Mammoth Cave Park Seeks to Buy 551 Acres, Expanding Southern Boundary for Conservation

This legislation, officially named the Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2025, is straightforward: it gives the Secretary of the Interior the green light to acquire about 551.14 acres of land or land rights to expand Mammoth Cave National Park. This specific acreage, located in Edmonson and Barren Counties, Kentucky, is precisely mapped out in a document dated May 2025 (Map 135177,967). Essentially, the bill updates the park's legal boundary by amending the original 1942 Act that established the park.

More Park, More Protection

What does adding 551 acres to a national park actually mean for the average person? Think of it as securing the perimeter. Mammoth Cave is a massive natural resource, and this expansion helps ensure that the land immediately surrounding the park is managed for conservation rather than development. For those who visit the park, this could translate into new trails, better watershed protection, and an overall more robust natural environment. It’s an investment in the long-term health of one of the country’s most important cave systems, which is good news for conservationists and anyone who appreciates outdoor spaces.

The Real Estate Question: Who Sells?

The bill specifies that the Secretary has the authority to "buy" this land. This implies voluntary sales, where the government negotiates with current landowners to purchase the property. However, whenever the government buys land for public use, there's always a question about the process. While the bill doesn't explicitly mention eminent domain, the fact that a specific 551.14-acre block is targeted means that the current private owners in that area are the ones directly affected. If you own property within this proposed boundary, you could soon receive an offer from the federal government. For local governments, this also means that once the land is acquired by the National Park Service, it comes off the local tax rolls, which is a detail that always matters to county budgets.

The Bottom Line

This bill is primarily a land management and conservation measure. It’s about making the park bigger and better protected, which is a clear public benefit. The main impact will be felt by the handful of landowners within the proposed 551-acre expansion zone and the local counties that may see a slight shift in their tax base. For everyone else—the hikers, the cavers, and the tourists—it simply means a more secure and potentially larger Mammoth Cave National Park down the road.