The Division of Forestry, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, conducts a forest resource inventory of the entire state of Kentucky.

The inventory is necessary to gauge the nature and impact of our forest use.  Critical issues the inventory addresses are assessing trends in forest fragmentation; determining the affect of harvesting on total volume, grade and species composition; and quantifying the effects of pollution, insect damage and disease outbreaks.  The division employs 10 inventory foresters who are responsible for monitoring 20 percent of the state's established inventory plots each year.  The entire forest inventory cycle takes five years to complete (100 percent).  At the end of the fifth year, the Status of Kentucky's Forests Report is developed by the division and the U.S. Forest Service. 

2004 Forest Inventory Information

A fact sheet was produced that reflects the most recent (2004) forest inventory information. It includes information about total forest acres, forest type composition, forest distribution, tree volume and growth, removal and mortality. A glossary of terms is included in the report.

Click on the following link to print a copy of a fact sheet.  2004 Forest Inventory

Click on the following link to view or print the complete report.  2004 Kentucky Forest Inventory Report

The fact sheet is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file, which requires the FREE Acrobat Reader, available by visiting the Adobe Web page. Please click here to download. 

For more information contact:
Forest Inventory and Analysis
Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service
4700 Old Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: 865-862-2000 Fax: 865-862-0262
Southern FIA http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us/

For information on the division's forest inventory program and available inventory forester positions, please contact Ray Campbell, Forest Inventory and Analysis Section supervisor.