The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has opened 513 additional acres of public access in neighboring Pulaski County following an environmental remediation project that addressed safety concerns on affected acreage of the Rockcastle River Wildlife Management Area.
Since the WMA opened in 2017, two portions of the property, 119 acres along Acorn-Ano Road and 394 acres along Buren Turner Road, had been off-limits to public use because of safety concerns associated with orphaned gas wells.
The project included $25 million in grant funds through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to plug abandoned or “orphan” oil and gas wells across the state, plugged 18 wells on the two tracts, allowing hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts access to the entire 2,924-acre area.
Rockcastle River WMA is one of 61 areas statewide owned or co-owned by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. The previous owner managed the property for fishing and hunting.