|
Cadiz Heritage Hearing - January 13th, 2007 The meeting held at the Trigg County Library on January 13th, 2007 was the first of the public hearings concerning the LBL Heritage Plan/Program. Between 25 and 30 people showed up at this meeting. Jamie Bennett, archaeologist in LBL for the Forest Service, manager of the heritage plan, introduced that she's seeking public input and involvment on the heritage plan.
Due to past wrongs of TVA, distrust of the Forest Service, and government in general, were apparent. When the question of the possiblity of fees charged for this heritage plan was brought up, Jamie's answer was, "There are not going to be fees put on this heritage program."
When it was brought up that the information turned over to the Forest Service by the former residents and their descendants was the Intellectual Property of the contributors, Jamie's answer was: "Those that wish to contribute can, and those that don't wish to contribute, don't have to."
When the question of legal distinctions of public involvment was raised, Jamie dodged the question saying basically, "I am not informed on the legal distictions of public involvment."
When the question of Consulting Party Status was brought up, Jamie said she was not versed in Consutling Party Status, and to take that question to the manager of LBL, Bill Lisowsky (who did not attend the hearing).
Over all, the attitude of those attending the meeting, which was mostly made up of folks blood related to the land bewteen the rivers, was favorable to the ideal of the heritage plan, and most agreed to go forward with the plan.
For more coverage of the Cadiz meeting, see the Cadiz Record report at: http://www.imnothere.org/CadizRecord.htm
|
Dover Heritage Hearing - January 20th, 2007
About 20 citizens turned out for the Heritage Plan meeting at the Stewart County Library. Jamie Bennett's intention was that all four library meetings (as they have come to be called) be about the same. Jamie's intention is to gain public support, input, and involvement for the heritage plan.
It is obvious that Jamie is very frustrated with the animosity still held by so many that were forced by TVA off of their land when the National Recreation Area was developed. This animosity was obvious in all four meeting, and frustrated Jamie's efforts to move forward with the heritage plan. Jamie said: "If we don't get past the anger, we will never get to the heritage." She noted that emotions did not run as high in the Dover meeting as in the Kentucky meetings.
At the Dover meeting Jamie came prepared for the question of the legal classifications of public involvment, and brought with her handouts on Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and Consulting Party Status. This time when asked about it she said that, she was manager of the heritage plan, and not the decision maker of Consulting Party Status.
In the meeting, Harold Miller, who owns and operates Clara's RV Park in nearby Houston County, stated: “All of this sounds like continuing to move toward commercial development within LBL in direct competition with the private businesses outside of LBL."
Again, as in the Cadiz meeting, former landowners and their descendants expressed skepicism of the motives of the government, fearing a possible double-cross with intent to profit off of the heritage program.
This time Jemie hedged her previous statement that, "there would be no fees charged for the heritage plan," and stated that there might be a necessity for charges to cover expenses that might arise for some services offered. "Toilet paper costs money," she pointed out.
For more coverage of the Dover meeting, see the Stewart-Houston Times story at: http://www.imnothere.org/StewartHoustonTimes.htm
And the story written by Tom Berry at the Murray Ledger & Times at: http://www.imnothere.org/MurrayLedger.htm
|
