State Nature Preserves Commission NATURALLY KENTUCKY

Number 28. October, November, December 1998 Special Cumberland Mountains Issue Kentucky’s Highlands – this region include Black, The Cumberland Moun- Little Black and Log tains mountains. These moun- tains attain elevations of By Marc Evans 3000 to over 4000 feet with the highest point in Kentucky is truly a beautiful state Kentucky being approxi- with many scenic landscapes and mately 4,139 feet at the unique ecological and biological top of Black Mountain. wonders. I’m often asked what In 1992 I started is my favorite part of the state a Natural Areas Inventory and I am hard pressed to select (NAI) of Bell, Harlan and a specific area. However, if I had Letcher counties. NAI is to choose just one part of the the process by which we Photo by Marc Evans state, I guess I’d have to pick the examine a specific area (in this Other important areas Cumberland Mountains. The rug- case counties) for remaining protected on Pine Mountain in- ged beauty of the landscape, natural areas. Although many clude Bad Branch State Nature large areas of forest, incredible interesting places were already Preserve, Kingdom Come State diversity, wonderful people, and known in the mountains, much Park Nature Preserve, the new great foggy mornings all add up inventory remained to be done. Boone Wildlife and Recreation to one very unique place in the Because of the ruggedness and Area, Kentucky Ridge State world. extensive forest cover of the Forest, Kentenia State Forest, The Cumberland Moun- area, this NAI has been more Pine Mountain Wildlife Manage- tains, which occur in the extreme difficult and time consuming ment Area (WMA), Breaks In- southeastern part of the state, than most county inventories terstate Park and Pine Moun- fall mainly within Bell, Harlan and and some sites still need to be tain State Park Nature Preserve. Letcher counties with small ar- visited or revisited. However, On Cumberland/Stone Mountain eas also within Pike and Whitley many previously unknown natu- protected areas include counties. These mountains are ral areas and rare species oc- National His- the only “true” mountains in Ken- currences have been discov- torical Park, Shillalah Creek tucky, having been upthrust as ered as a result of this inven- WMA, Cranks Creek WMA, part of a huge fault block with tory. Probably the most signifi- Stone Mountain Recreation more or less upturned edges. cant of these finds are Blanton Area, and Martin’s Fork Wild These upturned edges form the Forest and Hi Lewis Pine Bar- River. monoclinal border mountains; rens, both on Pine Mountain. Unfortunately, there are no Pine Mountain which forms the These two important areas have protected lands on the Black and northwest border and been at least partially protected Little Black Mountain ranges. Cumberland/Stone Mountain and will, hopefully, be fully pro- Much of these mountains have forming the southeast border. tected in the not too distant fu- been disturbed from surface The main interior mountains of ture. mining operations and almost all

