U.S. Forest Service Withdraws Controversial Jellico Vegetation Management Project

Decision Notice Pulled After Kentucky Heartwood and Local Community Objection; Forest Service Cites New Information Warranting Further Review

BEREA, KY — Kentucky Heartwood today announced that the U.S. Forest Service has formally withdrawn the draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Jellico Vegetation Management Project on the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF). The withdrawal, confirmed in an April 9, 2026 letter from District Ranger Kyle N. Edmonds of the Stearns Ranger District, marks a significant victory for forest protection advocates and the communities of McCreary and Whitley counties.

The Jellico Project proposed extensive silvicultural treatments, including timber harvest, intermediate treatments, and associated roadwork, across portions of the DBNF in McCreary and Whitley counties. Kentucky Heartwood filed a formal objection to the project following the publication of the objection opportunity in the McCreary Journal on January 21, 2026. In his withdrawal letter, Ranger Edmonds stated that after consultation with the Forest Supervisor, he determined there is “new information warranting further review, assessment, and consideration of applicability to the project area.”

“This withdrawal is a testament to the power of science-based advocacy and community engagement. The Forest Service’s decision to pause and conduct further review is exactly what responsible public land management looks like.”

— Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, PhD, Director, Kentucky Heartwood

Kentucky Heartwood has long advocated for ecologically sound management of the Daniel Boone National Forest, the only national forest in Kentucky. The organization raised concerns about the Jellico Project’s potential impacts on old-growth forest communities, sensitive species habitat, water quality, and the ecological integrity of one of the most biodiverse temperate forest regions in the world.

The withdrawal letter specifies that any future Forest Service project involving any part of the Jellico Project area will be reinitiated through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, if applicable. This ensures that future proposals will undergo full public scrutiny and environmental review before moving forward.

Kentucky Heartwood will continue to monitor any future proposals for this project area and remains committed to working with local communities, scientists, and policymakers to ensure the Daniel Boone National Forest is managed in a way that protects its extraordinary biodiversity, supports Indigenous and rural community rights, and honors its public trust obligations for generations to come.

About Kentucky Heartwood

Kentucky Heartwood is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the Daniel Boone National Forest and the communities that depend on it. Through science-based advocacy, public education, and coalition building, Kentucky Heartwood works to preserve the ecological and cultural heritage of Kentucky’s only national forest.

Media Contact:

Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, PhD

Director, Kentucky Heartwood

director@kyheartwood.org