WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 30
  1. #1

    Default Appalachian pipeline plan cutting a trail of worry - Bend Bulletin


    Appalachian pipeline plan cutting a trail of worry
    Bend Bulletin
    “Everybody, not only in the East, but around every national scenic trail, should be concerned about this,” said Andrew Downs, regional director with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the 90-year-old nonprofit organization entrusted by the National ...

    and more »


    More...

  2. #2

    Default

    I read down till I hit the crap about "climate goals." It was running over the top of my boots, so I bailed.

  3. #3
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-20-2013
    Location
    Roaring Gap, NC
    Age
    78
    Posts
    8,529

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tundracamper View Post
    I read down till I hit the crap about "climate goals." It was running over the top of my boots, so I bailed.
    Amen!
    Wayne


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
    https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
    FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace



  4. #4

    Default

    There is a long thread on this pipeline that was started in December 2016.

    https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthr...light=Pipeline

  5. #5
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-20-2013
    Location
    Roaring Gap, NC
    Age
    78
    Posts
    8,529

    Default

    Ok. So this is old news. Not another new pipeline. Thanks.
    Wayne


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
    https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
    FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace



  6. #6
    Registered User Reverse's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-31-2017
    Location
    Papakura NZ
    Age
    62
    Posts
    60
    Images
    1

    Default

    Just a question beyond just worrying about it or being deeply as the ATC is, what can we do?

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Reverse View Post
    Just a question beyond just worrying about it or being deeply as the ATC is, what can we do?
    What can we do? Short term, nothing really. Natural Gas is quickly becoming the fuel of choice in the USA, despite it's nasty habit of occasionally blowing up buildings. That means more pipelines to get the gas to where it's needed. And the DC to NYC corridor needs it bad.

    In the case of this particular pipeline, the concern is that it will have a negative impact on the view shed for 100's of miles. This is no doubt likely during construction, but will quickly green over. It won't be much more noticeable then the dozens and dozens of other power line and pipeline cuts which cross the ridges through VA and PA in particular. In fact, if you mentally blank out the power lines, these cuts offer the only views for miles and miles. At least a pipeline doesn't have 200 foot towers lined up into the distance. In Maine there are several wind farms along ridges which can be seen from the AT for many, many miles.

    In my mind this fight is pointless and the time, effort and money is best spent somewhere else. But the pipeline issue is a good cause to generate contributions.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  8. #8
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-20-2013
    Location
    Roaring Gap, NC
    Age
    78
    Posts
    8,529

    Default

    Windmills are far more visually polluting than a pipeline. Look at a few PCT videos for proof.
    Wayne
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
    https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
    FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace



  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-08-2012
    Location
    Taghkanic, New York, United States
    Posts
    3,198
    Journal Entries
    11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    Windmills are far more visually polluting than a pipeline. Look at a few PCT videos for proof.
    Wayne
    I'm not sure I agree with that. Wind turbines, while more visual, appear to me as man (and women ) in harmony with nature and they are somewhat pretty. Gas pipelines with the telltale clear cutted path just speak to man's wanton destruction of nature for greed and appears for more ugly and polluting.

  10. #10
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-20-2013
    Location
    Roaring Gap, NC
    Age
    78
    Posts
    8,529

    Default

    I give up.
    Wayne


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
    https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
    FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace



  11. #11
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-20-2002
    Location
    Damascus, Virginia
    Age
    65
    Posts
    31,349

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Starchild View Post
    Wind turbines, while more visual, appear to me as man (and women ) in harmony with nature and they are somewhat pretty. Gas pipelines with the telltale clear cutted path just speak to man's wanton destruction of nature for greed and appears for more ugly and polluting.
    oh brother

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Starchild View Post
    I'm not sure I agree with that. Wind turbines, while more visual, appear to me as man (and women ) in harmony with nature and they are somewhat pretty. Gas pipelines with the telltale clear cutted path just speak to man's wanton destruction of nature for greed and appears for more ugly and polluting.
    Wind turbines sit on the ridge lines, which get dug up and large concrete pads poured to support them. Access roads are cut through the woods, up the sides of the mountains and along the ridges to service them. They are very intrusive and highly visible from long distances, even at night since they have lights on them so airplanes don't hit them.

