Thanks Nancy and Cici et al for your input on this. Anyone that wants to be
kept on the loop on the London Ranger Station situation feel free to send me an
email at frankrenfrow@xxxxxxx
I keep my listservs on vacation mode so I don’t get all the emails directly
that come through birdky.
Frank Renfrow
103 Covert Run Pike
Fort Thomas, KY 41075
C 859-653-1460
frankrenfrow@xxxxxxx
Begin forwarded message:
From: Frank Renfrow <frankrenfrow@xxxxxxx>
Date: June 25, 2018 at 2:01:51 PM EDT
To: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Brown-headed Nuthatch Shortleaf Pine Stand at London Ranger Station
Preservation efforts
Brainard suggested I post this on Birdky:
CONCERNING efforts to PRESERVE THE SHORTLEAF PINE STAND AT THE LONDON DBNF
RANGER STATION - I talked to the right person at the London Ranger District
and he gave me the whole run down on why the future of the pine stand with
the Brown-headed Nuthatches and the ranger office property is itself
uncertain. He was very helpful and also very sympathetic. He described the
location himself as the best pine stand in Laurel County and he would hate to
see it go. It is not actually the USFS but the KY Transportation Cabinet that
has plans to run a connector road between US 25 and KY 2069 straight through
the Ranger Station! Their option is to either sell off the entire property
and move to another location or if they stay the road goes through where the
service buildings are located now and then they would have to put new
buildings up where the pines are located now.
This pine stand is the only known breeding location of Brown-headed
Nuthatches in Eastern Kentucky. I have photos and more details posted on my
Cincinnati Birds and Birds around the World Facebook Group and Kentucky Bird
and Environmental FB Groups as well.
The really frustrating thing is there is an open field right next door that
would work perfectly without destroying anything but they have some type of
exact spacing distance they are going by and the Ranger Station just happens
to fall there. The grounds has a historic look similar to a CCC camp although
it was built in the 1960s and is set up for public visitors with picnic
tables, etc. It is a real shame to see another one of these historically
significant sites lost. It is quite picturesque apart from the environmental
significance of the pine stand and the Brown-headed Nuthatches which I think
is quite important also. Maybe there is something we can do together to get
this plan changed! It sounds like it is the State of Kentucky Transportation
Cabinet and our State Representatives we need to contact on trying to get the
plan changed. A slight distance variance would be in order I would think.
Frank Renfrow
Fort Thomas, KY