Continued on page 2 have been heavily logged in the beautiful and unique part of Ken- past. However there is still ex- KSNPC-listed species known tucky. tensive forest cover on parts of only in Kentucky from Black Mountain these mountains and many rare Angelica triquinata species occur, especially on Filmy angelica Mining on Black Mountain Black Mountain. Botrychium oneidense Blunt-lobed grape-fern The Cumberland Moun- By Brainard Palmer-Ball Eupatorium maculatum tains contain some of the most Spotted joe-pye weed biologically and ecologically di- Heracleum maximum Over the past several verse, landscapes in Kentucky. Cow-parsnip months you may have heard Platanthera psycodes These mountains are home to Small purple-fringed orchid something about mining on Black the mixed mesophytic forest, Streptopus roseus var. perspectus Mountain, Kentucky’s highest one of the most diverse temper- Rosy twisted-stalk peak, in Harlan County. The is- Pilsbryna sp. ate forest types in the world, and a snail sue is a complex one, involving the only place in Kentucky where Triodopsis dentifera several different points of conten- northern hardwoods type forest Big-tooth whitelip tion. The permit application that Vertigo bollesiana occurs. Many rare and unusual Delicate vertigo has come to the forefront is actu- plants and animals live in the Pyrgus wyandot ally only a part of a substantial Cumberlands. At least 128 spe- Appalachian grizzled skipper mining project that is already un- Dendroica fusca cies of plants and animals con- Blackburnian warbler derway, having been approved in sidered endangered, threat- Junco hyemalis June 1992. An amendment to ened or of special concern by Dark-eyed junco this permit was approved in May KSNPC-listed species with the Commission occur in the 1997, expanding its size to about highest quality Kentucky 350 total acres. Mining began in mountains. This includes 76 populations known from August 1996 and as of July 1998, plants, 23 invertebrates, 12 Black Mountain birds, 9 mammals, 4 reptiles and Agrimonia gryposepala 70 acres have been disturbed. 4 fish. Many of these occur no- Tall hairy groovebur A second permit was sub- Carex leptonervia mitted in 1995 and approved in where else in the state. Finely-nerved sedge Although occupying only Hydrophyllum virginianum January 1996. This permit in- a small area of Kentucky (ap- Eastern waterleaf volves an area to the east of the Lilium superbum other mine but still at about the proximately 15 miles wide by 80 Turk’s cap lily miles long) the ancient Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens same elevation. The current pub- Cumberland Mountains of Ken- Red elderberry licity has arisen from the submis- Solidago caesia var. curtisii sion of a second amendment to tucky have long held an attrac- Curtis’ goldenrod tion to biologists and others in- Solidago roanensis the orginal permit that in effect terested in nature and the out- Roan mountain goldenrod supercedes the second permit to Mesomphix rugeli include an additional 450 acres doors in general. The Commis- Wrinkled button sion has had a long standing in- Vitrinizonites latissimus on the mountain east of the cur- terest in protecting important ar- Glassy grapeskin rent operation. Empidonax minimus Mountaintop removal has eas there and has slowly but Least flycatcher surely added to the protected Pheucticus ludovicianus been mentioned in the media, but acres. However, many more ar- Rose-breasted grosbeak most of the permitted activities Vermivora chrysoptera involve a strip of disturbance at eas in the mountains deserve Golden-winged warbler protection. It is the hope of the Wilsonia canadensis elevations between 3,400 and Commission that as more Canada warbler 3,800 feet along the southern Clethrionomys gapperi maurus slopes of the mountain. Black people and organizations rec- Kentucky red-backed vole ognize the importance and in- Sorex cinereus Mountain actually reaches an al- trinsic values of this area that Masked shrew titude of 4,139 feet, and the core more effort and money will be area of greatest biological sig- made available to protect this nificance is often considered to

2 - NATURALLY KENTUCKY include the 1,300 acres that lie Black Mountain is a unique bio- focused on the upper elevations. above 3,800 feet, so the most logical resource. Because of its However, while we know quite a important areas are not actually high elevation, the mountain sup- bit about Black Mountain, we do included in what is already being ports an important natural sys- not know nearly enough. For ex- mined or proposed for mining. tem of plants and animals unique ample, just this summer a biolo- However, two side ridges that lie in Kentucky. A Northern Hard- gist working on Black Mountain off the main crest and attain an woods forest type that supports discovered two plants new to the altitude of about 3,800 feet have numerous rare species occurs at state, Hobblebush Viburnum been proposed for coal extrac- higher elevations and is known in alnifolium and Roan sedge tion methods that would include Kentucky only in a few small Carex roanesis , (both are high removal of all material above the patches elsewhere in the elevation Appalachian species). coal seams being mined. These Cumberland Mountains. How- This highlights the need for addi- two ridges, which consist of ever, these patches do not har- tional inventory work there. In fact, about 22 and 44 acres, would be bor the full diversity of species the most critical step towards pro- restored to approximate natural present on Black Mountain. tecting the mountain’s contour, not left flat as in typical Nearly 40 KSNPC-listed biodiversity is to complete a bio- mountaintop removal work. species have been documented logical inventory. The goal of such All of that having been on the upper portions of the an effort would be to specifically said, however, the mining already mountain. One of these, the In- define the most critical portions underway and as proposed to diana bat Myotis sodalis, is listed so that they could be targeted for continue clearly threaten the in- as Federally Endangered. At further protection efforts. tegrity of Black Mountain’s bio- least 12 KSNPC-listed species The Commission will be logical diversity. In addition, no found on upper parts of the moun- closely monitoring developments one seems to know for sure how tain are known nowhere else in on Black Mountain. Our data ser- much more mining could be the Commonwealth, and the vices staff have handled a num- planned in the future on the north- populations of another 15 ber of requests for information ern side of the mountain. KSNPC-listed species are the on the biological significance of For this reason, some lo- highest quality known in the state the mountain, and we will con- cal groups are considering filing (see center column, page 2). tinue to be involved as the situa- a petition to declare the top of KSNPC monitors only a tion unfolds. the mountain “unsuitable for min- small subset of the biodiversity ing”, a provision allowed for in the known in Kentucky, mostly due federal Surface Mining Control to a lack of knowledge of many and Reclamation Act of 1977 and groups. Members of these implemented through Kentucky’s lesser-known groups are also administrative regulations (405 well-represented on Black Moun- KAR 24:303, Section 8b). This tain. For example, approxi- regulation states that a land can mately 40 moths have been col- KSNPC Quarterly be deemed unsuitable for mining lected on the mountain and no- Commission Meeting if the surface mining coal opera- where else in the state. Simi- tion will: larly, there are likely other spe- cies — mosses, fungi, spiders, DATE: December 8, 1998 “affect fragile or historic lands in and beetles, to name a few — PLACE: KSNPC which the surface coal mining and that occur in Kentucky only on 801 Schenkel Lane reclamation operations could result Black Mountain. Frankfort, KY in significant damage to important his- Black Mountain has been TIME: 10 a.m. toric, cultural, scientific, and aesthetic values and natural systems.” the focal point of a number of lim- ited biological studies over the Everyone agrees that past century, most of which have

