1-18-12 —     Energy and Environment Secretary Len Peters recently announced the 

purchase of 998 contiguous acres in Wayne and McCreary counties to 

help protect the exceptional quality and aesthetic character of the 

Cumberland River's Little South Fork, a portion of which is 

designated a Kentucky Wild River.

    "The acquisition of this land will help protect an exquisite natural 

environment while providing a beautiful recreation area for 

Kentuckians and visitors to our state," said Peters.

    The $1.77 million purchase of the land, known as the Burnett 

property, was made possible through an award from the Heritage Land 

Conservation Fund, which is funded from the sale of nature license 

plates and the collection of unmined mineral taxes and environmental 

fines.

    These funds may be used to purchase natural areas with rare habitats 

and endangered species; areas important to migratory birds; areas 

that perform important natural functions that are subject to 

alteration or loss; and areas to be preserved in their natural state 

for public use, outdoor recreation and education.

    The Burnett property meets all of these criteria, said Zach Couch, 

coordinator of the Kentucky Wild Rivers program that is administered 

by the Kentucky Division of Water.

    The Kentucky Wild Rivers Act of 1972 designated segments of nine 

rivers as Wild Rivers. This designation allows the segments to retain 

many of their natural attributes and it protects them from unwise use 

and development. Each Wild River is actually a linear corridor 

encompassing 2,000 feet of all land on either side of the river.

    Some activities within these corridors are strictly prohibited, such 

as surface mining, clear-cutting of timber and construction of dams 

or other in-stream disturbances. While existing residential and 

agricultural use may continue, developments or activities that might 

impair the river's water quality or natural condition are regulated 

through a permit system.

    When property owners are willing, the state may purchase lands 

within the corridor or within the watershed of the Wild River to 

further protect the waterway. These lands are then subject to the 

restrictions imposed on the Wild Rivers corridor.

    The promise of land restrictions was the compelling selling factor 

for the former owners, Karen Burnett and her late husband, John.

    "Mrs. Burnett put her property up for sale with the condition that 

it not be parceled or developed," said Couch. "Through this program, 

she was able to sell the property to the Commonwealth of Kentucky at 

fair market value with the assurance that it would remain intact and 

in its natural state."

    Couch said the Burnett tract is an "extraordinary" piece of 

property. The landscape is varied, with evergreen and deciduous 

forests, grasslands and a 600-foot-high sandstone-capped knob known 

locally as the Pilot.

    The property also includes nearly 2.5 miles of frontage on the 

Little South Fork Wild Rivers corridor, which is known to contain a 

diverse assemblage of mussels and fish. One of these fish is the 

palezone shiner (Notropis albizonatus), which is listed as a 

federally endangered species.

    "This is the best stream worldwide for the population of palezone 

shiner," said Couch. "The presence of the species in this stretch of 

river is indicative of the health of the water and the importance of 

protecting the watershed surrounding it."

    The palezone shiner lives in flowing streams with clear, clean water 

and rocky, sandy bottoms. The only other known extant population is 

in the Paint Rock River in Jackson County, Alabama. Threats to the 

species include removal of vegetated streamside buffers and 

consequent warmer water temperatures, channelization, siltation, 

deforestation and pesticide runoff.

Couch said the land-use restrictions will help prevent these 

conditions from occurring.

    "Any time you can control what activities occur in a watershed, you 

can control the biological, botanical and recreational values of that 

waterway," said Couch.

    Couch said plans are underway for performing a complete 

environmental inventory of the property, restoring the grasslands to 

forest and establishing hiking trails. It is expected to be open to 

the public later this year.

    For more information about the Kentucky Wild Rivers program, call 

Allison Fleck at 502-564-3410. For information about the Kentucky 

Heritage Land Conservation Fund, call Zeb Weese at 502-573-3080.