Mine Land Reforestation at Perkins' Property

Project Date: October 2024 - August 2025

Location: Hopkins County, KY

Waterway improved: Clear Creek

Restoration methods: Soil ripping, invasive plant removal, native seedling planting

Reforesting previously mined land

In 2024, the Cumberland River Compact partnered with Google and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to reforest 30 acres of previously mined land outside Madisonville, KY. The site, once farmland and later used for coal mining, was left with compacted soil and dominated by invasive grasses and lespedeza.

The land was prepared for reforestation using cross-ripping techniques to decompact the soil and improve water infiltration. Then, 21,000 native seedlings were planted. When the new forest matures, it will provide habitat for wildlife and reduce pollution and flooding from stormwater. It also fulfills the landowner’s dream of restoring the natural beauty of his land, which has been in his family since the 1940s. A post-planting survey will be conducted to monitor success.

Project Summary

In 2024, the Cumberland River Compact began work on its second large mine land reforestation project site, a 30-acre parcel of land near Madisonville, KY known as the Perkins property. The project, scheduled for completion in August 2025, will restore a natural mixed hardwood forest to the plot of heritage land, where compacted soils from mining and invasive species have hindered natural regeneration.

The project began when the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) connected the Compact with a landowner, Deon Perkins, about restoring his family’s land to the beautiful forest his grandparents once loved and enjoyed. The land has been in his family for nearly eight decades. Looking out atop the hillside over the planted area, Deon recalled his grandmother calling it her “little piece of heaven”, and he hoped to restore it to some semblance of that former glory.

Deon Perkins standing in front of his land, prior to restoration.

The Compact partnered with Google and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to restore this land that had been previously farmed and then mined for coal. Over decades of industry, heavy equipment use compacted the soil, creating an ecologically bankrupt field dominated by grasses, lespedeza, and clover.

Due to soil compaction, very little vegetation was able to grow at the Perkins property– and much of what grew was invasive.

The Compact used the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) and was advised by the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative while devising a plan for this land. The project focused on restoring a native mixed wood forest to enhance wildlife habitats and improve water quality by reducing surface runoff, thereby limiting the flow of sediment, chemicals, and metals into nearby streams.

An aerial image of the project site after the soil decompaction.

REFORESTATION

The first step was to decompact the soil, allowing for aeration and increased capacity for water infiltration. The bare ground was then ‘cross ripped’ by using a Cat D6 bulldozer to pull two four-foot ripping shanks, fully immersed in the soil, across the landscape. The initial pass created ‘rips’ spaced 8 feet apart; the operator then made a second pass perpendicular to the first, maintaining the same 8 foot spacing.

Aerating compacted soil gives trees the opportunity to grow complex root systems, take in ample nutrients, and eventually reach their full mature height.

Following the soil decompaction the 30-acre site was planted with 21,000 seedlings, consisting of 17 native species. As part of the White Oak Initiative and Short Leaf Pine Initiative, the mix included 10,500 white oak and 1,050 short leaf pine seedlings.

The Williams Forestry President, Jim Sturges (far right), and crew after a day of planting.

FOLLOW UP AND THE FUTURE FOREST

At all mine land reforestation sites, Compact staff conduct a survivability survey approximately 6 months after planting to assess the success of the site. The Compact expects 70% of the planted seedlings to survive their first year, an industry standard when using the FRA. Volunteer trees will also be able to grow now as a result of the improved soil condition from decompaction and aeration. To date, this project has been a successful continuation of the Compact’s work to transform degraded mine lands into thriving ecosystems, ensuring cleaner water and healthier forests.

Project Sponsors

This project was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Google, and Beam Suntory Global Spirits. Other project partners include: