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Forest Service Pledges to Increase Collaboration with Local Community

landbetweenthelakes.us

After more than a year of public outcry over several land management projects at the Land Between the Lakes, the Forest Service is changing the way it interacts with the public.

The change is in part due to a new Forest Service planning rule that emphasizes community collaboration.

At an LBL Advisory Board Meeting today, several members praised Area Supervisor Tina Tilley for her efforts to increase transparency and open the floor to public discussion.

Lyon County Resident Della Oliver has been involved with the board since its inception around 2000.

“I’m hopeful, that collaboration means that we’re gonna sit down and have dialogue, and we’re gonna see what areas we can work together on and maybe change those that we disagree on,” Oliver said.

Friends of Land Between the Lakes Executive Director John Rufli said the new planning rule means that the public will be brought into the decision-making process earlier to help formulate plans rather than just comment on pre-developed projects.

“We can see from the meeting today that the members of the advisory board are very engaged in this process,” Rufli said. “They’ve asked a lot of questions, there’s been a lot of good discussion. The biggest challenge going forward is really to get the public to participate.”

One source of continual conflict between the Forest Service and concerned members of the public revolves around land management philosophies of conservation and preservation. Members of the board claim LBL was promised to be more preserved than managed. The topic was discussed and tabled for a future board meeting.

A complete revision of the LBL Land and Resource Management Plan, which guides contentious land management projects at LBL, isn’t due until 2019. Deputy Regional Forester Jerome Thomas suggested making amendments to the plan to address areas of concern sooner.

The LBL Advisory Board usually meets just twice a year. There will be three board meetings by the end of 2015. LBL officials indicate there will be more frequent board meetings in years to come. 

A proud native of Murray, Kentucky, Allison grew up roaming the forests of western Kentucky and visiting national parks across the country. She graduated in 2014 from Murray State University where she studied Environmental Sustainability, Television Production, and Spanish. She loves meeting new people, questioning everything, and dancing through the sun and the rain. She hopes to make a positive impact in this world several endeavors at a time.
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