Those interested in the future of Land Between the Lakes might want to make time for Tuesday’s 6 PM program at the Trigg County Historical Museum for the Trigg County Historical Society.
Donnie Holland and Mark Turner, local advocates for the national outdoor recreation site, told The News Edge that LBL’s new Area Supervisor Jim McCoy will be in town to discuss the history and heritage of “Between the Rivers” — an all-too-familiar locale for natives, who still have deep, tangible memories of a life once lived near Golden Pond, Fenton and Model.
Time and again, Holland said he’s heard the age-old question: what will become of LBL when the original generation fades away?
People like McCoy and others, Holland noted, might prevent government overreach.
While turnover and bureaucracy has plagued the position in previous years, Turner and Holland said McCoy should bring a little more permanence to the role, and called him “a breath of fresh air.”
McCoy’s arrival directly coincides with considerable changes at the federal level under the LBL Recreation and Heritage Act, which was drafted under the advisement of Mitch McConnell, James Comer and considerable input from south western Kentucky’s community leaders.
And specifically, Holland said the heritage of the land has only drawn more and more interest over the years. More than 400 people attended the Fenton Overlook dedication. Scores were on hand for the Conroy Atwood dedication on a section of U.S. 68/80., and a May date for a re-dedication of the Golden Pond Overlook is still in the works.
Holland added that most of McCoy’s discussion could also include the possibility of another restoration and dedication project.
One that Trigg Countians know well.
As time goes along, Holland said there might be other sites added to the list, including Bell City, which was used a wildlife refuge with families living there under resettlement during The Great Depression.
Timber cutting and fire management, Holland said, are also major purviews under McCoy’s expertise and authority, and at the moment, McCoy is also scheduled to visit with the organization in August.
Meanwhile, Turner said that several LBL campgrounds opened for the spring season last Friday, and people were “waiting in line” to be on the premises. Daffodils are also beginning to pop out along old property lines, and that brings several local visitors each year.
At 10 AM March 23, the Trigg County Historical Society will have its grand opening of new exhibits at 41 Jefferson Street.
