Huckleberry Ridge, KY: The Story of Daymon Morgan

America's Most Endangered Mountains - Huckleberry Ridge, KY

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- - - COMMUNITY STORY - - -

"We are going to be the endangered species." - Daymon Morgan, resident of Huckleberry Ridge, KY

Daymon Morgan's woods are teeming with bloodroot, as well as golden seal, ginseng and wild ginger. Not too long ago, these native plants grew wild and plentiful not just in Morgan's woods but in the neighboring mountaintops adjoining his property, on the tree-laden slopes that have been part of the majesty of the Appalachian landscape - and integral to the lives of his community - for generations.

But now, the mountaintops surrounding Morgan's land are bleeding. More precisely, they are being blown apart with explosives. Mining companies are blasting the tops off the mountains, pursuing a technique that makes it easier and faster and cheaper to remove coal from the earth that holds it. It's an efficient technique: Explode the mountain; remove the coal; shove the waste over the nearest hillside; "reclaim" the site; move on to the next site.

Morgan's fear isn't just for the streams, or the trees, the deer or the wild turkeys, the ginseng or the bloodroot. It's for his family and friends; their health and safety. And he fears for the welfare of all the rest of us who, let's face it, live downstream.

"We are going to be the endangered species," Morgan said, his eyes stubbornly fixed on his visitors, making it clear whom he meant when he said "we."


To support Daymon and his community contact:
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
(606) 878-2161 • www.kftc.org

KFTC works with people to organize in their home communities across Kentucky, helping everyday community members become extraordinary community leaders.

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[TonyBeazley]

Thanks for this video....hopefully people will get a clue that coal is not the answer, and destroying our natural resources just to turn a light switch on is totally stupid....

with all the scientist and educated people in this world and all they can come up with is "Hey lets blow the mountains up it'll save money" ...total idiots.... we need a better source of energy and it isn't coal.....or oil.....

[intelogic]

What beautiful country! I hope you stop those coal companies from doing anymore destruction. Coal is not a good choice for energy! It has high levels of Mercury when burned and has been linked to Autism in children. That alone should mean something! I was born and raised on Waldens Ridge Mountain in Tennessee. I love those Appalacian mountains and the good people living there. Bless all of you!

Betty (Hudson) Rose, Arlington, WA

[rainharper62]

i love kentucky & tennessee! and i love the mountains and the people!

[rtwrig2]

@69kamo69 I hate to say it but you need to check with you grandfather. He didnt lease his whole tract but he leased about half of it.

[rtwrig2]

@69kamo69 My facts are straight. You might need to talk to your grandfather.

[tav168]

@nintendoplaya96 well they stopped us from mining the old fashioed way. If we went back to that the mountains would not be stripped. My father, grand father and great gradnfather all mined coal in Eastern Kentucky and they never did strip mining they mined the old fashioned way. This did not destroy the mountains. It was not until the enviornmentalist decided that this was not safe enough for us that the mining companies started strip mining.

[fishin25530]

i agree i totally hate strip mining or mountain top removal but we have to have coal i personally think this form of mining should stop but there is other ways of getting coal something people dont seem to understand the only other option we have to make steel which makes thousands of items such as cars would be natural gas but that would cost so much money that prices on everything made with steel/iron would drastically raise

JUST REMEMBER DONT BASH ME IM NOT FOR MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL

[nintendoplaya96]

Strip mining sucks. I live in Kentucky and I hate seeing my states natural beauty dissapear due to idiots blowing up mountains and for money. Its time to look for other resources for energy

[TheWICCACHANNEL]

i wish i could help..i hate strip mines..my power bill is usually 55 dollars,i use oil lamps at night,and enjoy my acres i own buy leaving them be.i didnt even cut down the trees over here,i worked around them in an open area on the property.trees are my friends.huge one for me.

[69kamo69]

rtwrig2, Daymon is my grandfather, get your facts straight, he is not leasing land to ICG

[girlswithguitars859]

This guy is my dad's cousin

[girlswithguitars859]

Hi Daymon this is Pete Morgan's daughter Brenda came across your video while lookin at dulcimer video's just thought I'd say hi, you have a beautiful place .