The state budget adopted by the Kentucky general assembly last week maintains some funding for the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund. Land preservationists are breathing a sigh of relief.
Governor Bevin proposed sweeping ten million dollars out of the fund to help address the state pension shortfall. When budget negotiations concluded, lawmakers had lessened the funding blow by about half. Nature Conservancy of Kentucky Director David Phemister says some five million dollars will be cut over the coming biennium.
“We’d love to have no cuts whatsoever, but very few folks in Kentucky are in that positions in terms of the state budget this year. So, we’re just very grateful for the general assembly, for the work that they did on this program,” said Phemister.
Phemister says the budget also assures money spent on the ‘nature’s finest’ license plate will go toward land preservation.
“The general assembly restoring them this year gives us the opportunity to tell people if they support land and water conservation in Kentucky that making a purchase of that license plate is a good investment and they can feel secure that those funds will go to their intended purpose,” explained Phemister.
Since 1994, some 90 thousand acres of land, most owned and managed for public access, have been protected through that conservation fund. In addition to proceeds from the ‘nature’s finest’ license plate, money for the Heritage Land Conservation Fund also comes from a portion of the unmined minerals tax as well as from environmental fines and penalties.
