Kentucky Wildlands NHA Feasibility Study - FINAL

The Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), has prepared this national heritage area (NHA) feasibility study to determine if the 41-county Kentucky Wildlands study area identified in legislation- -and any other areas in the state that have heritage aspects similar and are adjacent to or in the vicinity of the named counties- -meets criteria of designation eligibility as a national heritage area. The feasibility study evaluated the natural, historic, cultural, educational, and recreational resources across eastern Kentucky to assess if they are collectively nationally worthy of recognition, conservation, interpretation, and continuing use through designation as a national heritage area.

The study determined that the most appropriate boundary is one with the counties that include the Daniel Boone National Forest as the western boundary and all the counties located to the east in the commonwealth of Kentucky. The conceptual boundary aligns with the geography of counties serviced by Kentucky Pride, INC. (PRIDE), the proposed coordinating entity. Within these counties, natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources that support the overall landscape, cultural tradition of the area, and the nationally important heritage of Kentucky Wildlands are evident in each county. The counties share similar resources, geological landscape, and culture.

The National Park Service determined that the assemblage of counties directly supporting the themes for a potential NHA boundary includes the following 35 counties: Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe.

The nine counties originally part of the study that are not included in the NHA boundary are: Monroe, Metcalfe, Green, Adair, Cumberland, Clinton, Russell, Casey, and Lincoln Counties.

As a result of this evaluation, the feasibility study finds that the Kentucky Wildlands study area, consisting of the 35 counties named above, is eligible for potential NHA designation. Legislation would be needed for any future NHA designation.

Document Content:

Kentucky Wildlands NHA_FS_2024-508.pdf   (19.4 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.