Red River Gorge

Red River Gorge in the Daniel Boone National Forest has started to suffer damage to it's natural environment and resources due to abuse and negligance of those who visit the gorge. In order to find a solution to stop the destruction, the USDA Forest Service decided in 2004 to begin a plan using the Limits of Acceptable Change. Utilizing the LAC method, the Forest Service wants the public who visit the gorge to be the main developers of the plan to save Red River Gorge.

A series of workshops were set up to introduce the public to the LAC method and then start formulating the plan that needed to be in place. Much data was gathered including reasons why people visit the gorge and the main concerns people have about things needing to be changed in order to better protect the gorge and its natural environment. The gorge area has many caves and petroglyphs, and due to abuse, some of these have already been ruined permanently. Some of the things people wanted to see changed or improved in the process of setting the Limits of Acceptable Change include better education of preservation and individual responsibility, improving and managing trails to keep people from wandering, and assigning responsibility to those who do cause damage or misuse.