Grant County has nearly 100,000 privately owned forested acres, representing 59.6% of the total number of acres in the county.  Understanding the importance of educating landowners to best utilize and enjoy these potentially valuable assets. In recent years repeated inquiries about management of forested areas and developing woodland coupled with the presence of Master Loggers in the county, Grant County participated in the Fall Forestry Webinar Series in November and December 2017.

The 2017 Forestry Fall Webinar Series was targeted at Kentucky’s private woodland owners and designed to assist private woodland owners in the management of their woodlands. It was a partnership of the UK Department of Forestry Extension and local county extension offices with county extension agents serving as local hosts. The program was web-based using the Zoom system and offered five evenings of forestry programming. The program was broadcast from the University of Kentucky, Department of Forestry to each hosting county extension office, including Carroll County.

Participant were able to receive training in the following areas, Tree Identification; Mushrooms and More from Your Woodlands; Deer Management 101; There’s an App for that: Forest Engagement Through Citizen Science and Tree and Log Grading Introduction.

A total of twenty-four people attended the series in Grant County, with some attending multiple topics. One local Master Logger attended all five sessions. Those in attendance reported owning over approximately 850 woodland acres in the county. A post-test was administered to determine knowledge gained in the program. By attending the session on Identifying Kentucky Trees, participants reported an increase in confidence in how to identify trees. Participants reported they felt they knew better how to grow mushroom species as an additional source of revenue from their woodlots.  Participants indicated that they understood and would apply characteristics of high value trees and logs. All participants indicated that they will use information to produce quality timber through woodland management. 

Furthermore, when asked how they could use the knowledge gained in the future, participants stated sharing the knowledge with others, using it in logging situations, as a tool to improve water quality, and understanding more about woodlands and wildlife habitat and there woodlots would become a revenue producing area within their farming enterprise.

Finally, participants reported the desire to seek more information on growing timber, selling timber, logging, cutting your own timber, recreation, managing wildlife, hunt leasing, government programs, carbon credits, and woodland certification.

The Fall Forestry Webinar Series continues to provide quality information and resources to the woodland owners of our county.