Recreation Vs. Preservation
Letting people enjoy nature is a goal consistent with most Land Conservation programs. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is funded by outdoor recreators. Our Parks Department depends on visitors to pay the bills. But is recreation the only reason to preserve natural spaces. If you read the bodies of HBs 173 and 312 you would think so. Both of these bills make the main purpose of all state owned lands recreation and in the case of HB 173, economic development and tourism as well. Both bills require (in some form) land preservation agencies such as Forestry, or Kentucky Nature Preserves to defend any decision to prohibit recreational uses on their land. In HB 312 it’s equine recreation but in HB 173 it could also be ATV’s and other off-road vehicles. The bills’ backers say that they won’t take away an agency’s ability to prohibit activities on sensitive lands but the onus is on the agencies to prove the need for restriction rather than on the recreators to request access to specific areas. The real problem with these bills is that they completely change the missions of programs like forestry,nature preserves and the Kentucky the Heritage Land Trust Fund. Both bills redefine all state owned lands as “State owned recreation lands”. By doing this they effectively redefine the missions of the above mentioned programs from protection of natural areas to economic development and tourism. These programs were created by the Legislature to protect unique and sensitive natural areas for future generations to enjoy. Many of these areas are already open to the public, some have restrictions, and some due to their delicate ecosystems are available only by request . This is as it should be. The decision to alter access to these ares for recreational purposes should controlled by the agencies who hold title to the lands. If there are areas that are currently off-limits to equine trails then these should be discussed with The Department for Natural Resources and accommodations could be made, but don’t change the entire mission of land conservation and preservation programs across the state to accomplish it.Please contact members of the Tourism Development and Energy Committee ( Eddie Ballard chair) and opposes these bills as they are currently written.