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Reclaimed coal mine lands |
Surface mining for coal has a dramatic impact on the habitat of the region, and reclaimed surface mines provide habitat for elk and many grassland species of wildlife. The Elk Foundation is working with state and federal regulators to revise mine reclamation guidelines to allow companies to create good habitat during the initial reclamation process. With just some minor adjustments, reclaimed surface could provide outstanding habitat for elk, quail, grassland songbirds, short-eared owls and many other grassland species.
• 5-year cost estimate to achieve goal is $111,000.
Habitat Improvement
This strategy involves restoring habitat on old mine sites. In the past, many surface mines were reclaimed with undesirable grasses and other plants. Working with agency partners and private landowners, we are restoring high-quality vegetation to these sites through the use of fire, herbicides, ripping and the planting of new grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees. The Elk Foundation will leverage funding for these habitat improvement projects through federal Farm Bill programs, the US Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service cost share programs. The Elk Foundation also intends to develop a wildlife habitat consulting service to provide technical assistance to the mining industry to help create high-quality wildlife habitat on surface mines during the reclamation process.
• 5-year cost estimate to accomplish goal is $1,385,000.
Habitat Protection and Public Access to Wild Lands and Wildlife
Permanent protection of important habitat will be done through acquisitions and conservation easements. The Elk Foundation uses GIS technology, land ownership data, State Wildlife Grant plan data, elk telemetry data, and data collected by using forward-looking infrared technology to find and count elk, deer, bears, cattle and horses.
Concurrently, the Elk Foundation will be working with partners to develop funding sources for land acquisitions and incentives for landowners to protect their lands with conservation easements. There is currently no dependable source of state funds for land acquisitions, and incentives for easements are limited to income tax and estate tax reductions. We believe that we can develop state-based incentives that will motivate more landowners to consider conservation agreements on their land.
• 5-year cost estimate to achieve goal is $3,566,500.
Wildlife-Based Tourism - The Redbird Project
The five- to seven-county region around the Redbird District of the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) will serve as a pilot project for the Eastern Coalfields. The Elk Foundation will develop a collaborative relationship among the counties and the DBNF to create a vision and plan for making the DBNF an important contributor to the socioeconomic fabric of the region. This effort will include state, federal and county agencies, local citizens, corporate landowners, the Southeast Kentucky Tourism Development Association and other conservation groups. By building a vision for economic development through wildlife-related recreation, we will create the demand for habitat conservation.
• 5-year cost estimate to achieve goal is $553,500.
Five-year cost estimate to fully implement the ECWI—the conservation plan for the elk zone of Kentucky is $5,616,000
Who to Contact
Call (606) 330-0179 and speak with Initiative Program Director David Ledford or email him at davidrmef@alltel.net.
If you are interested in ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat in North America’s oldest mountains, support the Appalachians Wildlife Initiative today!