LEXINGTON, Ky. – In 2020, the Kentucky forest sector remained steady to 2019 levels and added an estimated $13.97 billion to the state’s economy.
“Tree species diversity within our forests helps buffer the sector from unknown ecologic and economic impacts, which was really important in 2020,” said Jeff Stringer, chair of the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. “The economic impact of Kentucky forests is distributed across the state and contributes to the vitality of both urban and rural economies.”
Kentucky’s forest sector is comprised of six sub-sectors: logging, primary wood manufacturing, secondary wood manufacturing, pulp and paper, paper converters and wood residue. The majority of the wood used…