posted May 16, 2008
How many people in this area are aware of the destruction of our natural resources by rock harvesting on the Cumberland Plateau?
One Florida company, the Lahiere/Hill Partnership out of Destin, has hired a Hamilton county lobbyist, Bart Quinn, to ensure that they will be allowed to continue the absolute destruction of one of East Tennessee's biggest assets, the Cumberland Plateau.
This company owns mineral rights to thousands of acres on the plateau, including the newly expanded Cumberland trail, where they have removed, are currently removing and plan to continue the removal of thousands of tons of mountain stone for high end landscaping. These mineral rights were sold by coal minning operations to timber and other companies. They are using heavy equipment to daily destroy forever what is left of this beautiful part of our state.
As it currently stands, they have the authority to mine on any public or private land, regardless of the owners wishes. This should concern everyone who feels that we truly live in one of the most beautiful places in the country. It should also alarm those who feel that an individual should have some say over how their land is used. It should also concern outdoors men/women who appreciate the hunting/fishing/hiking and other activities that make our area unique.
Companies like Bowater and others have recently worked with the state to preserve large areas of the Cumberland Plateau. These agreements took years of effort from many sides. Now those efforts are apparently wasted as the exact areas conservationists,the state and timber industries worked to protect are being destroyed at an unfathomable rate, strictly for profit by Lahiere/Hill with the help of Bart Quinn. Even forest clear cutting operations and mountain top removal coal mining operations have to replant trees and restore the area to a minimal degree. Not so for mountain stone removal.
Please don't let partisan gut reactions take over. This is not the same argument as drilling for a needed commodity like oil. This is the rampant destruction of our state by an out of state firm with no regard for the aftermath. Please contact your representative and get involved.
Bryan Vance
Johnson City
bvdisc@gmail.com
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When you make a statement like "As it currently stands, they have the authority to mine on any public or private land, regardless of the owner’s wishes," it significantly weakens the validity of the statements made in the remainder of your opinion piece.
If what you say is true, then they have the authority to mine on my property and at any downtown location they so choose. I find that very difficult to believe. If it were true, I would be at the front of the line leading the charge to stop them. But perhaps that was the purpose of the statement in the first place. Not to expose the facts, but to inflame the passions.
Passions are inflamed much more effectively with fact than fiction. Next time you might want to review your statements with an objective eye before trying to pass them off as fact.
B. Roberts
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