DrBa turns 10 Heritage initiative fracking in tHe Dan river Basin neW ...

far from the historic Fieldcrest Cannon factory, the trail wassupported by the Economic Development Corporation andDominion Power and includes a 1200-ft boardwalk, thefirst of its kind on the county. Five interpretive signs willbe installed along the trail to provide users a sense of thearea’s importance in providing sweatshirts, socks, towels andlinens to our nation. So much history right under our feet!Roy Mitchell Memorial Trail: Yet another new project,Phase I of this trail at Lauren Mountain Preserve will beready for hikers by the new year. The half-mile trail includesa scenic bridge across a small tributary of the Smith River,an easy out and back trail along the river, and beautiful viewsof rock outcroppings and the sycamore and beech treesalong the mountain flanks. Lauren Mountain Preserve is theproperty of Dr. David Jones, whose generosity in grantingan easement has made the trail possible. When fundingbecomes available, Phase II will take hikers up the ridge andacross the top of the mountain to form a loop trail. Access isprovided at a pull-off on Wells Hollow drive near the TrentHill Bridge and the Bassett Canoe Access.River Access: The Smith River Sports Complex canoe accessramp area has been improved with the help of volunteer laborand Henry County. A new Eagle Scout project will installan observation deck nearby. Plans to improve the existingtrails include additional river view areas, observation decksand benches.–Brian Williams and Krista HodgesTrout in the Classroom: Kids andthe River‘Tis the season for giving – precious little bundles of browntrout eggs, that is! Bundles of about 200 eggs were deliveredto each of 30 eagerly awaiting classrooms, officially kickingoff the 7 th season of Trout in the Classroom.The eggs are eye-ups at this point, meaning that darkeye spots and even some movement can be seen within theegg, promising that some eggs will hatch before Christmasbreak! Right after they hatch, the next stage of the trout’slife cycle is known as the alevin, which has a yolk sac as itssource of food for the next few weeks.When the kids return from break, excitement andeducation continue as they watch these tiny little guysgrow over the next few months. The students will learnhow to care for the fingerlings and grow to understand thatwithout someone to take responsibility for their care, theywill not survive. The students will also monitor the waterquality and learn how an ecosystem functions. Once thestudents recognize their connection with the brown troutand the world around them, they often want to help keepour waterways and environment healthy.In October, thanks to a partnership with theMartinsville Speedway, NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnsonvisited a TIC tank at Rich Acres Elementary and thentravelled with students to the Smith River to release thetrout fingerlings! This event had wide media coverage, andMr. Johnson expressed great interest in the program.At a recent Smith River Trout Unlimited meeting,state biologist Scott Smith reported higher numbers ofBrown Trout in the river. The current practice of bringingone generator at a time online at Philpott helps enhance thefishery through reduced scouring and increased trout foodsupply. Additional improvement will come with streambank restoration and stabilization to reduce silt in the river.The state is considering permitting release of some TICfingerlings below Martinsville Dam, where Brown Troutare surviving well.–Krista Hodges, Wayne KirkpatrickA Look at Fracking in the DanRiver BasinThe Dan River Basin may soon be opened to natural gasextraction by fracking. According to the gas industry, naturalgas provides “clean” energy that will create tens of thousandsof jobs. However, a careful look at its environmental andeconomic impacts reveals serious downsides.Natural gas is considered clean because, for electricitygeneration, it produces about half the carbon emissions ofcoal. However, the drilling and fracking technologies usedto release gas trapped deep in shale beds draws millions ofgallons of water, threatens ground and surface waters, disruptsnatural and scenic areas, and requires the construction ofroads, pipelines and noisy compressor stations.For some, environmental impacts of drilling may seemacceptable trade-offs for economic gain. Landowners hopeleasing and royalty contracts will provide income. The gasindustry promises jobs in regions, like the Dan River Basin, thatdesperately need them. However, many landowners in otherstates regret signing such contracts. They have been saddled withhidden fees and “production costs.” In some cases the companieshave left behind pools of contaminated water contained only byplastic liners and a thin layer of soil, thus meeting contractualobligations for “restoring” drilling sites. Landowners have had topay for damages to land, crops, livestock and water.As for jobs, out-of-state temporary workers fill most ofthe higher-paying positions. A Penn State study found thatthe number of jobs created by drilling in Pennsylvania wasabout half of industry projections. Further, staff members at theEnergy Information Administration (EIA) doubt the industry’sprojections for profitable shale gas extraction. One EIA analystlikened them to a “giant Ponzi scheme.”Fracking is now illegal in North Carolina, but the6Winter 2012 • danriver.org