These Ky. towns hope to draw adventure seekers. They’re getting federal help to do so
As the coal industry declines in Eastern Kentucky and more people leave Appalachia for jobs elsewhere, two small towns are hoping to draw in tourists – and their spending money – to breathe new life into the communities.
McKee in Jackson County and Jenkins in Letcher County are now getting support from the federal government through the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program, which will offer planning assistance.
“Partner communities will receive help from a planning team to consider challenges and opportunities, convene a community workshop and develop an action plan for community revitalization through the recreation economy,” Mary O’Malley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service at the Daniel Boone National Forest wrote in an email Tuesday.
According to the program’s FAQ, the community workshops for the current round of assistance will likely occur in 2022 and 2023.
Judy Schmitt, who chairs the McKee Trail Town Committee, said in the news release announcing the federal funding on Monday that the town will use the program to enable its transformation.
“We envision Jackson County to be the gateway into the hills of Eastern Kentucky, the Daniel Boone National Forest, The Kentucky Wildlands, the Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreational Area and the Warriors Path,” Schmitt stated.
The project, she said, “will help us create jobs, support economic growth and diversification and offer new opportunities for people to connect with the natural beauty in our national forest and community parks.”
McKee is the seat of Jackson County, which has a population of about 1,000 and is nestled in the Daniel Boone National Forest. As a designated Kentucky Trail Town, it boasts direct access to the Warrior’s Path, an ancient game trail trodden by native people, and Sheltowee Trace, Kentucky’s longest trail.
With more than 58,000 acres of the national forest in Jackson County, local officials said they would like to expand opportunities to hike, bike, fish and ride horseback, the news release stated.
Similarly, the community of Jenkins in Letcher County wants to improve access to its hiking trails and either clean up or revitalize its downtown district, all in an effort to boost tourism, according to the program’s list of 2022 partner communities.
After years characterized by pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions, there’s a boom in adventure tourism that rural communities are hoping to capitalize on.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economic output of outdoor recreation in 2020 was $689 billion, surpassing industries such as mining, utilities, farming and ranching.
“The economic impact of outdoor recreation near our national forests and grasslands is vital to support health and prosperity in rural America,” U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said in the release. “Efforts to reinvigorate main streets through the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program is an important step to help communities realize all the benefits that adjacent national forests and grasslands make possible.”
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the nature of the partnership. The federal program is providing planning assistance.
Do you have a question about recreation in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out Our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 1:10 PM.