Call to Order and Roll Call
The 4th meeting of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tourism, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue was held on Thursday, October 27, 2016, at 10:00 AM, in Room 149 of the Capitol Annex. Representative Jeffery Donohue, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Representative Jeffery Donohue, Co-Chair; Senators Perry B. Clark, Stan Humphries, and Alice Forgy Kerr; Representatives Terry Mills, Marie Rader, Dean Schamore, and John Short.
Guests: Bennett Knox, Administrator, Jefferson Memorial Forest and Executive Director, Wilderness Louisville, Inc.; Bill Steele, Director, Kentucky Division of Forestry; Floyd Willis, Fire Chief, Kentucky Division of Forestry; Eric Gracey, Manager, Reforestation and State Forest Branch, Kentucky Division of Forestry; and Peter Goodmann, Director, Kentucky Division of Water.
LRC Staff: Katherine Halloran, Greg Troutman, and Jenny Wells.
Jefferson Memorial Forest
Mr. Knox presented an overview of the Jefferson Memorial Forest and the various ways it acquires funding.
In response to questions from Sen. Clark, Mr. Knox confirmed that Jefferson Memorial Forest still has a relationship with Boy Scouts. Wilderness Louisville, Inc. is a friends group that was established in 2013. Jefferson Memorial Forest has utilized some federal funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Recreational Trails Programs Grant.
Tree Nurseries and the Fire Suppression Program
Mr. Steele, Mr. Willis, and Mr. Gracey presented on the status of tree nurseries and the fire suppression program.
In response to questions from Chair Donohue, Mr. Steele stated that the Division of Forestry's decrease in staff since 2006 was a result of budget reductions. Mr. Willis stated that in some cases fires are started to divert attention away from an area where marijuana is growing. Two-thirds of the forest fires in Kentucky are due to arson.
In response to questions from Rep. Schamore, Mr. Gracey noted that inmate labor is utilized to harvest seedlings. Mr. Steele noted that White Oaks typically don't reach maturity for about 80 years.
State-Owned Dams
Mr. Goodmann presented on the status of dams owned by the Commonwealth.
In response to a question from Chair Donohue, Mr. Goodmann stated that high hazard and moderate hazard dams are inspected once every two years while low hazard dams are inspected every three years.
There being no further business before the subcommittee, the meeting was adjourned at 11:31 AM.