The U.S. Forest Service has been receiving public comment on a plan to log 10,000 acres of forest on Jellico Mountain in southeastern Kentucky over a 40-year period. The deadline for submission of comments about the project's Draft Environmental Assessment is May 24, 2024. Complicating the issue is an Executive Order signed by President Biden to conserve mature and old-growth forests on federal lands. Kentucky Heartwood, an organization formed in 1992 by people concerned about logging, mining, and off-road vehicles in the Daniel Boone National Forest, has raised concerns about certain elements of the plan. Below are comments on related issues by Kentucky Heartwood Executive Director Lauren Kallmeyer, and District Ranger Tim Reed.
Executive Order
Landslides
Flooding
Invasive Species
Proposed Alternative Plan
What's Next
More Information
US Forest Service Jellico Plan