The Land Between the Lakes Advisory Board received a full three-hour debriefing Tuesday morning — detailing all of the provisions and changes coming from the Land Between the Lakes Recreation and Heritage Act.
Signed into law by President Joe Biden on December 29, 2022, as part of House Resolution 2617 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, the bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. James Comer. The language, however, has more humble beginnings for those hunkered in west Kentucky.
At the center of the discussions was U.S. Forest Service Region 8 Deputy Regional Forester and Chairperson Rick Lint, who called the landmark measures “historic” in nature.
Donnie Holland, board member and former Parks Commissioner, surmised Tuesday’s emotions further.
The changes, many major, can be summarized like this:
— As the moment, this counsel comprised of 17 individuals: two residents each from Kentucky and Tennessee appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, two residents each from Kentucky and Tennessee appointed by their governors, two persons appointed by the Commissioner for Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, one person appointed by the Commissioner for Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, and two residents each appointed by judge-executives of Lyon, Trigg and Stewart counties.
However, this body will change considerably and soon. It will be reduced from 17 to 13 following the removal of governor appointees.
— Board members may serve multiple terms, but must be non-consecutive. Terms currently last five years.
Russ Tilford, Lyon County Schools superintendent and recent Governor Andy Beshear appointee, did mention that legacy membership and extensions could be important for containing institutional knowledge and lengthy projects from the board.
— Annual work plans for recreation and environment education areas, including the heritage program, must be developed, using non-appropriated amounts from the LBL Management Fund.
— Furthermore, since the body will become more governing, it must convene no less than twice per year, and potentially more frequently if desired especially if sub-groups and sub-committees are formed in the future.
Annual forest management and harvest plans are to be addressed alongside the U.S. Forest Service’s Schedule of Proposed Actions, or SOPAs, in order to generate more public awareness.
Trigg County’s board members in Holland and Bill Purkes, alongside Lint, urged this transparency needed to be better inside the board and for LBL’s constituents.
Furthermore, with Leisa Cook’s move to the Department of Interior, Rhea Whalen — Fire, Lands & Planning Staff Officer from South Carolina — is now LBL’s acting supervisor for at least the next four months. She said the SOPAs are available online to anyone.
And Purkes agreed, using Lyon County as major context.
— The Department of Agriculture can, and likely will, charge reasonable fees as determined by this board, regarding admission to and the use of any designated sites and activities within LBL. Those fees, in turn, shall be available to the USDA for new work and deferred maintenance in LBL, and cannot be used for salaries and other work-related expenses.
Lint said the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, updated in 2021, provides full clarity on how those fees come together.
— And, finally, requests from qualified residents and relatives of associations can be heard and granted through the USDA, for those seeking expansion of existing cemeteries within LBL.
Lint said there are easily more than 250 cemeteries in the refuge, and U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist Chris Thornock said one such past request to expand a cemetery unfortunately led to a “nasty” federal dispute.
More on this story will come later this week.
The current board:
Della Oliver, Lyon County
De’Etra J. Young, USDA Tennessee
Walter M. Battle, USDA Tennessee
Brian Clark- KY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
John Zimmer- KY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
Johnny Wall, Lyon County
Patrick Lemons, TN Wildlife Resources Agency
Nancy J. Dawson, USDA Kentucky
Abigale L. Smith, USDA Kentucky
Russell Tilford, Governor of KY
Keith Murt, Governor of KY
Donnie Holland, Trigg County
William Purkes “Bill”, Trigg County
Melissa Parker, Stewart County, Tennessee
Susan Witzofsky “Ski”, Stewart County, Tennessee
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s two seats are vacant.
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