Kentucky forests have played as much a part in the state's history as did Daniel Boone and other early pioneers. The
forests were home to wild game that existed in abundance, and their timber provided materials for building homes and furniture.
There were 25 million acres of forestland in Kentucky when the settlers began establishing homesteads.
In 1912, the Kentucky Legislature formed the Kentucky Division of Forestry. The initial emphasis for the division was to
reduce the severity of wildfires in the state. Now the division's expanded mission is to protect and enhance the forest resources
of the commonwealth through a public informed of the environmental and economic importance of these resources.
Today, Kentucky has 11.9 million acres of forestland, of which 89 percent is privately owned.
The division offers many programs and services to private landowners. Visit the Programs Web page for more details.
