The Letcher County Extension Service has partnered with the East Kentucky Heritage Foundation to plan forward-looking and transformational projects for the county and region. The objective is to fully utilize the region's natural resources to boost future economic potential. Extension's role has been advisory and supportive. Our skills in trail-development have served as the backbone of the vision, enabling the group to secure trail and tourism-specific monies and to diversify offerings to tourists.

To date, the group has acquired an 800+ Acre parcel at Raven Rock with a $400,000 donation, secured an engineering service to craft a master plan based upon suggestions from the group board, secured funding to hire an economic development specialist, obtained $150,000 towards remodeling an office for the specialist, secured a $25,000 towards improvements to the Little Shepherd Trail (a touring road above town), $1.5 million for improvements to the Tanglewood Trail (a multi-use project linking town to the Pine Mountain Trail, $500,000 towards a viewing tower near US 23, a $1.5 million earmark for tiny-house construction at Fishpond Lake, and is in the process of obtaining an Abandoned Mine Lands permit to utilize a donated former mine site for a regional-scale sport shooting facility called Thunder Mountain and $4.5 million to develop the Raven Rock area with a lodge and cabins.