Forest are key to Kentucky’s economic and environmental wellbeing. The state is 47% forested with over 12 million acres of woodlands and, collectively, the forest sector contributes over $13.5 billion annually to the state’s economy and impacts over 60,398 jobs.  However, a range of insects, diseases, invasive plants, and other issues threaten the sustainability of our forests, woodlands, and urban trees. For example, the invasive emerald ash borer alone is estimated to cost Kentucky over $95 million annually. Forest health challenges are diverse, and a wide range of players needs to be engaged to implement on-the-ground improvement in management to meet these new challenges.

To increase understanding of these issues and facilitate increased communication, I organized and spoke at the Kentucky Forest Health Conference on February 6, 2020 in Lexington, KY, working with partners including the Kentucky Division of Forestry and the Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist.  This conference attracted more than 160 people including Extension agents providing landowner support, landowners, agency officials creating policies, professionals managing lands and caring for trees, academics researching threats and potential solutions and university students exploring potential career paths.   CEUs were provided to professionals including county agents (in-service), the Society of American Foresters, Kentucky Pesticide Applicators, the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Kentucky Landscape Architecture Board. Invited speakers from around the country presented on a range of topics, from new research into management techniques to success stories with regard to forest health.   

This conference enabled participants to recognize common forest health issues, identify new invasive tree threats, and select potential management approaches. Participants attending the conference were surveyed after the event and 99% said the conference met or exceeded their expectations and 92% said they planned to attend in future years.  Based on this positive response and high attendance, we hope to continue this conference into the future as an annual event that brings people across the state together to improve the health of our woodlands.