KRC WELCOMES DECISION BY UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PRESIDENT TO FOREGO MINING THE MAIN BLOCK OF THE ROBINSON FOREST

KRC WELCOMES DECISION BY UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PRESIDENT TO FOREGO MINING THE MAIN BLOCK OF THE ROBINSON FOREST  Posted: October 2, 2003
At the September 2003 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Kentucky, UK President Todd indicated to the Trustees that the University would not pursue the idea of allowing further coal mining on the main block of the Robinson Forest, the University's research forest.

KRC, which authored the 1990 petition that resulted in the declaration of the forest as unsuitable for mining, welcomes President Todd's decision. The September 2003 Report to the Board on the Robinson Forest, which can be viewed here recognized the substantial legal obstacles to opening the main block to mining activities, including KRC's announced opposition to such action. KRC's position paper from April, 2003 is available on the KRC website here.

KRC believes that the University Board of Trustees should through formal resolution embrace the mission of the Forest as one of research and demonstration, reaffirm the historic posture of the University against surface coal mining of the main block of the Forest, and delink funding of student scholarships for the Robinson Scholars program from mining. KRC appreciates the University President's recognition that a funding mechanism more appropriate and durable for that worthy program, one that does not require that the trust corpus be destroyed or placed at risk in order to fund educational opportunities, is needed.

To those many KRC members and others who conveyed to the University their opposition to mining the Robinson Forest, our thanks. To Ben Gramig, John Cox and the Students To Save Robinson Forest, congratulations on your diligent efforts, courage, and willingness to "walk the walk" to protect the enduring values of the forest.

 

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