NATURALLY KENTUCKY - 3 Putting a Face on a “Last Great Place” Preserve Spotlight:

By Bryce Fields Kingdom Come State Park Nature Preserve In keeping with the theme of this season’s newsletter, I’ve decided to tell you a little about By David Skinner the Cumberland Mountains — not from the biologist’s perspective, but from that of a native Nestled in the forest on Pine from the heart of the Cumberlands. Mountain is Kingdom Come I was born in Harlan County, and grew up in State Park. This is one of the lesser known state the little town of Cumberland, wedged between parks, but like any natural area on Pine Moun- Black and Pine Mountains. Life in Cumberland tain, it is by no means an insignificant place. King- moves at a slower pace than most places. Some dom Come State Park gets its name from the might even say it’s downright boring, but I’d have famous Civil War novel, The Little Shepherd of to disagree with them. How could anyone be bored Kingdom Come written by John Fox, Jr. The park with the mountains as a playground? is full of natural and scenic beauty and some of I remember many weekends wandering up the rock formations there are popular hiking ar- into the mountains, following a stream to its head, eas. Log Rock is a natural sandstone bridge and exploring the cliffs and rockhouses, or finding a is a 290 foot long monolith that pro- place with an incredible view where I could sit for trudes out of the mountain. hours and watch the world go by. However, I never In addition to the usual recreational ameni- realized growing up how uniquely lucky I was to ties provided at a state park, Kingdom Come have nature literally at my front door. State Park also has a 225 acre dedicated state Time passed, I grew up, and went off to nature preserve. All of the land in the preserve is Richmond to become “educated” (some would on the north facing slope of Pine Mountain. It is argue that that was a fruitless quest!). In gradu- steep, forested, talus-covered and harbors Line ate school, I learned of the biological significance Fork Cave. This area is home to several rare of the Cumberlands. I learned, for instance, that animals. The rocky slopes provide refuge for these mountains are the center of diversity for Lucy Kentucky red-backed voles (Clethrionomys Braun’s Mixed Mesophytic forest type, that they gapperi maurus), masked shrews (Sorex are home to unique communities and species - cinereus) and long-tailed shrews (Sorex dispar unique not only for Kentucky, but in some instances, blitchi). The first two species are considered the only place in the world where they can be found. special concern species and long-tailed shrews I consider myself to be truly fortunate to are endangered in Kentucky. Line Fork Cave is a work for an organization that is dedicated to the significant hibernaculum for the federally endan- preservation of my childhood playgrounds. Hi gered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). The cave is Lewis, Kingdom Come State Park, Bad Branch, also the winter home for small numbers of small- and Blanton Forest State Nature Preserves com- footed bats (Myotis liebii) and occasionally for a prise an excellent first step toward preserving this Rafinesque big-eared bat (Corynorhinus special region, but there are many other areas in rafinesquii). Small footed bats and Rafinesque the Cumberlands that are worthy of protection. big-eared bats are listed as state endangered Hopefully, due to the efforts of the Commission and threatened, respectively. and other like-minded organizations, I’ll have more In 1997, KSNPC terrestrial zoologist than mere pictures and memories of these places Brainard Palmer-Ball, counted 1,747 Indiana bats where I grew up to share with my children. in Line Fork Cave during a midwinter hibernation survey. This number is very close to the 1995 survey (1,744 individuals). The number of Indi- ana bats has fluctuated between 2,661 and 4,808 bats in the early 1990’s. Surveys in the early

