V. Preparing
for challenges over the long haul
Prepare for a long
campaign – one lasting years, not months.
It took six years of opposition for the Kentucky Transpark to
exhibit many of the hazards that KarstEEP identified before the first shovel of
ground was turned. Stopping the proposed Pulaski County Landfill expansion
above the Sloans Valley Cave System took eight years, and a similar time period elapsed during the struggle over whether or not I-66 will be built across
the karst of southern Kentucky
Developers and
politicians will attempt to discredit you, then wear you out. For this reason you must recruit new talent as
you go along, to replace attrition and burnout.
Accept that you may have to take a break, every once in a while, and let
others take up the slack while you recover. Opposing developers and defending
caves is stressful work. Many
individuals hate controversy and dislike the adversary role. Some of your best
workers will tire, move away, or lose heart.
Keep in mind what Robert Kennedy, Jr. has said: “They cannot win if we
do not quit.”
Afterword
Who is KarstEEP? We
are a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation established to provide information and
environmental education about caves and karst.
Our viewpoint is that karst features, such as underground rivers, should
be protected with as much intelligence and zeal as surface rivers and
landscapes.
KarstEEP wants to work with others to strengthen the
community’s ability to effectively protect threatened cave and karst resources
and help guard against unsafe development. We will develop public education,
networking, and training resources; will advocate for better protection for
karst waters under the Clean Water Act; and we aim to provide a voice for
better karst protection ordinances. We are seeking partners and cooperative
efforts to further these goals.
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