Forum on Natural Gas Pipelines Appalachian Trail Laura

Forum on Natural Gas Pipelines Appalachian Trail Laura Belleville Senior Director of Conservation

Benton Mackaye

National Trails System Act (1968)

THREATS: Natural Gas Pipeline crossings have the potential to fragment the A. T. landscape, and diminish the A. T. experience.

North American Pipeline Proposals

Location of MVP -Virginia Proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline

Celanese Pipeline Proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline Crossing Location

Mountain Valley Pipeline: Proposed A. T. Crossing

Troubling news: Mountain Valley Pipeline

1 = Angel’s Rest & Sugar Run Mt 3 = Kelly Knob, Sinking Creek Mt & Brush Mt 2 = Peters Mt 4 = Triple Crown 2 3 1 4

CONCERNS The proposed pipeline crossing location is an area of unbroken wild landscape … of forest, rocky outcropping and grassy bald with no impacts of any kind. Nearby fragmenting agents such as powerline corridors, pipeline corridors and transportation corridors are in the immediate vicinity of the proposal but are not utilized to avoid additional fragmentation. The proposed crossing is immediately adjacent to the Peters Mountain Wilderness area and would negatively impact a visitor’s wilderness experience and the protection value of Wilderness for the A. T. The proposed conventional bore does not comply with the "scenic integrity objectives" of the Jefferson National Forest's Land Resource Management Plan (too close to the A. T. on each side)

CONCERNS The developer fails to present alternatives or mitigation measures to keep the scenic integrity objectives as high as possible The 100’ setback from the A. T. for the bore pits is inadequate to protect trail users from visual and aural impacts associated with the pipeline corridor The potential long-term (century or more) impacts to the scenery of this National Scenic Trail. ……as a result, this location is unsuitable to cross the A. T.