4 - NATURALLY KENTUCKY 1980’s were over 8,000 bats but historical esti- of the finest gems within these Mountains. A visit mates indicate that Line Fork Cave had between to Kingdom Come, like all state nature preserves, 50,000 and 100,000 Indiana bats. This drastic de- can provide you with much needed respite from an crease in the number of bats may, in part, be due often hectic and chaotic world. If you would like to to logging and other forest disturbances but the visit or learn more about this unique preserve call large historical decreases in bat numbers is be- the KSNPC office. lieved to be primarily due to disturbing the bats in the cave during their hibernation. Indiana bats have enough fat reserves to carry them through their winter hibernation and, if they are fortunate, a little to spare. Even small disturbances can cause the “We have become masters of topography. We can rearrange the landscape to suit our fancy, bats to become active and use energy that may and we can build whatever we please. But be vital to their ability to hibernate until they are having learned to move mountains, we should able to catch insects again in the spring. Cave not forget that mountains still have the power gates like the one on Line Fork Cave have saved to move us.” thousands of bats from starving to death during Roger B. Swain from Saving Graces: Sojourns of the winter. a Backyard Biologist In addition to the rare bats that inhabit Line Fork Cave, the cave is a unique resource on its own. Along with having numerous formations, Line Fork is also one of the largest caves on Pine Moun- tain with just under 5 miles of mapped passages. The cave was mapped by the Pine Mountain Sur- vey, an informal group of volunteer cavers. Most Dave Skinner’s New Plant Discovery of these cavers are from the Detroit, Michigan area and the group’s organizer is Dave Schang. Dave by Joyce Bender and his associates also assist with the biennial Indiana bat surveys and on May 30 they coordi- On August 27, 1998, Eastern Regional Pre- nated a clean-up of the cave. Volunteers who par- serve Manager, Dave Skinner found a plant that ticipated in the clean up were Dave and Karen has never been recorded for Kentucky. Schang, Bob Dever and Jim Currens. Dave, Karen While checking on the boundary survey for and Bob are with the Pine Mountain Survey Group Hymes Knob, a current acquisition project in Lewis and Jim is with the Bluegrass Grotto. For de- County, Dave spotted a pink flowered plant on the cades, before the cave was gated to protect the neighbor’s property. The attractive plant had half- hibernating Indiana bats, Line Fork was a popular inch diameter pink bell-shaped flowers, purplish, recreational site for cavers and much littering and lanceolate leaves with light spots, and was about vandalism occurred. Despite being gated, the cave two feet in height. is still open to the public from May through August It looked familiar, but he couldn’t name it. when it is not occupied by the Indiana bats. People He brought a specimen to Frankfort and asked who are interested in visiting the cave can call the staff botanist Deborah White to help with the iden- Kingdom Come State Park office to make arrange- tification. Deborah identified it as Agalinis ments to borrow the gate key. The cave entrance auriculata, the ear-leaf foxglove. Dave had seen is remotely located and requires traversing very this plant in Adams County, Ohio (right across the rough terrain, but most people agree that the ef- Ohio River from Lewis County) more than ten years fort required to explore the belly of Pine Mountain before. Listed as endangered in Ohio, the ear- is well worth it. leaf foxglove will likely be listed as endangered in The Cumberland Mountains have long been known for scenic and biological treasures, and Kingdom Come State Park Nature Preserve is one Continued on Page Six

