Robinson Forest - Meeting with UK Board

Environmental organizations allied to protect Robinson Forest had an opportunity to meet with UK Board of Trustees members yesterday to send a clear message about their opposition to logging Robinson Forest.  Students said they felt like the dialog  was helpful, especially in regard to the long-term protection of the forest.  Still, it seems unlikely that the Board will move from its current plan to cut a substantial portion of the forest as an "experimental" logging job.  The Herald-Leader covered the story, as excerpted below. 

UK board hears pleas for moratorium on logging Robinson Forest

By Andy Mead, Lexington Herald-Leader

The University of Kentucky's Board of Trustees spent more than an hour Monday listening to pleas to block proposed research logging in Robinson Forest.

But Mira Ball, the board's chairwoman, said afterward that there doesn't appear to be enough sentiment to do that if the issue comes up at Tuesday's full board meeting.

In a related area, UK President Lee T. Todd said the university had postponed sending out requests for proposals for logging companies to fell the trees. He also said he had met Friday with U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Versailles, who is opposed to the logging.

Todd made it clear, however, that he still favors allowing trees to be cut to study methods of protecting streams during logging.

"I am very aware that this is not something everyone is going to agree on," he said.

Those pleading for a moratorium on logging included students and Wendell Berry, a celebrated Henry County author who is a former UK English professor.

Berry said the project the university is considering -- which could cut most trees on up to 1,000 acres of the 10,000-acre core of the Eastern Kentucky forest -- is a far cry from sustainable forestry.

Read the full Herald-Leader story here.