Agreement Narrative: All-Lands Wildlife Forester
Primary Funder: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR)
Location: Barbourville, Kentucky (Eastern Kentucky)
Innovation: The purpose of this contract is to hire a wildlife forester to assist with forestry projects at the KY Ridge State Forest and Wildlife Management Area, the Daniel Boone National Forest, private forestlands, and other areas as assigned and agreed to by both parties. Activities will include planning and implementing active forest management projects, timber sale preparation, timber harvest administration and inspection, noncommercial habitat improvements, direct landowner outreach, facilitating education and outreach events, management plan preparation, private landowner management assistance, and Natural Resources Conservation Service program contract application assistance. The purpose of these services is to increase the pace and scale of active forest management on public and private lands to benefit ruffed grouse and other wildlife within the grouse management zone of eastern Kentucky.
Impact: Activities within this project will include preparation of bid packages for timber sales and oversight of forestry contractors; any necessary permits, clearances, forest resource plans, or coordination required by federal, state, and local government for project completion; access for inspection of proposed projects on public lands, subject to applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and plans for the affected area.
Partners and Chapter Contributions: We will collaborate closely with KDFWR and other partners in Kentucky on implementation. Contracts will be awarded to local and regional logging contractors and service work contractors.
KDFWR funds will be leveraged with funded grants and agreements from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the USDA Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Program, and the Daniel Boone National Forest to staff our Forest Wildlife Specialist in Kentucky.
A specific logo is not needed to recognize funders or partners.
Deliverables:
- Hired Forest Wildlife Specialist for All-Lands in Kentucky in November 2022 to lead our conservation delivery efforts across ownerships on-the-ground in Kentucky.
Kentucky Ridge State Forest
- Surveyed forest stands to identify high-priority areas for habitat creation through noncommercial and commercial forest management.
- Advertised a contract for 68 acres of noncommercial forest management: 38 acres of non-native invasive plant control, and 30 acres of midstory removal. These treatments will take place in late 2023 and are the first step in woodland habitat creation.
- Began inventory and layout of a 46-acre timber harvest, which will create high-quality woodland habitat for game species and songbirds.
Daniel Boone National Forest
- Completed 144 acres of noncommercial forest management: 70 acres of shortleaf pine thinning, and 74 acres of midstory removal. These treatments improve forest health and set the stage for future habitat creation.
Shortleaf pine thinning.
- Completed 179 acres of commercial forest management to create young and open forest habitat, with an additional 128 acres upcoming as part of the same “Peter’s Branch #1” timber sale.
Commercial woodland thinning: unthinned on the left, thinned on the right.
Woodland thinning unit, with reclaimed log landing in the foreground.
- Advertised the “Peter’s Branch #2” timber sale, including 277 acres of commercial forest management for young and open forest habitat.
Private Lands
- Distributed a direct mailing to 607 private landowners, providing information on the services provided by the KY Forest Wildlife Specialist.
- Conducted two in-person outreach events reaching a total of roughly 40 landowners.
- Completed forest management plans for two private landowners, on properties totaling 162 acres. These plans offer detailed suggestions for forest management actions to improve long-term forest health and habitat diversity, and they pave the way for cost-share opportunities with USDA NRCS and other conservation agencies.
- Progress ongoing on forest management plans for four additional landowners, on properties totaling roughly 850 acres.
Project Management and Partner Coordination
- KY Forest Wildlife Specialist onboarded and integrated into partner agency workflows.
- Regular inspections performed, and reports filed, for all habitat management activities.
