains for all Americans to enjoy.

Source: National Resource Defense Council