Land and Water Goals

Conserve Kentucky was an initiative formed from partners including KCC and several land conservation nonprofits in Kentucky to increase awareness of the importance of Kentucky’s lands and waters, and to help coordinate important legislative and conservation efforts among outdoor recreation, tourism, agriculture and environmental interests. Conserve Kentucky seeks to foster innovative collaborations between the public and private sectors that help sustain the benefits of Kentucky’s lands and waters for nature and people.

Why It’s Important

Kentucky’s conservation funding pales in comparison to other states. According to the Trust for Public Land Conservation Almanac—a non-partisan, non-profit group that tracks conservation funding policy in the United States—Kentucky invested approximately $46 million in land conservation during the span of 1998-2008, or $11 per capita. States such as North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee spent between $123 million and $1.08 billion or between $20 and $120 per capita during the same time period.

The overwhelming majority of Kentuckians would support state-funded conservation programs. According to a study conducted by the bipartisan research team of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (Dem.) and Public Opinion Strategies (Rep.), Kentuckians would support an increase in conservation efforts.

• Eighty-six percent of voters support maintaining and/or increasing state government funding for programs to protect land, water and wildlife.

• Sixty-six percent of voters support dedicating additional public funding for land, water and wildlife conservation in Kentucky.

• Seventy-four percent of voters believe we can have a clean environment and strong economy at the same time without having to choose one over the other.

The Land Conservation and Stewardship Task Force

KCC has a rich history in land and water conservation. We were key in addressing Kentucky’s Scenic Easement legislation, the formation of the Purchase of Agricultural Easements (PACE) Program and strengthened Kentucky’s Wild River act among many of our accomplishments. we have been a watchdog for Kentucky’s land and water protection for over forty years.

KCC decided at its 2005 Annual Meeting to focus on Land Conservation and Stewardship its primary legislative priority that year. 

Bolstered with funds from individual members and groups such as the Sierra Club and the Beckham Bird Club, KCC effectively lobbied during the 2006 General Assembly for legislation to form the “Land Conservation and Stewardship Task Force.” 

The Task Force's report, published in January 2008, recommended that more study be given to the development of legislation over the long term to create a comprehensive Land Stewardship program similar to those existing in North Carolina , Florida and other states. In 2008, Rep Robin Webb with the support of the KCC and others was successful in securing that reauthorization. 

The Report of the Task Force was released in January 2008 by the Legislative Research Commission and made these findings and recommendations: 

• A strategic plan for to coordinate and prioritize public land acquisition is needed. 

• Funding, limited to $ 4.5 million per year to the Heritage Lands Conservation Fund from the sale of “Nature” license plates at that time, environmental fines, and part of the unmined minerals tax, was inadequate for long-term sustainability. Furthermore, an additional funding stream would be needed to match available federal funds for agricultural conservation easements through the PACE program.

The Project Continues

Conserve Kentucky was then formed in 2008 with the intent of bringing together organizations in the Commonwealth that are focused on conserving Kentucky’s natural habitats and working lands for future generations, and to focus on carrying out the recommendations of the task force report. The groups that are part of Conserve Kentucky represent a broad set of interests. Led by a coalition comprised of Kentucky Conservation Committee, The Nature Conservancy, The Kentucky Conservation Committee, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, the Sierra Club, the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust and others, these groups are coming together with a united voice and with the hope of advancing the conservation of our lands and waters.

Funding Restored, but more needed

During the 2020 legislative session, the Kentucky Conservation Committee worked to remove the annual budget “sweeps” that had affected the land conservation fund for several previous budget sessions. While we were successful in removing the “sweeps” in 2020, as well as having partial success during 2016 session restoring some swept funds, the reality is that the funding for land conservation continues to diminish with or without “budget sweeping.” KCC is working to research new sources of funding, using models from other states.

Resources

Conservation: an Investment that Pays, The Economic Benefits of Land Conservation)
by The Trust for Public Land, 2009

Conservation Finance Feasibility Study for Kentucky
Trust for Public Land Report, Feb. 2011.

Conserve Kentucky Fact Sheet 2019