The Kentucky Conservation Committee‘s mission is to be a
trusted voice of the public in Kentucky’s capital, effectively lobbying for
protection, restoration and sustainable use of natural resources.
KCC lobbies the legislature, year-round. Our vision is for Kentucky to be a
responsible steward of the Commonwealth’s land, air, water, and biota, and for
Kentuckians to understand that the health of their families, communities and
economy depends on the conservation of these resources.
Please be sure to check Kentucky Conservation Committee out on Facebook for more information and networking!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The recently concluded 2013 legislative session was a mixed bag for the energy and environmental legislation introduced this session. KCC had a couple of positive developments in the energy and land conservation areas. Read our more detailed summary under our legislation section.
BIODIVERSITY
One of KCC’s main goals is to advance the cause of the positive benefits to our state from biodiversity. Similarly, we seek to address those issues which interfere with biodiversity. To that end, KCC is pleased to make available to the public an important policy paper on biodiversity entitled, “The Importance of Roadside Vegetation and the Need for a Vegetation Management Plan in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.” This paper is authored by Dr. Tara Trammell of the University of Louisville and Dr. Tamara Sluss of Kentucky State University. The paper highlights the need for an Integrated Plan to remove exotic species, promote the use of native species and maintain healthy plant communities which are vital for the state. We invite your careful attention to this important paper and and your participation in a discussion of these important issues.
BIODIVERSITY DAY
We are very pleased and excited to have hosted the third annual Biodiversity Day in Frankfort on February 28, 2013 to promote the value of Kentucky’s rich, natural heritage to members of the Kentucky General Assembly. We brought together a number of state agencies and nonprofit organizations which have as their mission the protection and enhancement of Kentucky’s outstanding biodiversity.
These organizations and agencies included the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, The Kentucky Nature Conservancy, the Kentucky Division of Forestry, the Kentucky Division of Conservation, The Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, and the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund.
As was the case in 2012, the high point of the day was an awards ceremony for K-12 students who were winners in the excellent Jim Claypool Art and Conservation Writing Contest sponsored by the Kentucky Division of Conservation and the Kentucky Farm Bureau.
The Biodiversity Day was very well-received by the many legislators, students and their families who attended. We are confident that all participants left with a much better understanding of the importance of biodiversity to our quality of life in Kentucky. We had many great resource materials that we distributed and one of those is a paper by KCC’s immediate past President, Dr. Vicki Holmberg, which we first distributed at the 2012 Biodiversity Day event.
Here is an excellent summary by Dr. Vicki Holmberg on the importance of biodiversity
And, we gratefully highlight that Governor Beshear proclaimed February 28, 2013 to be Biodiversity Day in the Commonwealth. In The Spotlight:
- Bruce Williams Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2011 Annual Meeting Report and Slide Show
- 2011 The Biodiversity of Kentucky Day at Frankfort
