The forest-land owners of Kentucky

Abstract

Ninety-two percent of the commercial forest land in Kentucky--11 million acres--is in the hands of some 455,600 private owners. Ninety-four percent of these owners are individuals. The "average" individual owner is in late middle age, has little formal education, receives a modest income, has a farm or rural background, has owned his woodland more than 10 years, and lives within 1 mile of his only wooded tract. Thirty percent of the owners, controlling 54 percent of the private woodland, have harvested timber previously. Forty-seven percent of the owners intend to harvest in the future. These owners control 71 percent of the privately held commercial forest land in Kentucky. Most owners show little interest in forestry and only a scant knowledge of sound forestry practices. In fact, only 5 percent of the Kentucky owners have ever received forestry assistance, and majority of owners do not know who to contact for such assistance. Thirty-nine percent of the owners permit public use of this land.

Citation

Birch, Thomas W.; Powell, Douglas S. 1978. The forest-land owners of Kentucky. Resour. Bull. NE-57. Broomall, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 101.