The timber industry in Ohio County is of major economic importance to landowners, with about 47% of the county’s landmass (178,213 acres) still in trees, as well as, employers, with 7 wood industry facilities in the county.  Kentucky’s largest primary wood industry, Dunaway Timber, is located in the county.  These primary wood industries are supported by the 50-60 Master Loggers located in Ohio County, which must maintain a level of educational CEU’s to remain in business. Since a majority of woodlands in Kentucky are of lower grade quality, it is important to educate woodland owners about woodland management practices and encourage the use of professional foresters, such as those with the Kentucky Division of Forestry or Kentucky Association of Consulting Foresters. Efforts such as this webinar series help to bridge this gap.

     In February of 2019, the “Getting to Know Your Woodlands Webinar Series: A Primer for Beginners” was targeted at Kentucky’s private woodland owners and designed to assist private woodland owners in the management of their woodlands, as well as, those with an interest in forests and wildlife. The series were a partnership of UK Forestry Extension and other nearby universities Forestry Departments, in the Southern Region, that was hosted by county extension offices with county extension agents/staff serving as local hosts. The program was web-based using the Blackboard Collaborate and ZOOM webinar systems and offered five evenings of educational programming broadcast to each hosting county extension office.

     A variety of topics were addressed with the multiple webinars, such as, where to get assistance from, getting to know your woodlands, woodland threats, managing woodlands for wildlife, and general management of your woodlands.

     Evaluations of participants before and after the sessions showed the following impact:

• Participants increased their knowledge gained in a topic from an average of 2.37 to an average of 3.13, after the programs.
• 100% of participants indicated they knew who to contact with questions about their woodlands, as a result of the programs. Knowing who to contact is an important first step for woodland owners.
• 80% of participants plan to contact a natural resource professional, within three months of the webinars. 
• 100% of participants found the information presented easy to understand.
• 81% of participants would recommend the program to other woodland owners.

     The long-term impacts from this program will result in participants’ enhanced ability to address a variety of woodland related issues, resulting in increased revenue, increased woodland productivity, and improved woodland health. These benefits occur to the individual, Ohio County, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.