Bottom-Up Community Development in Central Appalachia

Few places are as synonymous with coal as Appalachia, the mountainous region near the United States’ east coast. As the only state fully encapsulated in the region (as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission, https://www.arc.gov/about-the-appalachian-region/ , 2023), the state of West Virginia is a good microcosm for the study of the coal industry’s impacts on health, environment, and economy in Appalachia. Billions of tons of coal have been mined here both underground and above ground since the 1700s, with the vast majority of it fueling industrialization in the twentieth century. Statewide coal output hit 158 million tons in 2008 but began a rapid decline, which cut that total in half by 2016 to 80 million tons (the lowest total output since the 1920s) (Deskins and Lego, 2017). The decline of the coal industry has forced a difficult economic transition in the state, particularly its southern portion. Yet even when coal boomed, the state suffered economic and environmental distress. Innovative grassroots efforts aimed at addressing socioeconomic hardship in the region are underway. This chapter will explore one such effort and argue for greater investment into community-based organizations (CBOs) leading community and economic development (CED) efforts in fossil fuel-dependent areas.