MACED Forestry Overview

did you know?

Kentucky’s forests protect water quality, provide recreational opportunities and are one of the most biologically diverse temperate regions in the world.

47% of Kentucky is forested – 11.9 million acres

Timber is estimated to generate $3.7 billion in economic impacts in the state

89% of Kentucky’s forestland is owned by private landowners in small plots averaging 26 acres.

There are roughly 306,800 private forest landowners in KY

Only about 11% of private forest landowners have management plans, accounting for only 18% of Kentucky's forestland acreage.

This means that 270,000 private forest landowners do NOT have management plans, leaving over 9.6 million acres of Kentucky forest land without a management plan!

forestry overview

MACED’s approach

Since 1979 MACED has promoted working forests in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. We have invested millions of dollars to support value-added wood businesses, developed GIS resources to support good forestry practices and provided tools to help landowners and communities better manage forest land.

Eastern Kentucky’s forests are important individual and community assets that provide vital sources of clear air, water, recreation and wildlife habitat. MACED believes that with careful stewardship and targeted investment, Kentucky’s forests can provide a sustainable income to private forest landowners through selective timber harvests and non-timber forest products while protecting the benefits of healthy forests.

Stewardship forestry focuses on restoring and conserving productive working forests. The result is high quality timber and protection of important environmental benefits of the region’s forests. This is achieved through high quality forest management and good silvicultural practices. Stewardship forestry benefits landowners and the land because it increases the long-term viability and quality of the forest while providing a source of sustainable income to the landowner.

Program work

MACED’s current forestry initiative hinges on the notion that working forests are investments that can provide lasting financial and environmental returns. This work is shaped by three goals that form guiding principles. MACED’s forest work should:

Increase the financial return that landowners get from their timber over time.

Protect the important environmental, recreational and aesthetic benefits by engaging in good forestry practice.

Improve the overall quality of eastern Kentucky’s forests by increasing the number of acres under deliberate high quality forest management

MACED is currently developing a new approach to our forestry work that uses high quality management services and financial capital to help landowners get the most benefit from their forests. We are approaching these goals in a threefold manner: (1) the provision of high quality forestry services (2) the development of loan funds that meets the short-term cash needs of landowners without having to harvest timber today (3) the investment in TSI (Timber Stand improvement) on private lands that has the potential to significantly increase the value of standing timber.

Our Forests

Eastern Kentucky’s forests are some of the most ecologically diverse in the world. Ferns, mushrooms, migrating songbirds and a wide range of tree species all add up to create a forest ecosystem that is unique in its complex beauty and resources.

Most of eastern Kentucky is distinguished as being part of the Cumberland plateau – an area of rolling steep mountains deeply dissected by valleys and numerous streams, creeks and springs. The forests of this area are known as mixed mesophytic – referring to the wide range of tree species that grow in this middle zone. Forest communities in this region often support more than 30 canopy tree species at a single site. In all, the mixed mesophytic forest harbors 80 woody species in its canopy and understory. It is thought that this area is actually the seedbed that reseeded the whole continent after the last ice age.

Kentucky has more running water than any other state except Alaska. Our rivers, streams and springs provide important habitat for snails, mussels, darters and fresh water fish. These water bodies often adjoin forestland forming areas known as riparian forests. These areas require special appreciation and protection, as they filter pollutants and debris from our water and reduce sedimentation and erosion of our waterways. The shade provided from the riparian forest tree canopy regulates stream temperature, allowing numerous fish, mussels and salamanders to thrive in these areas.