Congressman Ben Chandler is the latest high-profile figure to join the opposition against UK's plans to commercially log 1,000 acres in its research forest in Eastern Kentucky.
"I deeply regret the decision of the University of Kentucky to clear-cut over 800 acres of the Robinson Forest in Eastern Kentucky. This forest is a true treasure in Kentucky, containing a significant fraction of old-growth forest and two of the most pristine watersheds in the state. In particular, I question the stated reasons for logging this land, which are to generate funds for scholarships and to study sedimentation rates of streams in the area. President Lee Todd has done an excellent job securing funds for UK's endowment and for other purposes, which suggests that the university has ample means to fund these scholarships without logging the Robinson Forest. Likewise, according to experts, the sedimentation study that UK plans to conduct may only increase erosion and environmental decline in the area where trees will be clear-cut. Isn't it high time we render some of our special places immune from degradation and ruin?"
