Bell County

Protecting homes and businesses from the devastating effect of flooding has been a key focal point for Rogers.  He has secured essential infrastructure funds for flood control projects in Middlesboro, Pineville, and beyond so that businesses in Bell County can continue to promote economic development and families can feel safe in their homes.

Boosting economic development, creating jobs and providing new opportunities for those seeking employment have long remained top priorities for Rogers leading him to secure funding for the Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency, including its headquarters located in Pineville.

Bringing tourism to the region not only showcases Bell County’s unique assets, it helps to boost the economy and create jobs.  Rogers went to work and secured funding to complete the Cumberland Gap Tunnel and enhancements to the visitor’s center at the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.  He has also been at the forefront of securing funds for acquisition of Fern Lake and the surrounding watershed so that this Kentucky treasure is preserved for generations to come. Rogers also continues to work to secure funding to upgrade and expand 119 in Bell County so that the local community can continue to grow.

David Ledford, Congressman Rogers & Gov. Bevin unveil the design of the Appalachian Wildlife Center

Rogers secured a $12.5 million grant from the U.S. Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement (OSMRE) for the development of the Appalachian Wildlife Center in Bell County, Ky. The money will fund the wildlife center that will contain a museum of natural and regional history, a theater, a hall dedicated to the natural history of elk, bird watching, an astronomy pavilion and a 15-mile, self-guided scenic loop road for wildlife viewing. The center will be located on 19 square miles along the Cumberland River and is expected to attract 638,000 annually visitors by the fifth year of operation. 

The grant is part of the $30 million in federal grant money that Rogers helped secure from the U.S. government’s General Fund through the 2016 AML Pilot program for projects in Appalachian counties that have the potential to create long-term economic benefits. To that end, the Appalachian Wildlife Center is projected to generate more than $1 billion in regional economic activity over the first 10 years of operation. Click here to learn more.

UNITE Coalitions 

Coalition Meetings
5:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month at the Total Care Facililty, located at 121 W. Virginia Ave. in Pineville, Kentucky.

Homes Affected by Waste Water Treatment Programs

240 homes in Bell County have received funding from the Homeowner Septic System Program
157 homes in Bell County have been affected by the Wastewater Construction Projects
115 homes in Bell County have been affected by Corps of Engineers Projects

Cleanup Summary

Following is a summary of cleanup totals for Bell County:
13 streams/lakes/rivers cleaned
29 dumps eliminated
229 roadways cleaned
509 miles of roadway cleaned
395 individual appliances, 71.88 tons of appliances and 8 tractor trailer loads of appliances collected
5,399 tires collected
11,846 bags of trash and 1,961 tons of trash collected
7,355 volunteers donated 19,715 volunteer hours