For years, Jim McCoy and his family thought fondly on their time at Land Between the Lakes.
As a natural resource manager with proclivity of putting “fire on the ground,” he served as the fire management officer from 2003 until 2011 as an expert of wildland blazes.
So, following a completed assignment with the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Region office, he spurned other promotions to return here — and for the past three months has been in place as active Area Supervisor for LBL.
Considered one of the most unique, busiest national forests in the country, he said a job like this compares to “winning the lottery,” and because he “believes in this place.”
McCoy’s move comes directly in lockstep with Congressman James Comer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s vehement push for the passage of the LBL Recreation and Heritage Act — which set forth a revamp of the governing advisory board and made clearer several rights, understandings and financial mechanisms of the region.
As such, McCoy said LBL’s biggest focal points in the coming years should circle around outdoor recreation, environmental education and how to leverage the recreation area as a “treasure for regionalism.”
And while casual visitors might not understand the deep 60-year history of LBL, McCoy said he’s very much in tune with the simple fact that the land was taken from locals via imminent domain, and forgiveness doesn’t come easy.
With each of LBL’s familial generations getting closer to morbidity and death, one of the provisions from the act includes the right to “reasonable” requests of family cemetery expansions.
McCoy kept it simple: “reasonable is reasonable,” and also explained that while lots of national forests have cemeteries, none are as active.
His checklist is long, but he’s already been granted a deputy area supervisor in Jared Baker, who began his 120-day assignment earlier this week. While McCoy will work upward and outward in the public eye, Baker will be responsible with singularly downward leadership in LBL, and the two will combine internal and external issues in staff meetings.
Furthermore, McCoy added that improvements of LBL’s current assets — including the proud and popular Nature Station and 1850’s Homeplace — are coming sooner rather than later.
McCoy said he will also soon be in contact with federal authorities, who can further explain the contacts he can make with the advisory council. Can they have E-mail chains or group text messages to discuss issues? He’s not sure.
The advisory council and McCoy will next convene in March, with a two-day session planned around a visit to the southern portion of LBL to observe December 2021 damages, and the ensuing timber sales within.
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