U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced today that the U.S. Forest Service has awarded $3,696,700 toward numerous improvement projects in the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) including debris removal for trail and road restoration, forest thinning to resist the Gypsy Moth, stream and ecosystem monitoring, and dump clean ups with Kentucky PRIDE. The forest improvement projects are a part of USFS efforts to address deferred maintenance, reduce the threat of wildfire and invasive species, and improve overall forest health.

“The Daniel Boone stretches across our region and these sound investments will ensure the forest can continue to serve as a natural and economic resource for our people,” said Rogers. “I’m pleased to see the Forest Service partner with PRIDE toward cleaning up our streams and improving the landscape. Illegal dumps not only burden the land, but toxins can get into our waterways and affect the water we drink and our ability to attract future businesses to southern and eastern Kentucky. Furthermore, clearing and cutting roads and reducing the wildfire threat in the Daniel Boone will put our men and women to work and increase the safety of homeowners in or near the forest.”

Daniel Boone National Forest Projects:

• Kentucky Ice Storm Trails and Roads Restoration Project: $558,200 allocated for removal of debris and trees that are blocking roads and trails as a result of the January 2009 ice storm.
• Fuels for Forest Health Project: $1,145,000 allocated for thinning portions of the forest to resist Gypsy Moth attacks and reducing hazardous fuels to prevent destructive wildfires.
• Invasive Species Treatment Project: $343,500 allocated for the removal of invasive plant species which have disrupted the forest canopy.
• Kentucky Dump Site Clean-up Project: $500,000 allocated for working with PRIDE to clean up illegal dumping sites throughout the Daniel Boone National Forest.
• Aquatic Monitoring Near Roads and Trails Project: $240,000 allocated for monitoring streams near roads and trails to determine the impact on endangered mussel species.
• Kentucky Road Maintenance Project: $910,000 allocated for improving road safety and protecting aquatic wildlife near the roads.

These projects will occur across the 700,000 acre Daniel Boone National Forest and in the counties of Bath, Clay, Estill, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Pulaski, Rowan, Rockcastle, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe. The funding for the above projects will help those communities impacted by the economic downturn and, as a result, create jobs that support the Forest Service’s mission of sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands.

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rogers works to secure funding for important initiatives in the fifth Congressional District.