    A year or two after a pipeline is buried you'd be hard pressed to tell it's there. There is an oil pipeline which runs through the valley I live in and my house is about 200 yards away from it. Can't hardly tell it's there. It's been there for 60 years so I sure hope it don't spring a leak! OTOH, the HV power lines which also run through the valley across the highway are much more noticeable, even though these are on fairly short towers.

    The telltale cleared path of pipelines also act as wildlife corridors and habitat which grows food bearing bushes, grasses and saplings. The only problem is when an oil pipeline leaks it can cause a lot of damage which is hard to impossible to clean up. Tar sands oil is the worst and those pipelines I'm opposed to. Not so much the pipeline, but what it carries.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  13. #13

    Default

    I am not too familiar with this project and at the risk of alienating myself against 90% of the people on this site, the AT crosses probably 50 or more power line/gas line right of ways today. Those areas are rarely if ever scenic and usually somewhat of a scar on the landscape. I do not think we need more of these, but I am struck that this appears to be the biggest issue the ATC is concerning themselves with (at least publicly).

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-08-2012
    Location
    Taghkanic, New York, United States
    Posts
    3,198
    Journal Entries
    11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Emerson Bigills View Post
    I am not too familiar with this project and at the risk of alienating myself against 90% of the people on this site, the AT crosses probably 50 or more power line/gas line right of ways today. Those areas are rarely if ever scenic and usually somewhat of a scar on the landscape. I do not think we need more of these, but I am struck that this appears to be the biggest issue the ATC is concerning themselves with (at least publicly).
    In PA they are about the only viewspots you get.

  15. #15
    Wanna-be hiker trash
    Join Date
    03-05-2010
    Location
    Connecticut
    Age
    42
    Posts
    6,922
    Images
    78

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Emerson Bigills View Post
    I am not too familiar with this project and at the risk of alienating myself against 90% of the people on this site, the AT crosses probably 50 or more power line/gas line right of ways today. Those areas are rarely if ever scenic and usually somewhat of a scar on the landscape. I do not think we need more of these, but I am struck that this appears to be the biggest issue the ATC is concerning themselves with (at least publicly).
    To give a bit of background. The ATC (as I understand it) accepts that pipelines and other projects will be added across the trail from time to time. Part if the ATC's job is to monitor projects such as this and to work with the developers to find sites for the pipeline that minimize disruption
    to the trail.

    Issue with this recent pipeline proposal is that the developer (again, as I understand it from what I've read) has not taken an interest in getting feedback from the ATC or other local interests that are going to be affected by the project and have ignored requests for reasonable changes to their plan that would have lessened the impact on surrounding communities.
    Last edited by Sarcasm the elf; 07-24-2017 at 13:54.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  16. #16

    Default

    Photos of pipeline routes reclaimed in a responsible manner:

    beforeandafterpiplinereclain.gifdominion-pipeline-.jpg

    Personally, I think this is better than power lines or windmills, but I respect other opinions. Additionally, the big North Eastern cities would really benefit from burning clean natural gas for heat, rather than the Diesel (heating oil) that they burn now. Heating Oil delivery trucks driving around New York City in the winter are rolling bombs. But I don't live there so it's none of my business, just an opinion.
    Hike your own hike.

  17. #17
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-08-2012
    Location
    Taghkanic, New York, United States
    Posts
    3,198
    Journal Entries
    11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Wind turbines sit on the ridge lines, which get dug up and large concrete pads poured to support them. Access roads are cut through the woods, up the sides of the mountains and along the ridges to service them. They are very intrusive and highly visible from long distances, even at night since they have lights on them so airplanes don't hit them.
    They are very intrusive from the point of view that people can see them yes. Does that make them ugly, not in itself. Do they need infrastructure, yes. Does it detract from natural beauty, if man is part of nature and living in harmony with nature, they are part of nature - not going as far as concluding that, but it is part of many people's intentions, to be more in harmony with nature and in that I see some good.

