Our Mission

We come together as citizens living in and near the watersheds of the Clinch and Powell Rivers to affirm the need for development that is sustainable and beneficial for nature and people, for culture and community.  Thus we pledge ourselves to work for this sustainable development:

• By promoting the values underlying a respect for people, nature, community and culture;

• By enabling local communities to meet their own needs;

• By establishing ecologically sensitive businesses;

• By creating services enhancing human potential; and

• By utilizing strategies building upon regional strengths

Board Members

ASD is overseen by an active board of directors representing small business entrepreneurs, economic development agencies, environmental groups and others concerned with sustainable development.

For a list of our 2008 Board of Directors click here

Funders and Partners

The majority of our partnerships are action-oriented relationships with farmers, loggers and other small scale enterprises, or community based organizations and public agencies working on some dimension of sustainable development. Examples of these partnerships include the Virginia and Tennessee Cooperative Extension, the Dickenson County Department of Economic Development and the Russell County Industrial Development Authority, the Nature Conservancy, Appalachian Spring Cooperative, and many more. On a broader level, we are working closely with members of the Central Appalachian Network towards the development of product identities for sustainably produced agriculture products. This same effort also involves the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Service Area

Our service area includes the Virginia counties of Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Washington and Wise and the Tennessee counties of Greene, Hancock, Hawkins and Sullivan. Total land area is about 3,500 square miles and 400,000 people. Our main office is located in Abingdon, VA.