Fenton Fire 2017

Fenton Fire 2017

A Managed Wildfire Fire at Land Between the Lakes  Update | March 8, 2017 Q: Where is the Fenton Fire? A: The Fenton Fire, caused by a lightning strike, is on Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area south of US68/KY60 near the Fenton Campground and along the Central Hardwoods Scenic Trail. Q: Is the Fenton Fire still active? A: Yes. The rain event did not extinguish the fire completely. There are areas still smoldering. Even with the rain over the last few days, the ground is drying very quickly. This time of year, trees uptake of water increases. Therefore,…
Read More
Open lands-Helping Wildlife Survive

Open lands-Helping Wildlife Survive

Dear friends, As part of our Land and Resource Management Plan, we designated approximately 10,600 acres as open lands. This acreage specifically supports insects, game animals, grassland type birds, and mammals through open lands management. Managing open lands involves keeping desired vegetation in an early stage of growth. We do this by cultivating and planting our wildlife plantings and cropland areas. We maintain grassland type habitat primarily by mowing, disking, prescribed fire and herbicide applications. These open land types provide food and shelter for hundreds of species at Land Between the Lakes. Since the turn of the 21st Century, natural…
Read More
Buffalo Trail Prescribed Fire

Buffalo Trail Prescribed Fire

After a four-month delay, conditions were just right on Monday, March 28 for us to begin our prescribed burn.  A moderate East to West wind gently blew into the forest and across the open lands.  Humidity, temperature, and atmospheric conditions in the target area were optimal.  The Bison Trail was our burn block for the day. Dozens of Forest Service employees, students, and volunteers from multiple organizations and agencies gathered at Land Between the Lakes’ well-equipped fire cache for a briefing.  Leadership, old and new, laid out the plan.  If everything went well, we would set alight almost 2,530 acres of the burn…
Read More
How Land Management Affects Outdoor Recreation

How Land Management Affects Outdoor Recreation

How are proposed land management practices including logging, expected or anticipated to affect Land Between The Lakes' core mission of environmental education and recreation? Positives and negatives? Summary Timber management activities create opportunities for wildlife viewing. The timber sale activities help with road maintenance, thus allowing for dispersed recreation opportunities such as hunting.  With improved wildlife habitat conditions, the opportunity to utilize environmental education into the role of land management is increased. Restricting or eliminating the use of timber sales as a tool for land management could be perceived as having positive impact on visuals and noise. Why Land Management?…
Read More
Reports from the oak-grasslands research

Reports from the oak-grasslands research

The data from those monitoring sites. What reports or publications have resulted from these data? Your assessment of progress on this project. When will native grasses be established? If native grasses are not established, what will you do? You’ll find a listing of reports and publications at the end of  the answer to this question for more information. Work to reestablish native warm season grasses is an on-going process. In order to achieve the desired results, additional management activities such as prescribed burning will take place.  All activities will be monitored for success. Monitoring data Dr. Patrick Keyser an Associate…
Read More
Oak-Grassland Restoration Demonstration Areas

Oak-Grassland Restoration Demonstration Areas

We received several questions about Land Between The Lakes Oak-Grassland Restoration Demonstration Areas as described in our brochure. Editors Note: The 2007 Oak-Grassland Restoration Demonstration Areas brochure referenced in these questions can be found here. 1) What recreational opportunities are created by Oak-Grassland Restoration Demonstration Areas? Providing for recreation opportunities plays a role in all that we do here at Land Between The Lakes. Overall, our recreation opportunities have improved by restoring a native ecosystem to support a diverse wildlife that depends on open under-story forests with shrubs, wildflowers, and grass components. The dominant tree species of oak/hickory also provides…
Read More
Wildflowers Bloom at Elk & Bison Prairie

Wildflowers Bloom at Elk & Bison Prairie

Submitted by Curtis Fowler, Range Technician at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area This gorgeous stand of Indian Pink was found in an area of the Elk & Bison Prairie that had been burned during a prescribed fire at the end of March. They are blooming along a shady creekside, creating perfect habitat for wildlife. Wildflowers can be found all across Land Between The Lakes throughout the year. Take a drive or a hike to see what you can find! For more information about Indian Pink, visit http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SPMA3.
Read More