Project Profile: Eliminate Safety Hazard at Chadwell Gap Mine

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Revegetation of Hazard Mine Lands | FY24, FY25 $62,000

Fern Lake as seen from the Pinnacle Overlook in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

Scott Teodorski

The National Park Service will install a new wildlife-friendly steel gate at Chadwell Gap Mine in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to eliminate a public safety and wildlife hazard. The new wildlife-friendly structure will provide protection for wildlife, including federal and state-listed bat species, using the mine and will prevent visitor access.

Why? Two mine adits used by the Chadwell Gap Coal Company to access the mines when they were in operation need to be resecured to prevent public access and eliminate safety hazards. The park closed access to the mines in 1978 and 1998. Over time, erosion has made it possible for people to access the adits and has created safety hazards.

What else? The Chadwell Gap Coal Company conducted coal mining operations from at least 1922 – 1943. Today, the Chadwell Gap Coal Company property within Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District. The site is also entirely within the Cumberland Gap Recommended Wilderness. The project will be sensitive to cultural and wilderness considerations in its development and implementation.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes critical investments in the resilience and restoration of America’s lands, skies, and waters, and enhances conservation and recreation opportunities. Visitors will see tangible results such as repaired and upgraded trails and campgrounds, removal of invasive species, as well as healthy wetlands, grasslands, and forests.