Owsley County Projects Eligible for Beautify the Bluegrass Nominations Now Open

Volunteer groups, church organizations, and civic clubs in Owsley County now have a direct path to statewide recognition: nominations opened April 2 for the 2026 Beautify the Bluegrass program, which Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky Living magazine launched jointly to spotlight community-driven cleanup and revitalization work across the commonwealth.

The program's arrival comes at a moment of real pressure for rural eastern Kentucky communities managing litter and illegal dumping with limited public works resources. Kentucky's Energy and Environment Cabinet has funded the cleanup of 2,749 illegal dump sites statewide since 2006 through its Illegal Open Dump Grant program, supported by a $1.75-per-ton fee on landfill-bound solid waste. That number reflects how costly unmanaged waste becomes for counties where volunteer labor is often the only available response. Beautify the Bluegrass channels the same energy into recognition for groups who do that work without a grant.

Governor Beshear made a direct ask in announcing this year's nominations: "We need your help. We're counting on folks like you to nominate a person or a group who have made a difference in your area."

The key to a competitive nomination is documentation, and groups should be collecting it now. Kentucky Living Editor Shannon Brock made the before-and-after standard explicit: "As community organizations and civic-minded individuals take on beautification projects, including many around Earth Day in April, we encourage them to take 'before and after' photos of their efforts. These projects are not done to get public recognition, but by spotlighting these efforts, we hope to encourage and inspire others to do the same."

To qualify, a project must have been completed between July 15, 2025, and July 20, 2026. Any individual, local organization, or civic group can nominate their own work or someone else's qualifying effort. Nominations and full program details are at KentuckyLiving.com. Finalists will be named at the Best in Kentucky Awards on August 20; a public vote on KentuckyLiving.com then determines which project receives the Governor's Award later this fall.

Over the past decade, the program has recognized river cleanups, trail improvements, public-art installations, and revitalized gathering spaces. The Owsley County Park on County Barn Road in Booneville, as the county's primary public gathering space, is the kind of site the program has repeatedly lifted up. A coordinated spring cleanup or physical improvement to that property, if completed within the eligibility window, would carry the visual contrast and community significance that has historically separated finalists from the broader nominee pool.

With Earth Day on April 22 accelerating spring momentum, any group wrapping up qualifying work this month should photograph the site before breaking ground and document each phase. That visual record, combined with the public voting component on KentuckyLiving.com, is what builds the audience engagement that carries nominees to the August 20 announcement.