Victory for the Appalachian Trail: Energy Companies Cancel Atlantic Coast Pipeline

WASHINGTON – The National Parks Conservation Association joins fellow conservation advocates and diverse communities along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in celebrating recent news that Dominion Energy and Duke Energy will cancel the ill-conceived Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

This 600-mile pipeline would have cut under the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway, adversely impacting waterways, wildlife corridors, and viewsheds, as well as disrupting local communities of color along its path. This cancellation is a victory for national parks and a blow to irresponsible development efforts on public lands.

To protect our national parks from this pipeline, NPCA took to the courts. Earlier this year, NPCA joined the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and prominent park advocates Jon Jarvis, former director of the National Park Service, and Pam Underhill, former Superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, in filing a joint amicus brief supporting conservation respondents in U.S. Forest Service, et al. v. Cowpasture River Preservation Association, et al. All amici curiae listed above are represented by counsel from Eubanks & Associates, LLC.

Statement of Pamela Goddard, Senior Mid-Atlantic Program Director for the National Parks Conservation Association:

“This is a tremendous victory for the millions of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who take to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail each year. National park advocates joined communities along the trail in calling for an end to this risky, irresponsible energy project, and their voices made a difference. Pipelines do not belong in our national parks.”

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About The National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its nearly 1.4 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.