(Photo courtesy of Mammoth Cave National Park)
By GAGE WILSON
Glasgow News 1
Mammoth Cave National Park could expand if a bill introduced by Rep. Brett Guthrie and Sen. Mitch McConnell is passed into law.
The two Kentucky politicians have jointly introduced the Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act in the U.S. House and U.S Senate. Should the bill pass it would authorize 980 acres, including the Green River Watershed, to be added to the national park. The legislation would allow Mammoth Cave National Park to acquire land off its southern boarder that is currently owned by The Nature Conservancy. The land contains both James Cave in Barren County and Coach Cave in Edmonson County.
“These caves are a hibernation area to 150,000 to 200,000 federally endangered gray bats, and one of them has been federally designated as critical habitat for the endangered Indiana bat,” said Molly Schroer, management analyst for Mammoth Cave.
“The park has been in conversations with The Nature Conservancy for several years about the long-term management and ownership the property and it was agreed that bringing the property under the protection of the National Park Service was the best outcome for the preservation of the caves and bat habitat.”
“One thing to add is that the land owned by The Nature Conservancy is only around 550 acres of the 980 that is included in the legislation. That 550 acres is the only portion that Mammoth Cave is interested in acquiring,” Schroer said. “The reason for the added acreage is because it just makes it a more contiguous boundary for the park without creating an ‘island of land’ that does not connect to the current park boundary.”
With Mammoth Cave responsible for bringing in tourists from across the world, the impact on local economies could be significant.
“Having grown up here the park has been such a blessing for this area,” said De’lynn Buckingham, owner of Bucky Bee’s restaurant, “and now as a business owner, I realize how impactful it is to the community. Something like this bill is not just a benefit to the park and the wildlife that lives there, but also to the towns and business that depend on it.”
Larry Poteet, mayor of Park City, is also keen on monitoring the legislation.
“The cave is such an important asset to our community, in particular, because our town is so close to the park. It is our biggest economic driver, and being a trail town, this will make it easier for visitors to see the best of Park City,” he said.
In 2021, Mammoth Cave National Park brought in more than $69 million in tourism, and averages two-million hikers annually with 500,000 participating in guided cave tours.
“We are very excited to see this bill pass. This expansion will go right along with our on plans for growth,” Poteet said.
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