|
Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund
Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Provides Money for Addition to Tygarts State Forest
The Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund has provided $287,000 to the Kentucky Division of Forestry for the purchase and management of a 181-acre addition to Tygarts State Forest in Carter County.
The purchase enlarges the state forest to 874 acres. The added property is primarily wooded but has about 70 acres of pastureland, which will be replanted as hardwood forest. Some acreage will be used for research. Existing woodlands will be put under proper timber management.
The tract is near Carter Caves State Resort Park and potentially provides important habitat for Indiana bats. A biological inventory will be taken to learn of any threatened or endangered species. Exotic and invasive plants will be eradicated where possible.
Like the present state forest, the added property will eventually be opened to the public for outdoor recreational uses such as horseback riding, hiking and hunting. Motor vehicle use will be restricted, however. The property currently is closed while the boundary is marked and management activities are performed. It is due to open in early spring.
The Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund is partially funded through the sale of nature license plates, which cost an additional $10 and are available at county clerk offices. Since 1995, the fund has provided nearly $32 million for protection of 27,000 acres of natural areas and wildlife habitat across Kentucky.
-30-
|