By Sheldon S. Shafer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it June 16, 2010

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife will take over Otter Creek Park and reopen it next year under a deal announced Wednesday by Gov. Steve Beshear and Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson.

"This is the best possible scenario for Otter Creek -- and for the people who use and love the park," said Abramson, who with Beshear signed a letter-of-intent to transfer the 2,150-acre park to the state during a press conference at Metro Hall.

Beshear said the park, which is in Meade County about 30 miles southwest of Louisville, will be operated as an "outdoor recreational area," and not as part of the financially strapped state park system. The operation won't receive any money from the state general fund, he said.

Instead, he said, it will be funded by user, hunting and fishing license fees and federal money that Fish and Wildlife gets for managing conservation areas. Details about the fees haven't been decided, officials said.

Beshear said the state saw the deal as an opportunity to let the public experience Otter Creek's "pristine beauty and incredible environment."

Abramson had been trying to unburden the city of Otter Creek's red ink for two decades, and the city closed it on Jan. 2, 2009, to save about $600,000 a year in operating costs.

The transfer of the land to the state is subject to approval of the National Park Service and the Louisville Metro Council.

Bill Huie, a manager with the National Park Service's Southeast Region office in Atlanta, said federal officials probably will support the transfer of the land to the state.

State officials eventually hope to resume all or most of the recreational activities that the city had offered at Otter Creek. They said they are considering the possibility of expanding the offerings, including adding to the 30-plus miles of existing hiking trails.

However, the future of the park's lodges and cabins -- as well as the nature center, observatory and splash park -- are uncertain. Marcheta Sparrow, secretary of the state Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, played down the possibility of renting out cabins for overnight use, saying Fish and Wildlife will not be in the hospitality business.

But "we will try to give the public as much access as we can," Sparrow said.

Officials said they have not yet worked out all the details of staffing and operating the park.

Dale Franklin, chairman of the Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Commission, said the state may contract with a private vendor to run the recreational-vehicle campsite and issue day passes for picnicking and hiking; use the conference center and other facilities for training conservation officers; and develop shooting and archery ranges at the site.

He also said there may be a variety of "outdoor classroom" educational activities.

For the first time, hunting will be allowed at Otter Creek, but probably only during the designated and specific statewide seasons. Officials said the property is rife with wild turkey, deer and squirrels, rabbits and other small game.

Officials said safety measures will be in force during any hunting periods and access to activity areas perhaps then restricted.

Patsy Bowman, who helped organize a group called Friends of Otter Creek Park after the park closed, said Wednesday that she was pleased with the plan to reopen the park, though she has "big concerns" about hunters perhaps mingling with families using the recreation facilities.

The Otter Creek property includes nearly 2,000 acres that the federal government transferred to the city after World War II and another 204 acres that the city added in at least two separate purchases between 1947 and 1958.

Covenants attached to the federal government's transfer of the land to the city in 1947 require that the property be maintained for public use and owned by a public entity.

Under the new plan, Metro Parks officials said the city will initially sign a management and lease agreement with Fish and Wildlife, probably by Aug. 1, which will require no exchange of funds.

In an attempt to fix boundaries, the state will pay for a survey of the park perimeter and also the land that the YMCA has been leasing for Camp Piomingo. After that, a deed to transfer the land to the state will be drawn up, with the federal and Metro Council approvals then required.

Metro Council member Bob Henderson, D-24th, whose council district is closest to Otter Creek, said he was "absolutely glad" the site will reopen; closing Otter Creek, he said, "was a big, big issue for my district."

The YMCA has leased about 250 acres for its Camp Piomingo at Otter Creek since 1937 and it pays the city $7,900 a year on a lease that runs through 2037. The state has agreed to honor the lease and will pick up that income, YMCA president Steve Tarver said.

Metro Parks Director Mike Heitz said that he drove around much of the park on Tuesday and found some trees had been felled by storms as well as some blocked trails.

But he said, on the whole, the park is in fair shape and "has not been trashed or vandalized." Cleaning up any damage will be the state's cost.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089.