Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 22
COUNTRY ROADS
New Leader at Southern Environmental Law
T
he Southern Environmental Law
Center, the region's largest environmental
advocacy nonprofit, has named
as its new executive director DJ Gerken.
With more than 200 lawyers and other
staff, SELC has taken on major issues
over the years, including protecting national
forests for wildlife, water quality
and recreational values and preventing
unnecessary methane pipelines and
sprawl-inducing highways. Gerken has
been with SELC since 2004.
©STEPHANIE GROSS/SELC
DJ Gerken, new executive director at SELC, conducts a press conference in front of the U.S. Supreme
Court Building.
" I went to law school because I wanted
a career producing real change by standing
up to bad actors, " says Gerken, who
received both his law degree and masters
degree in planning from the University
of Virginia. " There's a throughline
through my career, having the opportunity
to stand with communities against
powerful interests, to be their voice and
their partner and, more often than not,
to win. " southernenvironment.org
-CAT MCCUE
Thumb-Sized Mountain Turtle in Line for Protection
N
orth America's smallest turtle, and one of its most imperiled, recently got a big boost
from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which said it will start a review to determine
whether to protect it under the Endangered Species Act. The southern bog turtle lives in
increasingly dwindling mountain bogs in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity had petitioned the federal agency to start the
review for the turtle, which it says has declined by 50% in the last two decades, with fewer
than 2,000 left. No bigger than a human thumb, the turtle is losing ground due to largely
to development that drains its marshy
habitat. " We need to protect the wetlands
where these turtles live to keep
them from going extinct. I hope the
Service moves quickly to give southern
bog turtles the safeguards they need, "
says the center's Will Harlan.
biologicaldiversity.org -CAT MCCUE
The tiny turtle lives only in mountain
bogs in Virginia, North Carolina,
Tennessee and Georgia.
30 Years Ago
in Blue Ridge Country
" I can see Aunt Cynth and
Cousin Mary now, sitting in the
ladderback chairs with the split
hickory seats on the sagging front
porch of their two-room log cabin.
Identical in dress, the long garments
of an earlier age cover them
in small-figured
calico of black and
white or blue and
white. "
-The late Elizabeth
Clay Garlichs,
writing in the Jan/
Feb '93 issue about
relatives who were
" born in the last century
[19th] and died
in the middle of this one [20th].
22 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
http://www.southernenvironment.org
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 4
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 5
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 6
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 7
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 8
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 9
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 10
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 11
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 12
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 13
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 14
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 15
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 16
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 17
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 18
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 19
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 20
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 21
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 22
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 23
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 24
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 25
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 26
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 27
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 28
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 29
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 30
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 31
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 32
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 33
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 34
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 35
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 36
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 37
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 38
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 39
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 40
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 41
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 42
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 43
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 44
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 45
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 46
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 47
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 48
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 49
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 50
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 51
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 52
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 53
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 54
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 55
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 56
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 57
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 58
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 59
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 60
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 61
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 62
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 63
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 64
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 65
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 66
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 67
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 68
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 69
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 70
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 71
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 72
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 73
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 74
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 75
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 76
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 77
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 78
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 79
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 80
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 81
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 82
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 83
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 84
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 85
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 86
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 87
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 88
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 89
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 90
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 91
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 92
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 93
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 94
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 95
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 96
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 97
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 98
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/brc-jf-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-nov-dec-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/BlueRidgeCountryMarchApril2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brcja21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_11_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com