By
Jeff Stringer
The loss of forestry technical expertise in the private and public
sector continues in Kentucky. This is due to a number of factors the most
important is the overall economy and softness of the timber markets.
Potential Budget Cuts to the Kentucky Division of Forestry
The state budget situation is at the heart of potential cuts to
the Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF). For several years KDF has been
struggling with diminishing budgets and there is also the real possibility of
further cuts to KDF. Secretary Peter’s recently indicated further budgetary
reductions to the KDF that ultimately will result in a loss of personnel. This
is due to overall reductions in state agency budgets. Regardless, there is
little doubt that the reduction will result in the loss of services to
landowners in Kentucky according to a number of interested citizens and
organizations, most notably the Kentucky Woodland Owners Association. The KDF
provides a wide range of services including tree seedlings, wildfire
suppression, woodland management planning for landowners, logging inspections
and forest inventory analysis. The KDF also provides education and awareness
for woodland owners and urban forest owners. It is an important cog necessary
for determining forest industry economic data and forest inventory information
that is used by the feds and everyone in Kentucky that deals with woodland
issues including the University of Kentucky.
In recognition of the importance of the KDF representatives of the Kentucky Woodland
Owners Association and others met recently with the Kentucky Energy and
Environment Cabinet leadership to express their concern and support for the KDF
and the vital role they play in caring for Kentucky’s woodlands which cover 49%
of the state.
Loss of Consulting Foresters
Besides the loss of potential forestry capacity in the Kentucky
Division of Forestry Kentucky has been faced with the loss of two consulting
foresters in the last month. Pat Cleary owner of Highlands Forestry, Inc. was
one the preeminent forestry consultants in Kentucky and the stalwart for
eastern Kentucky landowners. Pat has provided services for a large number of
landowners in eastern Kentucky for the last 20 years and was an active member
of the Kentucky Association of Consulting Foresters and the Society of American
Foresters. As of August Pat is state forest manager with the Indiana Division
of Forestry. The loss of Pat was a result of the extremely poor timber market
in eastern and southeast Kentucky. The most recent loss is Jim Funk and his
company Forest Synergy, LLC., (www.forestsynergy.com)
located in central Kentucky. Jim was long-time staff with the Kentucky Division
of Forestry and has stayed active in forestry providing consulting services
primarily in central and northern Kentucky. While he handled many forestry
tasks he focused on providing landowners assistance with eastern redcedar.
Two out of 19 Kentucky Association of Consulting Foresters is a
ten percent reduction in consulting forester capacity and in conjunction with
the potential loss of KDF positions only exacerbates the problems faced by
landowners in Kentucky that are needing their assistance.
