Commonwealth of Kentucky
Energy and Environment Cabinet
Steven L. Beshear, Governor Leonard K. Peters, Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Zeb Weese
502-573-3080
The Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Protects Campbell County Woods, Wetlands
Frankfort, Ky. (Sept. 26, 2013) Thanks to funding by the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund (KHLCF), a 165-acre natural area and environmental education center along the Ohio River is now protected in perpetuity.
The Campbell County Conservation District (CCCD) recently purchased the St. Anne’s Woods and Wetlands near Melbourne from the Sisters of Divine Providence through a KHLCF grant focused on protecting mature forest and improving wetland habitat. This area represents one of the best wetland areas along the Ohio River in northern Kentucky and supports many native species restricted to this region, including diverse amphibian populations. The property provides a critical link in maintaining habitat in an area under increasing development pressure.
The Sisters of Divine Providence have been stewards of these wetlands since 1945, which was part of the St. Anne Convent. In recent decades, the convent partnered with Northern Kentucky University and others to develop an environmental education and research program.
“A gift of God’s Providence, land and property are entrusted to our care as a resource for mission,” say the Congregation of Divine Providence, with part of their mission to “renew the face of the earth in maintaining and promoting a partnership with the land based on mutual respect, reciprocal healing, and reconciliation.”
The Sisters will continue their environmental education efforts on the site with land management provided by the CCCD and the added habitat protection of the KHLCF conservation easement.
“The Campbell County Conservation District is very pleased, and humbled, to now be the caretaker of this special place,” said CCCD coordinator Mary Kathryn Dickerson. “The St. Anne Woods and Wetlands occupy a very significant place in the natural history of our area. The significance of the area has been noted by such well-known scientists as E. Lucy Braun and continues to be studied today. The conservation district is honored to be a part of protecting this special place for future generations. This would not be possible without the guidance, expertise and funding offered through the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board. We are grateful for their assistance and also want to thank those who have contributed to this project with their time, talents, letters of support and purchase of Nature License plates, which helps provide funding to preserve our land for the future.”
The KHLCF is funded in part by the sale of “Nature’s Finest” license plates. With this acquisition, the Fund has now protected and conserved over 80,000 acres in 67 counties.
For more information, visit the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund website at http://heritageland.ky.gov or contact Zeb Weese at 502-573-3080. For more information on St. Annes Wetlands, contact Mary Kathryn Dickerson at 859-635-5666.
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