Conservation
Kentucky Heartwood represented at Old Growth Science Summit in Washington, D.C.
Thanks to all the donors who helped send Jim Scheff to the Mature and Old Growth Science Summit , held in Washington, D.C. from March 4 – 6. This invitation-only meeting was hosted by the U.S. Forest Service and the Society of American Foresters to complement and inform policies aimed at conserving mature and old-growth (MOG) forests on our national forest lands , including the Daniel Boone National Forest.
The conference had over 200 attendees, including scientists, tribal forestry representatives, policy-makers, agency personnel, and land managers. The Summit was centered around the Biden administration’s proposed national forest plan amendment. That proposal aims to conserve mature and old-growth forests on federal lands in support of their climate buffering capacity, while also managing those forests for resiliency in the face of climate change and other stressors. Jim was one of only a few advocates present and was able to offer thoughts and observations about old-growth and public lands management in our region.
Forest Service officials in attendance asserted that the agency has largely shifted away from regeneration harvests, like clearcuts and low-retention shelterwood harvests, and instead focuses on thinning (especially understory thinning) to reduce wildfire hazards. In contrast, Jim was able to speak for our forests and explain that the Daniel Boone National Forest continues to emphasize severe regeneration cuts. In sharing our “boots on the ground” experiences, he was also able to explain the disregard – even hostility – toward old-growth forests from personnel on the Daniel Boone, and express our concerns about how this disregard could make any adoption of the proposed mature and old-growth forest protections meaningless.
The conference offered some very insightful presentations and thoughtful discussions on a very complicated, difficult topic. And a centering of indigenous cultural practices and contemporary tribal forestry perspectives brought another, and much appreciated, layer of complexity. In many respects, the ecological legacy of North America cannot be separated from indigenous cultural practices extending back through the Holocene the end of the last ice age.
March 25th, 2024 by Kentucky Heartwood, Organizer
Bernheim Forest is Bullitt County’s Priceless Asset
Bullitt County is growing fast and the county’s importance to the economic development of the Kentucky Commonwealth is clear. With growth, however, comes challenges, and leaders are tasked with difficult decisions daily. Bullitt County officials and residents must take a thoughtful long-range approach to this rapid growth.
As development spreads out along the I-65 corridor, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest is almost the last remaining green space. Is it possible to grow while conserving natural areas? Is it possible to attract businesses and protect the social and cultural character of Bullitt County? Is it possible to develop both industry and tourism? The answer is yes. In today’s world it is critical to adopt measures that encourage sustainable development, where quality of life and quality of the environment should all be considered when making strategic decisions.
Bullitt County has a unique opportunity to be a leader in sustainable energy. Jim Beam Distillery is shifting to biogas for energy while Synthica Lebanon Junction promises to recycle the byproducts of local food and beverage industries, turning it into “green” energy. Warehouses along I-65 can and should add solar installations to their rooftops. Such energy sources can be more reliable than fossil fuels during cold weather as was the case during winter storms in both 2021 and 2022.* Additionally, they are good for the environment and for Bullitt County’s public image!
This past year, LG&E went to court to condemn privately owned farmland and a section of a critically important wildlife corridor in Bernheim to run its high-pressure methane gas pipeline. Much of the farmland has been in families for generations and Bernheim Research Forest and Arboretum is the largest privately owned forest with a mission of conservation and education in the Eastern U.S. It provides a marvelous and accessible place for Bullitt County residents to spend time in nature with their families. Additionally, Bernheim attracts over 350,000 visitors to Bullitt County each year from all 50 states and numerous other countries and is a jewel in the county’s draw for tourism. We strongly believe that LG&E should not be permitted to run their pipeline on this route. As mentioned, alternative energy sources exist that would not destroy conservation lands or force landowners to part with their family land. According to Bernheim, the plans by Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E) to build this pipeline “would break up a mostly intact forest, destroy habitat and migration routes for countless wildlife, and impact clean streams for decades.” We believe this pipeline will not serve Bullitt County today or for future generations.
Today there is a golden opportunity to keep this Bullitt County gem of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest and surrounding family farms intact. (For details, go to SaveBernheimNow.org)
We ask that residents contact your local officials and let them know that the pipeline through generational farms and Bernheim Research Forest & Arboretum is not okay and that officials should roll back their support of LG&E’s pipeline.
