Lyon County judge-executive Wade White estimates 110 cars lined up Sunday to tour areas of Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area that have come under scrutiny because of land management practices.
The convoy was part of White's LBL Coalition's efforts to raise awareness about the so-called "8,600" - the number of acres involved in LBL’s oak grassland project, begun in 2004, that uses cutting and burning in the interests of forest health and wildlife habitat improvement.
Paula Edwards is the president of the Murray State Arboretum’s board of directors and was in the convoy. Edwards said she was shocked by what she saw.
“It was surrealistically unnatural," Edwards said. "It was thinned out, spaces between trees, no grass, whatsoever. They’re speaking of this savannah, oaklands, and I saw no savannah, whatsoever. I saw briars.”
Edwards said the convoy was made up of a diverse group of concerned citizens.
“The Jeep Club, former LBL’ers, or BTRs as they like to be called, Between the Rivers - nature lovers," Edwards said. "These aren’t just extreme environmentalists. This is everybody that lives in this area and loves LBL.”
White said his coalition is fine with the work being carried out to its conclusion in the 8,600, but doesn’t want it expanding to other areas of LBL.
"They may get it to work," White said. "They thought they could get it to work in 4 years. That was back in '07. It's been 8 years and it doesn't look any better. We don't have much faith that it will work and if it does, it's going to be extremely costly."
U.S. Forest Service officials have been conducting listening sessions recently to hear the public’s concerns. The LBL Coalition will hold its own informational meeting in Lyon County on Thursday, July 16 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Lyon County Convention Center.
