Mountain Witness Tours
Eyes Are Opened
"If more people know about what is going on, it may help us get something done about these problems. I know I’m going to keep working on it. We had people from Lexington and Louisville come here to Sassafras to learn about the problems we are having with the coal trucks. We showed them the damage from the trucks, the dust and everything else. They said they’d never seen anything like it. They really couldn’t believe their eyes."
Frankie Fields
Knott County
CLICK HERE to learn about the Mountain Witness Tours with Kentucky Authors and Artists, and HERE for the interfaith leaders tour.
Seeing is believing. But sometimes it's still hard to believe – after hearing and seeing firsthand – what we allow to happen to our land and the people who call it home.
Mountain Witness Tours are one of the best methods for helping people who don’t live in the coalfields understand the impact of coal mining on the people who do, and their homes, water and future of their communities. Even folks who do live in the coalfields get a new appreciation for the impact of mining when they go on a tour and talk with those who experience the impacts.
KFTC organizes tours periodically to educate members and supporters. Participants learn about the hope residents have for their families and vision for their communities, and how the total devastation of the land and water, the damage to homes and health, increased flooding, dust and mud, and other problems – all resulting from out-of-control mountaintop removal and strip mining – take away the possibility of those dreams
"No video or presentation could do it justice
– you have to see it for yourself."
"I went on the tour to see the impact of mountaintop removal for myself and hear the stories of the people who live there. Being able to witness the devastation has made a lasting impact on me. It's important for me to know how my use of electricity affects the state and affects the people that live here."
Courtney Hamm
We sponsor Mountain Witness Tours several times throughout the year. Contact any KFTC office if you are interested in participating on one.