by The Associated Press –

A Kentucky environmental group is ending an annual protest in Frankfort that called attention to a destructive surface mining practice known as mountaintop mining.

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth says it will not be conducting the “I Love Mountains Day” for the first time in a decade. The rallies in some years drew more than 1,000 people.

The Courier-Journal reports (http://cjky.it/205Oc0N ) the ending of the annual event coincides with a sharp decline in surface mining in eastern Kentucky. Mountaintop mining uses blasting to open coal seams from the surface, and excess dirt and rock is pushed into valleys and stream beds.

The event has drawn environmental advocates from across the state and speakers such as noted author and farmer Wendell Berry and actor Ashley Judd.