    A year or two after a pipeline is buried you'd be hard pressed to tell it's there. There is an oil pipeline which runs through the valley I live in and my house is about 200 yards away from it. Can't hardly tell it's there. It's been there for 60 years so I sure hope it don't spring a leak! OTOH, the HV power lines which also run through the valley across the highway are much more noticeable, even though these are on fairly short towers.
    Never have I seen a 'fire and forget' gas pipeline, always a continuously maintained ugly scar on the land (no high trees allowed to grow, sometimes clearcutting regularly, you know when you pass over one. Perhaps they exist and I haven't noticed them because nature has grown over it and hidden it, but for the ones I do see it is not pleasant.

    The telltale cleared path of pipelines also act as wildlife corridors and habitat which grows food bearing bushes, grasses and saplings. The only problem is when an oil pipeline leaks it can cause a lot of damage which is hard to impossible to clean up. Tar sands oil is the worst and those pipelines I'm opposed to. Not so much the pipeline, but what it carries.
    Animals will adapt and take advantage of what they can, endangered spotted owls nest in Walmart signs, Deer eat out of people's vegetable gardens, bears feed off of people's bird feeders food and trash cans, and bedbugs found a comfy environment in people's bedrooms. So yes it does change the habits and habitats of animals, it is their ability to adapt and survive.

  18. #18
    Registered User
    Join Date
    09-28-2015
    Location
    Spring, Texas
    Age
    69
    Posts
    960

    Default

    It is unrealistic to think that a trail 2,100 miles in length won't be crossed by power lines, pipelines, roads and other infrastructure. Slo-go'en and cbxx are right that a pipeline right of way is much less of an eye sore than power lines and wind turbines.
    If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

  19. #19
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-20-2013
    Location
    Roaring Gap, NC
    Age
    78
    Posts
    8,529

    Default

    As near as I can remember, I have driven through Amarillo, TX 26 times. The first 24 were pre-wind farms. 25 & 26 were post wind farm. West Texas looked much nicer on trips 1-24.
    Wayne


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
    https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
    FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace



  20. #20

    Default

    There are a few issues that make this particular pipeline proposal unique from the AT perspective. We are all familiar with utility corridors that cross the Trail at more or less a right angle. This one will parallel the Trail on a neighboring undeveloped ridge impacting the scenery for several miles. This may not concern some hikers who are not into the whole idea of the Trail as a chance to interact with its natural surroundings, and are more into the travel and social aspects--so perhaps do not attach much importance to this issue. This will be a large and noticeable scar on the landscape--it will not return to its natural, undisturbed state as the utility has to limit the growth of large trees so they can maintain the pipe as needed.

    A second concern is that the existing George Washington and Jefferson National Forest Management Plan for the AT is being ignored. The Plan defines the nature and purpose of the AT in the Forest and describes (among other things) the near, middle and far visual experiences the Forest is supposed to be protecting on behalf of the Trail. While at present an issue that pertains just to this pipeline proposal, the precedent of ignoring the prescriptions in a Forest Plan could be used for other projects on other National Forests. About half the AT is protected by National Forest lands.

    Finally, ATC rarely objects to utility crossings outright. They work with utilities to mitigate impacts by co-aligning new proposals onto existing corridors, or work to find new corridors that do not fragment existing landscapes. This proposed pipeline company has ignored ATC's efforts to collaborate, and misrepresented the impacts this project will have. There are alternate ways this pipeline can cross the Trail, albeit more expensive for the utility. There's more detail on ATC's webpage if you want to get the full story of why ATC is taking the almost unprecedented action of fully challenging this proposed route. This one is worth paying attention to.

    Cosmo

    QUOTE=Sarcasm the elf;2161227]To give a bit of background. The ATC (as I understand it) accepts that pipelines and other projects will be added across the trail from time to time. Part if the ATC's job is to monitor projects such as this and to work with the developers to find sites for the pipeline that minimize disruption
    to the trail.

    Issue with this recent pipeline proposal is that the developer (again, as I understand it from what I've read) has not taken an interest in getting feedback from the ATC or other local interests that are going to be affected by the project and have ignored requests for reasonable changes to their plan that would have lessened the impact on surrounding communities.[/QUOTE]

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •