May 28th, 2009
From Green Right Now Reports
Government officials and environmental supporters this week celebrated the protection of 4,021 acres of the Fern Lake watershed as part of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
The property is important because it includes a significant portion of the watershed for the town of Middlesboro, Ky., and can be readily viewed from the Pinnacle Overlook, one of the park’s most popular visitor spots.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) attended the event at the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Visitor Center with officials from the National Park Service, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and local officials. The project was championed by Sen. McConnell and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.). The Fern Lake Conservation and Recreation Act, included in the 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Bill, expanded the park boundary to include the lake and watershed.
The effort began in 2004 to protect the approximately 4,500-acre Fern Lake watershed on behalf of the citizens of Middlesboro, Ky., located just outside the park.
Congress created Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in 1940 to preserve the “gateway to the west,” a natural gap in the Appalachian Mountains crossed by almost 300,000 settlers as they moved from the East in America’s early years. The park is known today for its scenery, caves, rich history, and more than 70 miles of trails. It stretches for 25 miles along Cumberland Mountain and contains almost 24,000 acres of historical, cultural, and natural resources.
