On Tuesday, Pulaski County Fiscal Court approved its portion of a three-way agreement with NPS and the Mill Springs Battlefield Association (MSBA). 

Last March, President Donald Trump signed legislation designating the Mill Springs Battlefield and Museum as a national monument, the culmination of years’ worth of work on behalf of those local individuals dedicated to the preservation of the historic Civil War site in western Pulaski County.

In presenting the Mill Springs National Monument agreement, Pulaski County Judge-Executive Steve Kelley credited the efforts of Congressman Hal Rogers, Nancy-area residents, MSBA members, Fiscal Court members and “many others who have worked on this for over 15 years” to see Mill Springs added to the federal park system.

“We finally have some light at the end of the tunnel,” Kelley said, adding that county officials had met with NPS and MSBA officials Monday night.

In addition to the agreement itself, Fiscal Court also approved a general warranty donation deed transfer, appraisal waiver and resolution.

For its part, Pulaski County Fiscal Court is donating Zollicoffer Park — the only part of the historic 900-acre site that is county owned — to the federal government; the rest must be donated by MSBA. Additionally, the county agrees to continue the $100,000 it had annually allocated to support the site for three more years in order to complete the NPS transition.

During that transition window, MSBA would still provide staffing and related support as well.

“The county won’t have any liability in regard to worker’s comp or public liability,” Hatfield added. “Hopefully, it will be quicker than three years but as they [NPS] start contributing assets then your financial obligation will decrease each year according to their contribution.”

While three years may seem quite a while away, Hatfield noted that the first NPS acquisitions of Zollicoffer Park and the Mill Springs Museum should occur within the next month or so.

“There’s some time sensitivity to it,” the county attorney observed, explaining that a delay would send the project very nearly back to the drawing board. “Congressman Rogers and the National Park Service are really pushing this along to happen within the next couple of months…on behalf of our community, to get this done so it doesn’t go to the bottom of the pile again.”

Hatfield also noted that the agreement was based on the one NPS entered into with Jessamine County for the Camp Nelson site. “[There’s] no need to re-invent the wheel, so we’ve basically mirrored everything they have done,” he said.

By JANIE SLAVEN Commonwealth Journal