Visitor use surveys to be conducted in the Daniel Boone National Forest

If you plan to visit the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky over the next several months, you may be asked to participate in a national visitor use survey. The U.S. Forest Service just announced that they will be conducting surveys to determine the recreational interests of its visitors.

�We want to hear what our visitors think about our recreation facilities and services provided,� said Forest Supervisor Frank Beum. �This information will help us establish future management needs, as well as provide information for local tourism.�

The last visitor survey conducted on the national forest was in 2007. This survey found, through more than 2100 participants, that the top five activities were hiking, fishing, viewing natural areas, driving for pleasure and boating.

For the new survey, personnel will be stationed at developed and dispersed recreation areas throughout the forest. Visitors should look for signs that say �Traffic Survey Ahead.� Participants will not be required to give their name or address, only a zip code. Participants must be 16 years or older. The average survey time takes less than 10 minutes.

The visitor surveys in the Daniel Boone National Forest will continue through September 2012.


Jeff
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Preservation group awards Daniel Boone N.F. for rock shelter protection efforts

On Thursday, September 22, Preservation Kentucky recognized the Daniel Boone National Forest for achievements in protecting cliff rock shelters in the Red River Gorge.

State and federal archaeologists joined other resource management officials for a brief ceremony. Forest Supervisor Frank Beum accepted the award on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service.

�Preservation Kentucky is proud to recognize the U.S. Forest Service's great efforts to preserve these important prehistoric and historic places on national forest lands,� said PK Executive Director Rachel Kennedy.

�Because of their leadership in this effort, we presented a Best Practices Award to the U.S. Forest Service. We hope that others can follow their lead and protect these invaluable resources for future generations.�

In the Red River Gorge, archaeological evidence indicates human inhabitance of rock shelters beginning at least 12,000 years ago. The artifacts found at these sites represent the daily lives of Native Americans who once lived in Kentucky. Rock shelters also include the remains of many historic period industries, such as saltpeter mining and moonshining.

The examination of rock shelters in the gorge indicate that Native Americans began domesticating plants as food crops more than 3,700 years ago. Scientists often rely on the archaeological resources of the Red River Gorge to address the origins of agriculture in eastern North America.

In 2000, the Forest Service closed all rock shelters in the Red River Gorge to camping. In 2011, all rock shelters occurring in the Daniel Boone National Forest were closed to camping in an effort to preserve these fragile sites.

At the Gladie Cultural-Environmental Learning Center in the gorge, the Forest Service interprets the significance of rock shelters for visitors. The center is host to the annual Living Archaeology Weekend, which took place over the weekend.

Thursday�s award ceremony was attended by representatives from the University of Kentucky, the Kentucky Heritage Council/Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office, Frenchburg Job Corps, Forest Service and Preservation Kentucky.

Preservation Kentucky is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Kentucky�s historic resources through education and advocacy. They sponsor the �Most Endangered Historic and Prehistoric Places� list every year to highlight trends and threats to historic preservation in the Commonwealth. This year, the list included archaeological resources.


Jeff
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Temporary Road Closures Scheduled for Red River Gorge

The Daniel Boone National Forest is alerting visitors to the Red River Gorge area of a series of temporary road closures for the upcoming week:

* July 12 - KY 77 (between KY 715 and Frenchburg Job Corps Center) will be closed for construction.

* July 13 - KY 715 at Wolfpen culvert (between KY 77 and Gladie Learning Center) will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

* July 15 - KY 715 at Wolfpen culvert will be closed approximately 3 hours


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