By Mark Wourms
The team at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum and our supporters care about clean and healthy human and natural communities now and into the future. That is why for the last six years Bernheim has been morally and legally opposed to LG&E building a 12-mile gas pipeline that would cross Bullitt County and our Cedar Grove Wildlife Corridor.
We are disappointed by the Kentucky Supreme Court’s decision not to hear our argument that the lower courts had errored as a matter of law, common sense, and responsibility to the future when they ruled LG&E has the right to take Bernheim conservation land. This land was in part acquired by state/taxpayer-designated funds and protected legally by a conservation easement. Now, a for-profit corporation is one step closer to building a pipeline that will have enormous negative consequences for clean water, endangered species’ survival, and the climate crisis.
The Supreme Court still has an opportunity to make the correct choice for the health of our communities and nature when they hear an outstanding suit from neighboring farmers and landowners. LG&E still has the ability to change course towards sustainable energy and protect some of the best remaining natural lands and waters in our region. This pipeline is one symptom of a more dangerous trend. As a society, we are not moving quickly and strategically to stop carbon emissions and mitigate damage already done to waterways, forests, and the atmosphere which are leading to drought, catastrophic fires, floods, and storms.
Bernheim’s Climate Crisis Action Plan guides us in implementing best practices in energy and water conservation, environmental education, and land stewardship and protection. Bernheim will continue protecting the land. The purchase of the 182-acre forested Buffalo Creek Tract helps protect the headwaters feeding Bardstown’s reservoir, and our holding of a conservation easement on a neighboring 856 acres (about the area of Central Park in New York City) safeguards additional land and provides habitat for numerous species.
Ongoing wetland and stream projects are designed to slow water runoff and recharge groundwater, reducing flooding downstream, and boosting biodiversity. Bernheim continues the important work of restoring and protecting Kentucky’s forests, waters, and wildlife to help mitigate the climate crisis and provide a vibrant future for our children and the generations to come.
Thank you to the thousands of members and guests who stand with Bernheim in the belief that a healthy environment is critical for a vigorous economy. We are grateful to all who have supported us in our steps to ensure a world where nature is cherished, protected, and restored.
