Distribution of Kentucky’s Forest Sector

Kentucky’s forests, which are mostly privately owned, provide the majority of the timber for the Kentucky forest sector which processes it into many useful products used throughout the state and around the world. The economic contribution comes from timber resources in all 120 counties.
 

There are 2,391 Kentucky Master Loggers, located in 114 counties, who work to harvest timber and deliver it to the 674 wood, paper, and paper-converting industries located in 114 counties throughout Kentucky. Figure 3 shows the Wood Industry and Master Loggers concentration of Kentucky Master Loggers (required on commercial logging operations) by county and the distribution of wood using industries across the state. Family owned woodlands grow the majority of timber harvested in Kentucky, which provides the material accounting for a significant percentage of economic contribution from the forest sector. Loggers are the connection between woodland owners and the many industries that produce forest products. One example of this link is that loggers provide all of the white oak required to make the barrels for the $9 billion bourbon industry. For these reasons the health and future workforce of the logging sector is vital to maintaining a robust forest industry in Kentucky.