Kentucky

We have had 9 planting projects in Kentucky.  Partners have included the Kentucky Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service.  The Daniel Boone National forest has been a popular partner, with 3 projects on 180 acres, planting 10,000 seedlings of Walnut Red Oak, and White Oak.

 Rolleigh Peterson Educational Forest - Project 254

 The Kentucky Division of Forestry used the funding to plant 8,100 hardwood seedlings of Butternut, Hickory, Red Oak, White Oak, and Pecan.  The 98 acre property is home to the largest black walnut plantation in Kentucky at approximately 50 acres.  The goal was to establish a 37 acre seed orchard allowing the division to collect the seed to be planted and raised at the divisions two nurseries.   The property is located within the Louisville Metro area, and has hosted landowner field days by the division and conservation district.

 Tygarts State Forest - Project 209

 In 2007 we approved funding of almost 20,000 seedlings of Cherry, Red Oak, White Oak, and Walnut on 51 acres in partnership with the Kentucky Division of Forestry. The property was purchased by the state in 2006; it was managed as pasture land by the previous owner. The site productivity overall is moderate making it well suited for oaks.  The planted area provides a tremendous educational opportunity, as it is used during landowner field days, master logger programs, and school field trips.  Tygarts State Forest is adjacent to Carter Caves State Resort Park and is heavily visited by park visitors for hiking, and wildlife viewing. 

Tygarts State Forest Kentucky

 Daniel Boone National Forest - Project #8

In 1993 your Hardwood Forestry Fund approved $6,800 to plant over 2,000 Red Oak and White oak seedlings with 4’ tree shelters at the rate of 25-30 trees per acre near Lucinda tower in the Redbird District.  The tree shelters protected the seedlings from Deer browse.  These trees were put in recently cut hardwoods stands to maintain and increase the oak component within the stand.  The site selected for this project was an area, that was severely damaged by fire, caused by arson.

One of the most significant federal land purchase programs after World War II was the Red Bird Purchase Unit in Kentucky. Most of the land was acquired during the late 1960s and early 1970s. These lands today are part of the Redbird Ranger District of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Congressional legislation in the 1890s authorized the creation of national forests from land in the public domain.

In 1911, the Weeks Act provided the means to purchase “forested, cut-over or denuded lands within the watersheds of navigable streams.” It was followed by the Clarke-McNary Act, which allowed the production of timber as another purpose for forest land acquisition. Purchase units were designated by Congress and the Forest Service started purchasing land.