Fact Sheet

Final Environmental Impact Statement and

Land and Resource Management Plan 

• The USDA Forest Service will soon release the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (FEIS) and Land and Resource Management Plan (Area Plan) for the 

Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area. This plan replaces 

the 1994 Natural Resources Management Plan. 

• The LBL Advisory Board, established by the LBL Protection Act, advised LBL 

management on the means of promoting public participation for the planning 

process, and provided valuable recommendations that were utilized throughout 

the planning process. 

• The Forest Service offered citizens a wide variety of opportunities to provide 

comments and work directly with staff during the planning process. We will 

continue to work with the public as we implement the Area Plan. 

• Concluding a final round of careful scientific analysis, coupled with consideration 

of more than 280 public responses on the Draft Plan, officials for the USDA 

Forest Service, Southern Region, approved the Area Plan. 

• This Area Plan will guide the management direction for LBL over the next 10 to 

15 years. The Area Plan is a strategic document, and as such, does not provide 

details on specific aspects of LBL’s management; it provides a framework by 

which future management decisions are made. 

• The Area Plan delivers a balanced mix of facilities and services that provide 

important benefits to the visiting public, as well as the local and regional 

communities surrounding LBL, along with stewardship responsibilities of our 

natural resources. 

• Plan highlights include the following guidance for LBL management: 

o Continuing LBL’s role as a destination point for visitors throughout the 

region and nation. 

o Balancing dispersed and facility-based activities to provide more overall 

opportunities, while addressing concerns for unmanaged recreation and 

operational costs. 

(Continued on back) 
o Supporting and enhancing wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities 

through active forest and open land management. Techniques for active 

resource management will include; timber harvest, prescribed fire, 

establishing native grasses and forbs, and agriculture practices. 

o Providing tools for managers to actively maintain healthy and resilient 

forests, using the best available science. 

o Maintaining camping within the current Turkey Bay OHV Area, while 

sustaining natural resources for future generations to enjoy. 

o Providing two Nature Watch Demonstration Areas, one in Kentucky and 

one in Tennessee, to enhance the environmental education, wildlife, and 

recreation programs. 

o Increasing wildlife habitat diversification by establishing two OakGrassland Demonstration Areas to restore woodland conditions in the 

upland oak forests, similar to those which occurred at the time of 

European settlement. 

o Improving the ecological diversity of LBL through a wide range of proven 

and appropriate management methods. 

o Keeping timber removal at about the same levels as allowed in TVA’s 

1994 Plan. 

o None of the major facilities will be closed, and no new high-level facilities 

will be developed or reopened. 

• This entire planning process was accomplished in less than 2 years, rather than the 

typical 4 to 6 years, through the efforts of dedicated staff and with collaborative 

support of the public. Accelerating the processing allowed for citizens to stay 

more connected with the process and resulted in significant savings to taxpayers. 

• Forest Service staff especially thanks those members of the public who have 

provided comments throughout the process. This valuable input has helped us 

identify and respond to needed changes, while improving both our analyses and 

the final decision. Ultimately, this will allow us to “care for the land and serve 

people” in a more effective way, as we implement the Area Plan. 

For a copy of the Area Plan, FEIS, or Summary visit the LBL web 

site at www.lbl.org (click on planning). Other sources for obtaining a copy include 

contacting the Area Planner’s Office at 270-924-2161 or e-mailing a request to 

focuslbl@fs.fed.us. Planning documents will be mailed to all groups and individuals who 

commented on the draft documents beginning December 1. Also, copies of these 

documents will be available at local libraries.