Through our Advocacy Program, NCNR helps local citizens defend the New River from threats that would destroy its water quality, reduce its water quantity, and degrade its scenic beauty.

Most recently we have been working with groups in Virginia to oppose a proposed power plant on the New River near Foster Falls State Park and New River Trail State Park, and to oppose a proposed pipeline that would cross the New River, and its tributaries, as well as the New River Trail State Park.

The New River's most recent successes of 2007 have been:

• A citizen's spurred Ashe County-wide floodplain protection ordinance:

A citizen's organization in Todd and NCNR were working to prevent the location of a subdivision development in a New River floodplain in Ashe County. While existing regulations did not allow the blockage of a particular development, the Ashe County Commission received a wonderful "river education" through the process and moved quickly to respond to future threats to the New River, acting quickly and specifically on the County's planning board recommendations.

By unanimous vote, the Commissioner approved regulations that will prevent houses from being built in areas likely to flood. And, the regulations went into effect immediately. The new rules require that all subdivision lots have at least 0.5 acre outside the base flood elevation level; areas inside the flood elevation level are deemed unsuitable for home construction

• The proposed construction of a 1,024-bed medium security prison on the banks of the river.

The grass roots response was immediate and strong. Folks from the local community, the New River Valley, and around the country responded. They expressed their concerns and objections. They wrote letters...thousands of letters.

These letters make a difference. They influence decisions and affect policy.

The Virginia Department of Corrections has now stated that the site on the New River is unacceptable and an alternative site has been designated. Lovers an supporters of the New River breathed a collective sigh of relief. But as we celebrate thsi accomplishment, we must continue to be vigilant and build on these accomplishments.

Although it was exciting enough to have successfully prevented the prison from being built, an even happer ending is in sight. NCNR is working with the landowner of the 170-acre proposed prison site and the surrounding 330 acres to commit the full 500 acres into a conservation easement as of 2008.

• Designating another section of the New River as a National Wild and Scenic River.

In 2007, Sen. Burr (NC) sponsored a bill that would extend the National Wild and Scenic designation of the New River 21.2 miles down stream from the current designation in NC. Once again, the New River is on the national stage...where it belongs. The country's oldest river and first American Heritage River deserves recognition and protection as a national treasure.

• Preventing fly ash from being deposited in the floodplain of the New River in Giles County.

Filling in floodplain land is dangerous and short sighted. There is a project in Giles County, VA that not only proposes to fill in the floodplain, but will do so with Coal Combustion Products. These are what is leftover after a powerplant burns coal. They contain all the inorganic toxic heavy metals. They leach toxins when they get wet. So, why put them in a floodplain? State and the EPA need to modify the uses of these materials they consider beneficial.

FEMA needs to stop underwriting flood insuancce in high-risk areas. This is a tax subsidy for inappropriate development.