Success StoryUK Campus Celebrates 60th Anniversary of National Forest Products Week / “Forest Products and Stewardship Week”, National Forest Products Week



UK Campus Celebrates 60th Anniversary of National Forest Products Week / “Forest Products and Stewardship Week”, National Forest Products Week

Author: Chad Niman

Planning Unit: Forestry

Major Program: Forest Education: Health, Management, and Utilization

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

2021 marked 5 years of UK Forestry and Natural Resources Extension celebrating the importance of forest products and the forests that provide them. Forest Products are incredibly important to Kentucky, as nearly half of Kentucky is in forest and the circular economy in Kentucky renew-ably contributes nearly $14 billion annually. Reading of the Governors proclamation for forest products week, free food and drinks and  individual remote wood products programs were held highlighting and celebrating “Forest Products and Stewardship Week”, as part of the campus “Sustainability Month” (October) and “National Forest Products Week” (celebrated nationally in US since 1960). Renee Williams created a Promotional Flyer for use in the Forest Products Awareness Campaign. Forest products play such an important role in our everyday lives as well as the management of our forests through good utilization and sustainable planning. Forest Health, Forest Markets and Economic Contribution, Environmental Benefits Compared to Alternative Materials, and Carbon Storage are components of National Forest Products and Stewardship Week. National Forest Products Week is always the third week in October and has been declared by many governors and every president on both sides of the aisle since 1960, due to the enourmous importance of forest products to our nation, health and survival and ability to thrive through sustainable wood use. All people use and benefit from forest products and lower impact materials are everyday choices that Kentuckians can make to make their communities more resilient and healthy. Nearly half of Kentucky is in forest and the circular economy in Kentucky renew-ably contributes nearly $14 billion annually.