NATURALLY KENTUCKY - 5 Kentucky when the rare plant list Stewardship Staff Update ment Worker and is now writing is revised. nature preserve management Dave returned to the site by Joyce Bender plans. Bree will finish her with staff ecologist Aissa Master’s degree at Eastern Ken- Feldmann and found a total of The Stewardship Pro- tucky University this December. 135 ear-leaf foxgloves. The site gram has undergone a few staff She is digging into the adminis- is within the preserve design that changes since the last newslet- trative assignments that have was developed for Hymes Knob, ter. Kyle Napier, long time sea- been piling up since August. Ad- and this discovery gives even sonal employee at Bad Branch ditional tasks for both will include more incentive to seeing the State Nature Preserve and more participating on the burn crew and tract protected within the nature recently Stewardship Assistant assisting with vegetation sam- preserve. for our five Pine Mountain pre- pling on the preserves. Bree and When asked about his ex- serves, became the Southeast Paul bring the total of permanent citing find, Dave responded, "It Regional Preserve Manager on stewardship staff to six. is reassuring that new species August first. The Commission is It was only twelve short can still be discovered consid- fortunate to have someone as years ago that I initiated the ering how changes in land use dedicated and knowledgeable as Commission’s Stewardship Pro- have removed so much of the Kyle taking care of the old gram. Ten years went by until biodiversity from large areas of growth forests, pine barrens, the next two permanent staff Kentucky." Keep up the good scenic gorges, waterfalls, and positions were established. And work Dave! the rare plants and animals that then this summer, three more have been entrusted to us. positions! Each staff addition has Andrea Hughes left Ken- enabled us to accomplish more tucky in August for Las Cruces, and has increased our effective- New Mexico. Andrea is attend- ness in an ever expanding nature ing graduate school at New preserve system. With six of us Mexico State University. Al- now, I look forward to the chal- though she was here for only a lenges of the coming year. Did You Know... year, she made some substan- tial contributions to the Steward- ...that Naturally Kentucky is ship Program. Among the things available in digital format on the Andrea left behind: a more orga- KSNPC website? Just point your internet browser to: nized filing system, a new means of tracking our research permit- http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/ ting process, new interpretive nrepc/ksnpc information in the form of fact sheets, trail head signs and bro- and click the "Newsletter" button. chures, and some great new graphics for Commission slide Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free presentations. We miss her download available at our site) is cheerfulness and her "can do" at- required to view the newsletter. titude. Paul Quinlan and Bree Enderle are our new Steward- ship Assistants. Both started in November, picking up where Brad Nyholm and Andrea left off. Paul spent the last eight months with us as a Preserve Manage-

6 - NATURALLY KENTUCKY Notes From the Director and other rare stream life. Dottie Sims, who, to her misfor- They were successful in tune, had previous commitments By Don Dott finding a muskrat “midden” – or to attend. the table scraps from a muskrat’s Being an outdoor person HELLO! I am thrilled to have dinner. Using these leftovers, Ron at heart, this is a job I am going been selected as the new Direc- and Ellis displayed the shells of to love. I am grateful for the op- tor of the KSNPC! Barry Howard numerous species of mussels portunity to be in the Director’s did an excellent job in the interim that had been fed upon by the office and wholeheartedly prom- as Acting Director and helping me ise to do the very best that I can to get started, for which he de- to work with the staff and Com- serves a BIG THANKS. missioners of KSNPC to protect There is a lot to do, and the best natural areas of Ken- having come from the legal of- tucky. If I can be of any assis- fice of the Natural Resources and tance or answer any questions, Environmental Protection Cabi- my office door is always open. net I have a lot of new terminol- ogy to learn. The staff is top muskrat, whom Ron begrudgingly notch – not only are they all mas- acknowledged to be a superior ters of their trade, but they are a mussel hunter. Though the musk- pleasure to work with and have rats consume their catch, their been patient and helpful in an- natural ability to find mussels pro- swering my many neophyte vides an excellent source of infor- questions. As soon as I get my mation to determine the species feet on the ground, and maybe a present in a streambed. How- little before that, I intend to move ever, the muskrats are not the only Attention Parents!! us ahead on our primary missions ones who could find mussels, as KSNPC and the Lexington – locating and dedicating new several of the more common va- Children's Museum are teaming nature preserves and inventory- rieties are easily picked up in the up for fun in December. ing the outstanding natural areas shallow runs of the stream. of Kentucky. The canoe trip also Saturday, December 19th With only three weeks on brought us past a beautiful and Animals, Nature, and More! the job I attended my first Com- unique area known as the “300 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. mission meeting. The Commis- Springs”. There were three sepa- sion met in Munfordville in Hart rate waterfalls, apparently pe- Come visit the Lexington County on September 22, con- rennial, even after the dry months Children's Museum and learn ducted normal business and of August and September , cas- about the plants, animals, and heard a report on the mussels of cading over enormous “rocks” natural communities that share the Green River in anticipation of composed of tufa, a sedimen- Kentucky with us. We'll even get a canoe trip scheduled for the fol- tary deposit of minerals from the to see some critters up close! lowing morning. spring water. The entire area Open to all ages. Free with Mu- Wednesday morning was covered with a lush green seum admission. broke clear and brisk, presaging blanket of ferns and mosses. a great day on the Green. I had The canoe trip was not only a For directions, or for more infor- the pleasure of Lee Jackson, learning expedition, but a won- mation, please call the Lexington spouse of Commissioner Ken derful day in the outdoors for the Children's Museum at (606) 258- Jackson, as pilot of my canoe – Commission, its staff and guests. 3256 or KSNPC at (502) 573- who ably kept us in the wake of We would also like to thank Louis 2886. Ron Cicerello and Ellis Sims who attended on behalf of Laudermilk in search of mussels his spouse, Representative Hope to see you there!

