March on Zeb Mountain July 20th

asheville | environment | news report Friday July 04, 2008 11:24 by United Mountain Defense - UMD

Fight strip mining

Yall come!

March on Zeb Mountain!

STOP STRIP MINING TENNESSEE’S WATERSHEDS!

United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice and Three
Rivers Earth First! ask you to march with us for
Appalachia. This is a call for you to take a Sunday
out of your life to help preserve some of the oldest
mountains and watersheds on Earth. March with us in
solidarity against the watershed annihilation machine
known as mountain top removal. This is a call not for
any organization or group—but for the Mountains of
Tennessee.

When: Sunday, July 20th at 1:00p.m.

The march will begin with a family friendly gathering
and prayer in the parking lot. Participants will then
march 1/8 of a mile to the gate of National Coal. A
prayer will be lead at the gate and at this time
citizen who feel called to participate in non-violent
civil acts of conscience will have the opportunity to
walk across the gate of National Coal. If you would
like to follow the examples of Martin Luther King,
Gandhi, and Thoreau by participating in this part of
the march then you must come to the non-violence
training the day before.

Non-Violence Training will take place on Saturday,
July 19th at 1:00p.m. at the University Of Tennessee
in the Earth Science Building Room 400.

Where: March at Zeb Mountain, Campbell Co. TN

Directions from Knoxville and points South

Take Interstate 75 North
Take Oneida/ Huntsville Exit/ Hwy 63
Go West of Interstate 75 about 6 miles
Turn Right on Hwy 297 @ Pioneer Post Office
Go 3 miles turn left onto Lick Fork Rd
Find a parking spot

Directions from Lexington and points North

Take Interstate 75 South
Take Oneida/ Huntsville Exit/ Hwy 63
Go West of Interstate 75 about 6 miles
Turn Right on Hwy 297 @ Pioneer Post Office
Go 3 miles turn left onto Lick Fork Rd
Find a parking spot

Directions from Asheville and points East

Take Interstate 40 West
Take Interstate/ bypass 640 West around Knoxville
Take Interstate 75 North
Take Oneida/ Huntsville Exit/ Hwy 63
Go West of Interstate 75 about 6 miles
Turn Right on Hwy 297 @ Pioneer Post Office
Go 3 miles turn left onto Lick Fork Rd
Find a parking spot

Directions from Nashville and points West

Take Interstate 40 East
Take Interstate/ bypass 640 East around Knoxville
Take Interstate 75 North
Take Oneida/ Huntsville Exit/ Hwy 63
Go West of Interstate 75 about 6 miles
Turn Right on Hwy 297 @ Pioneer Post Office
Go 3 miles turn left onto Lick Fork Rd
Find a parking spot

Send housing requests or questions to
umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com

ZEB MOUNTAIN

National Coal is the strip mine corporation blowing up
the three peaks of Zeb Mountain for the coal beneath.
National Coal has a terrible record of over 50
violations on Zeb Mountain—including one for illegally
mining through two streams. National Coal has wrecked
the watershed of Zeb Mountain—and the New River
Watershed is next if we don’t stop them.

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=8259449

SUNDQUIST WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

National Coal has bought over 75,000 acres in the
nearby Sundquist Wildlife Management Area and has the
repeatedly stated intention on increasing its rate of
blowing up mountains in this Watershed. Sundquist WMA
is 84,000 acres of public access property offering
public hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, grouse,
and small game.

The Sundquist is a Watershed for the New River. The
New River flows into the Cumberland River, which is
Nashville’s drinking water source. Some geologists
have suggested that this is the oldest watershed on
Earth. National Coal is intent on blowing up a
watershed that is one of Tennessee’s state capitals
sources of drinking water.

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/outdoors/hunting/wm....html

NATIONAL COAL STRIP MINE CORPORATION

National Coal suggests that they are not practicing
the “bad mining practices of the past.” National Coal
says that they are a kinder gentler strip miner.
National Coal would have you ignore the 150-year
history of mining in Tennessee.

National Coal suggests that they are not like all of
the bad evil strippers in Kentucky, WVA, and South
West Virginia. They shake their heads at how bad it is
there. National coal would have you ignore what their
industry is doing in the other states.

National Coal suggests that they can do a great job
“improving” the New River Watershed by blowing it up.
National Coal would have you ignore the incredible
damage they have done to Zeb Mountain. They would have
you ignore your lying eyes.

March with us and stand up to these corporate bullies
who with arrogant almost colonialist swagger assume
the right to blow up the watersheds and mountains of
Tennessee.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Bring an instrument—and learn how to play
“Rocky Top”—Tennessee’s state song. Write your own new
lyrics to Rocky Top or learn ours.

2. Dress up! Yep—we want you to come in your
Sunday best. During the civil rights movement people
wore suits and ties all the time—so can we.

3. When all else fails wear orange! We are the
people of Tennessee and the song Rocky Top is about
us, and so is the color orange. Just by wearing orange
you can show that you are from Tennessee—and
understand the importance of our mountains to our
heritage.

4. Respect. Show respect for the people who drive
by, for the people who live here, for the miners—for
yourselves and the people you organize with. There
will be animal rights activist and hunters, Christians
and Atheist, Peace Activist and Military Veterans at
this march. Show respect for the mountains by showing
respect for the diversity of people that come to
defend them.

5. Bring signs showing support for Tennessee’s
mountain heritage, watersheds and the Sundquist WMA.
We need art, banners, musicians and you. Especially
you.

6. Help by playing a support role for the march. We
are looking for mature, intelligent individuals to
sever as a support team. We need people to serve in
the following roles: media liaisons, police liaisons,
medics, legal support, artists and musicians, and care
team. Please contact us at
umdvolulnteerhouse@yahoo.com or 865 689-8976 if you
want to volunteer.

The organizations sponsoring this event are committed
to nonviolence. Please come, but come with the
understanding that this march has a specific focus
with specific goals. By participating in this March
you are agreeing to our non-violence guidelines and to
follow the direction of the organizers of this march.
We have formed strong alliances with allies and it is
important that we maintain that trust beyond this
single march.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com - general questions
umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com - housing, volunteer
opportunities, rsvp

Phone: (865) 689-2778

Website: unitedmountaindefense.org.

This will be the day, this will be the day when all of
God's children will be able to sing with new meaning
"My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of
thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the
Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom
ring!" Martin Luther King