by Ben Rhodes, Kentucky Forest Wildlife Specialist
Developing a plan for your woods sounds simple, right? You consider what you would like your woods to look like and how you would like to use them. But writing a forest management plan can be deceptively complex when you begin to factor in forest types, wildlife needs, watershed health, and other considerations into your personal goals for your woods. That’s where a forester can help! Foresters have the expertise to help you develop a plan that describes the current condition of your forest, outlines goals for the future, and provides management practices to help improve the health of your forest. Improving forest health can help enhance wildlife habitat for game and nongame species, from songbirds and game birds like ruffed grouse to mammals like rabbits and deer. Enhancing your woodlands with the expertise of a forester can give you the biggest bang for your buck – or, grouse!
Financial and Technical Assistance is Available
Financial and technical assistance is available for forest landowners in Kentucky interested in managing their land to benefit wildlife. The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society are excited to connect you with our new Wildlife Forester in Kentucky who can direct you to these resources. In addition to writing a forest management plan for your property, they can help you find contractors that specialize in timber harvests or invasive species removals, or they could connect you with cost-share programs that can help pay for the cost of management.
Kentucky Landowners: Ben Rhodes, KY Wildlife Specialist, 859-487-0177, benr@ruffedgrousesociety.org
Below are several financial and technical assistance opportunities for woodland owners in Kentucky. You can help start the conversation about available resources by viewing these resources and sharing any opportunities you’re interested in with your forester as you develop a conservation plan. They can assist you in determining which resources would be applicable to your plan and help you apply.
General Landower Resources:
American Tree Farm System: American Tree Farm System (ATFS) assists small woodland owners through certification of sustainable forestry practices, assisting in the creation of management plans, monitoring for pests and invasive plants, and more as part of their State Tree Farm Program.
Estate Planning for Forest Landowners: A guide by the United States Forest Service (USFS) that outlines the importance and the process of including your woodlands in your estate planning.
Kentucky Resources:
Kentucky Forest Stewardship Program: A program available to all private landowners in Kentucky to help them develop a management plan for their property.
Kentucky Tree Farm Program: The Kentucky branch of the American Tree Farm System. Kentucky woodland owners can get connected with their State Tree Farm Program here.
Kentucky Woodland Owners Association: Kentucky Woodland Owners Association (KWOA) provides educational opportunities for woodland owners looking to further their knowledge on forest management and advocate for woodland owners on relevant policy issues.
USDA-NRCS Kentucky: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial assistance to woodland owners through Farm Bill programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP. You can view available financial assistance opportunities by following the link to your state’s NRCS website. The “Step-by-Step How to Get Assistance” video is a great place to start for anyone unfamiliar with NRCS. University of Kentucky Extension: The University of Kentucky’s Forestry Extension provides a variety of educational resources for both professionals and landowners to use. This includes From The Woods Today, a radio and webinar series that discusses a range of natural resource topics relevant to Kentucky. There are also publications on taxes, wildlife, invasive species control, tree identification, and many more topics.