NATURALLY KENTUCKY - 7 Natural Areas Association Conference Update By Don Dott Joyce Bender, Dave Skinner and I attended the Natural Areas Association Conference October 6-10, 1998 on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Attendees stayed at Mission Point Resort on the northeastern corner of the island, and enjoyed a beautiful setting with a panoramic view of Lake Huron. The leaves of the Lower Peninsula were at the height of their color, and provided a beautiful backdrop for the conference.

The conference itself was top-notch. Due to flight delays we missed the plenary session on Tuesday. However, Wednesday and Friday were filled with various concurrent sessions. There were approximately 6-8 presentations given simultaneously on twenty-minute intervals, presenting a large variety of topics ranging from "Autumn Olive Eleagnus Umbellata effects on Oak Ecosystems" to "The Vernal Pools of Eastern Washington”. Perhaps the most unusual topic concerned white-tailed deer feeding on alewives (a small fish) that die off in large numbers on the shore of North Manitou Island.

Thursday was devoted to field trips, which ran in length from a few hours to a full day. I attended a trip to the Jordan River Valley designed to highlight issues arising in planning a state natural area preserve. The Jordan River is a picturesque stream, roughly 40 feet wide, 1-2 feet deep, fed by ground water from a huge wedge of glacial outwash, crisscrossed with fallen timbers and lined with Northern White Cedar. The trip was very informative from a management perspective, and exciting as we spotted salmon traveling up the Jordan and Sandhill cranes flying far overhead.

The conference proved itself invaluable for the opportunity to meet and talk with natural area professionals from across the continent. The Jordan River field trip included a woman from the USFWS in Alaska and a representative from British Columbia, Canada. I also met government and TNC officials from Michigan and several surrounding states. The NAA conference was well-organized and informative, and I would recommend it to anyone with a strong interest in natural area preservation. Tucson, Arizona, is the selected conference site for 1999.

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/H The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet does not discriminate on the basis Kentucky State Nature Preserves Com- of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or disability and provides, upon request, mission reasonable accommodations including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford an individual 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601 with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in all services, programs, and activities. Tel. (502)573-2886 Fax (502)573- 2355 [email protected] homepage: www.state.ky.us/agencies/nrepc/ ksnpc/index.htm It is the mission of the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission to protect Commissioners Kentucky's natural heritage by: (1) identifying, acquiring, and managing natural Lucy A. Breathitt areas that represent the best known occurrences of rare native species, natural O.D. Hawkins Kenneth Jackson, Secretary communities, and significant natural features in a statewide nature preserves Eunice L. Johnson system; (2) working with others to protect biological diversity; and (3) Clara Wheatley educatingKentuckians as to the value and purpose of nature preserves Director and biodiversity. Don Dott Staff Joyce Bender Ronald Cicerello Commonwealth of Kentucky Tim Clarke BULK RATE Amy Covert Kentucky State U.S. POSTAGE Nick Drozda Nature Preserves PAID Bree Enderle Commission FRANKFORT, KY Marc Evans 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, KY PERMIT NO. 379 Aissa Feldmann 40601 Bryce Fields Karen Gossett Martina Hines Ellis Laudermilk Gail McGee Kyle Napier Brainard Palmer-Ball Paul Quinlan Rick Remington Dan Russell David Skinner Deborah White Printed with state funds on recycled paper 8 - NATURALLY KENTUCKY