Sincerely,
Individuals: Andrew Berry, Jenny Boone, Christy Collins, Missy Cornish, Tanya Coulter, Carolyn Cromer, Gemma Doll, Drew Foley, Maggie Hettinger, Ed Jewell, Diane Key, Joe and Kathy Kremer, Greg Magyar, Andy Marler, Lauri McDougall, Rev. Elisa Owen, Lisa Schoenbachler, Tracy Stalling, Wallace McMullen, Dr. Mark Wourms
Organizations: Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Bullitt Countians for Justice, First Unitarian Church 7th Principle Group, First Unitarian Church Board of Directors, Dominican Sisters of Peace, Heartwood-Forest Council, Kentucky Heartwood, Greater Louisville Sierra Club, Justice Center at All Peoples, New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future, Protect Our Woods, Save Bernheim Now Coalition, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership
*https://www.nrdc.org/stories/face-winter-storm-our-grid-reliable* https://nkytribune.com/2023/09/commentary-kentucky-coal-association-needs-to-face-the-facts-about-true-cause-of-power-failures/
Bernheim Forest Protection
Unfortunately, the LG&E gas pipeline threat remains, and LG&E has sued Bernheim Forest to take the Bernheim land it seeks through condemnation under the power of eminent domain. Sierra Club and many partner groups are maintaining a watchful eye on this situation and are doing everything in our power to help Bernheim Forest fend off this pipeline threat.
To find out what you can do to help Bernheim Forest, go to this website. There you will find background, updates and, most importantly, tools for contacting all the relevant organizations to make your feelings known.
Floyds Fork Advocates in Conservation Form District Working Group
The next working group meeting will be announced most likely before thanksgiving. We’re hoping for an in person meeting that will permit actual discussions on the provisions of the Form District.
Climate and Energy
Adaptation to Changing Climate is Critical Now
The tragic impact of hurricane Ian is a stern reminder that adapting to the serious present and future risks of climate change is as important as mitigating GHG emissions that cause climate change to begin with. It is virtually certain that risk to cities is increasing in tandem with continuing GHG emissions. There is one Florida town that fared better than most because they built resilience into their critical systems. It’s a hopeful and helpful story from Babcock Ranch, Florida that proves it's possible to make communities that are better prepared for impacts of extreme events.
It is tempting to blame every weather disaster on global warming but the fact is we cannot say with any certainty that a direct cause and effect exists for any individual event. What we do know is that as Earth warms, the probability of extreme events increases. Earth has warmed about 1° Celsius (1.8° F) since pre-industrial times and it took a whole lot of energy to make that happen.
I visualize a warming atmosphere like making a milkshake in a blender. To simulate heat energy in the whole Earth system in the year 1900, put in three scoops of ice cream and a cup of milk and turn it on low. Carefully remove the top, peek in and notice the vortex in the middle and how far the shake reaches up the sides. Turn it to the next highest setting and you’ll see the vortex is deeper in the center and the shake swirling higher up the sides. That’s 2022. And each coming decade Earth will warm further (“puree”) until greenhouse gas emissions are dramatically reduced (net zero) or eliminated.
Absent massive carbon dioxide removal strategies that don’t yet exist (other than mass adoption of reforestation and regenerative agriculture), a more energetic atmosphere will be essentially permanent for contemporary civilization. So if humans of the Earth manage to stabilize CO2 atmospheric concentration below 450 ppm, currently scheduled for arrival in 2034 or ’35, adaptation strategies must reflect probabilities of extreme events at the expected higher levels of atmospheric CO2 in the future.
Most would agree the most pertinent climate risks in the Greater Louisville area are flooding, excessive heat, and drought. The risk of catastrophic flooding is the scariest of all, especially for those living in Central, West, and South West Louisville. MSD estimates maintenance of the drainage and floodwall systems for the next 20 years amounts to more than $1.2 billion and $683 million respectively.Many of the poorest neighborhoods in our area are at still at risk of sudden downpours like the ones in 2009, 2015, and the terrible Eastern KY floods this year. Today we are not adequately prepared for events like that: events that may not even require the closing of floodgates. Finally, is our flood wall capable of handling a flood like the record flood of 1937? Maybe not. It is an issue we need to pay more attention to. If you live outside Jefferson County, check your local flood agency for existing risks.
Advocating for Renewable Energy
Greater Louisville Group played a key role in Louisville Metro Council's passage of the 100% Clean and Renewable Energy Resolution. Read about it HERE.
Habitat for Humanity of Louisville / GLSC 7.25 kW array is producing carbon free electricity right now!
1985!