Parks and Recreation System Master Plan Update (2016) parks_and_recreation_system_master_plan_update_oct | Page 485

any new discovery of an archeological site or object of antiquity must be reported to the
Department of Anthropology at the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Archeological
Survey.
2. GIS
As many of the management prescriptions mentioned, there is a great need to identify
natural resource elements and incorporate these elements into a natural resource GIS. Of
particular interest are riparian areas, invasive species, rare/threatened flora, fauna, and
ecosystems, and areas of potential erosion hazards. As stated previously, the Natural Areas
Division has developed several of these layers with the intention to expand its scope as
information becomes available for additional parks and management areas. Metro Parks and
Recreation would be best served to keep much of this data private, like the archeology data, in
order to preserve natural resources. In addition, much more is known about natural resources in
the larger natural resource parks. A GPS survey of the natural resource fragments would greatly
improve any natural resource GIS.
C. Management of Resources
1. Wildland Fire
As previously mentioned in the prescribed fire management section (Table 5), the
existing fire regimes in Jefferson County are unlikely to experience catastrophic fire events at
regulars intervals. Couple this with the expansion of suburban development and the decrease of
natural forest and grassland ecosystems gives Metro Parks and Recreation an equation for
infrequent but potentially extremely costly fire events as wildfires could consume nearby homes,
businesses, and farms. To mitigate against this likelihood, Metro Parks and Recreation must
consider two different management approaches: suppression and prescribed burning.
a. Suppression
Metro Parks and Recreation currently uses suppression as its main policy in the event of a
wildfire. Local fire departments handle extinguishing wild fires within Metro Parks and
Recreation. Suppression is the safest method to produce loss of life and property from wildland
fires. Therefore, in most cases, suppression of existing wildland fires is the best course of action
for Metro Parks and Recreation.
b. Prescribed burning
Prescribed fire should be limited to two circumstances: 1) burning to return an ecosystem
back to a functioning state and 2) burning to prevent a larger wildfire event. Ideally, prescribed
burning should only be used if the burn can satisfy both requirements. Until more staff has
advanced fire training, it is not recommended for Metro Parks and Recreation to engage in
prescribed burning of forest ecosystems within any natural resource park or fragment due to the
risk of losing control of the fire. Since prescribed burns carried out in forested ecosystems is a
new science for the eastern states, there is much more to be learned. Metro Parks and Recreation
should consult with other agencies including Mammoth Cave National Park and Bernheim Forest
44