Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

The following email was sent to the supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

Last night, in a calculated act of political cowardice, the Tennessee Senate voted 19-14 to further delay the Scenic Vistas Protection Act — a bill that has been active for more than 5 years — to April 2 in an attempt to kill the bill in the House and avoid an outright vote.

But the fight is not over yet! The Tennessee House Subcommittee on Conservation and Environment is scheduled to vote on the House version at 10:30 a.m. this morning (Tuesday).

Check the list below and contact your representative in the Conservation and Environment subcommittee before 10:30 a.m. today — tell them that the people of Tennessee are speaking with one voice to members of the House and Senate: Pass the Scenic Vistas Protection Act so that no more mountaintops are removed in Tennessee.

The Senate’s decision ignores the wishes of thousands of constituents, creates a decoy and is a delay tactic initiated by the coal industry themselves.

As bill sponsor Senator Eric Stewart said, “removing the top from a mountain is removing the top from a mountain, no matter what you call it, or where you put the little pieces after the damage is done.”

The senator went on to say that allowing the coal industry to blow up mountains results in reduced pride in mountain communities. Help us reclaim that pride! Contact your representative before 10:30 a.m. TODAY and ask that they support the protection of our scenic vistas — ask the House Conservation and Environment subcommittee to support the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act!

For the mountains,

J.W. Randolph
iLoveMountains.org

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