Above Photo: By Wdbj7.com
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ7) A fresh standoff emerged Monday between landowners and the people who want to build the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Roanoke County.
A woman who lives on Bent Mountain says pipeline surveyors called police to her property Monday afternoon, after she climbed in a tree and refused to come down.
The landowner, who goes by the name “Red,” told WDBJ7 that she climbed into a tree around Monday and plans to stay put in an effort to prevent pipeline crews from tearing down trees on her property.
“Red” said she observed surveyors, believed to be employed by the company intending to build the Mountain Valley Pipeline, planting blue ribbons to mark an access road and orange ribbons to mark the path of the pipeline on her Roanoke County property..
“Red” had already constructed a treehouse on her property, anticipating a standoff between herself and pipeline crews. When she saw them moving toward her treehouse, she climbed the ladder and launched her protest.
Red said the surveyors called law enforcement. Officers came out to her property but didn’t take any action against her.
“Now that they know this is here if I come down, they will make a special effort to get this tree down,” Red told WDBJ7. “I will probably be up here for a while.”
“My number one thought is that this pipeline should not be going through,” explained Red’s daughter, who declined to share her name. “If it can be stopped right now. I don’t care if its legal or Roanoke citizens realize it’s going to impact them and protest. We are going to do everything we can to slow them down.”
Red and her daughter said they heard tree cutting may start next week in Roanoke County. Red said she has food and water for days, and plans to stay in her tree indefinitely.