Kentucky Fish and Wildlife outlines 2025 conservation, stocking and land-acquisition highlights

Commissioner Rich Storm of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources summarized the agency's 2025 accomplishments, saying the department "completed stream restoration for over 13 miles of streams and over a 100 acres of wetlands."

The remarks outlined multiple operational achievements that affect anglers, hunters and recreational boaters across the Commonwealth. "We stocked 4,500,000 fish statewide that were raised in two agency hatcheries and 650,000 trout from one federal hatchery," an agency official said, while also noting habitat and infrastructure work completed during the year.

Storm told listeners the agency ran its largest-ever game warden recruit academy and built a new shooting facility at Veterans Wildlife Management Area in Scott County. He also highlighted expanded outreach, saying agency-managed social media accounts now reach about 1,000,000 followers and that the department launched regionalized accounts to provide more localized information.

The agency reported several habitat and infrastructure projects: nearly 13 miles of stream restoration, more than 100 acres of wetlands restoration, removal of an obsolete dam on the North Fork of Elkhorn Creek, assistance with removal of Green River Lock and Dam No. 5, and flood repairs and upgrades to boat ramps, courtesy docks, access roads, culverts and wildlife management areas. An agency official also said staff cleaned several miles of North Fork of Elkhorn Creek by removing tires, trash and other debris.

The department described expanded invasive-species control by aerial herbicide application using helicopters and drones and said it conducted advanced wildlife research — including deer dispersal studies, elk habitat work, turkey banding and migratory geese tracking — and deployed a record 3,044 bands on wood ducks.

Agency education and access efforts included acquiring nearly 13,000 additional acres for public access, certifying more than 11,000 hunters in hunter education, developing a Kentucky-specific hunter education booklet, and earning American Camp Association accreditation for conservation camps Curry and Web. The agency also reported recycling nearly 5,000 Christmas trees for fish habitat projects and conducting 22,000 license compliance checks.

The presentation concluded with a forward-looking statement that the department will continue "striving to fulfill our mission of serving people, conserving fish and wildlife" in 2026 and an invitation to view a video summarizing the agency's accomplishments. No formal votes or policy changes were reported during the remarks.