2007 Powell River Project Research and Education Program Reports

Powell River Project Programs, 2006 - 2007

Major Research:

Mined Land Reforestation. James A. Burger, Department of Forestry

Properties and Potential Water Quality Effects of Post-2000 Coal Combustion Products. W. Lee Daniels, Mike Beck, and Matthew Eick. Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences.

Evaluating Wildlife Response to Reclaimed Mine Lands in Southwestern Virginia. Dean F. Stauffer and Carola Haas, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences.

Education / Extension / Outreach – Va. Tech:

Area Extension Agent – Mined Land Development and Natural Resource Management. Jon Rockett, Wise County.

Enhancing Sustainable Beef Cattle Production on Reclaimed Surface Mined Land. John Hall, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, and W. D. Whittier, College of Veterinary Medicine.

Teaching Environmental Issues, from Coal to Electricity. Barbara Altizer, Eastern Coal Council and Jon Rockett, Powell River Project / Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Education – Area Colleges:

Habitat Assessment and the Establishment of a Nesting Box Trail for Sialia sialis (Eastern Bluebird) In the Powell River Project Education Center. Carol A. Burkart and Anthony Russo, Mountain Empire Community College.

Heavy metal sequestration in settling ponds: A mechanism for the removal of metals associated with mined lands. Aaron W. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Geology, University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

External Funding and Related Activities

Carbon Sequestration Project on Surface Mined Sites in the Clinch and Powell Valleys of Virginia. J.A. Burger, B. Amichev, and C. Zipper. Supported by The Nature Conservancy Clinch Valley Program.

Co-grazing Appalachian Pastures with Goats and Cattle: Effects on Pasture Quality, Animal Performance, and Farm Profitability. A.O. Abaye, J.M. Luginbuhl, C. Zipper, J. Rockett, D. Whittier. Supported by Virginia Agricultural Council.

Nutrient Sorption Potentials of High-Carbon Ash Materials. W. Lee Daniels, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences. Supported by Full Circle Solutions, Inc.

Determining the Ecotoxicological Recovery of Black Creek (Wise County) and Ely Creek (Lee County) after Watershed Restoration of Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage. D. Cherry, R. Currie, C. Zipper. Supported by Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy / U.S. Office of Surface Mining Applied Science Initiative.

Development of Rapid Assessment Protocols for Beneficial Use of Post-2000 Coal Combustion Byproducts in Virginia Coal Mines. W.L. Daniels. Supported by Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy / U.S. Office of Surface Mining Applied Science Initiative.

Mined Land Reforestation Conference. C. Zipper, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences; and J.A. Burger, Department of Forestry. Supported by U.S. Office of Surface Mining.