Funeral for the Mountains
Mourn for our Losses, Stand Up for our Future! was the theme of the Funeral for the Mountains, held October 28, 2000 in Charleston, WV. In southern West Virginia, mountaintop removal coal mining has destroyed many mountain communities -- people's homes, schools and water wells. Hundreds of square miles of mountainous, richly biodiverse forest habitat and over 1,000 miles of beautiful, biologically crucial streams have been lost to this massacre of our mountains! The Funeral allowed us to express our grief over the slaughter, while sending a message to the state's "leaders" that the destruction must stop!

Here, Carol Jackson's mock cemetery sits on the lawn of the state capitol. Each tombstone represents a mountain, stream or town lost to mountaintop removal.

Mourners marched from the Charleston, WV Office of Surface Mining to the state capitol. The procession, led by the sorrowful tones of bagpipes, stretched over three city blocks. Some mourners carried mock coffins representing the losses to life and community associated with mountaintop removal.

Cindy Rank, mining committee chair for the WV Highlands Conservancy, delivered a eulogy for the lost streams.

Secretary of State Ken Hechler delivered the eulogy for the trees.

The crowd at Funeral for the Mountains.

Last updated on Tuesday, May 29, 2001