How Kentucky protected a vast elk landscape

For hunters across Kentucky, the search for land to hunt has always meant a precarious dance with property owners. They never knew if they could go to the same place the following year. All because of the 30-day opt-out agreement. These temporary agreements could be cancelled with just 30 days’ notice. For families, this was a constant concern that stood between their hunting traditions and the possibility of losing access to the land they had enjoyed for generations. But then everything changed, as the state secured permanent public access to a vast eastern Kentucky elk landscape through what's becoming a model for conservation partnerships built on old tax money and new determination!The Cumberland Forest Wildlife Management Area provided a solution: permanent access, with a 54,560-acre easement in the heart of Kentucky’s elk hunting territory. This agreement was crucial for a state where 95% of the land is privately held. And so, getting such a large, connected piece of land for public use is unusual. But it didn’t happen overnight, or because of one organisation alone. State wildlife officials, private conservation groups, and a federal funding programme worked hand in hand to ...