LEXINGTON, Ky. – Owning woodland can be a point of pride in Kentucky. It can also raise many questions: Who do you call if invasive plants are moving in? How do you improve habitat for wildlife? What steps make sense if you want to cut timber someday or if you want to leave the land in good shape for your family?

A University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment effort coined Every Acre Counts is working to make those first steps easier, connecting people to the groups that are already providing services to woodland owners across the state.

Developed by the UK Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) and the Kentucky Division of Forestry, the program will help coordinate and support current statewide efforts to engage woodland owners through partnerships with external organizations. This program will focus on new woodland owners and those without a forest management plan, with the goal of facilitating active management on more Kentucky acres.

“Groups across Kentucky are doing strong work with woodland owners, but a lot of it is scattered,” said Logan Baker, project coordinator for Every Acre Counts and FNR Extension associate at Martin-Gatton CAFE. “Every Acre Counts is pulling together the pieces: Who’s doing what, where people can plug in and how woodland owners who haven’t been reached yet can find a starting point.”

Baker said the program is connecting a statewide network of partner organizations that already work with woodland owners. Those groups offer guidance, workshops, technical help or connections to other services, but they do not always operate in one easy-to-find place.

“Every Acre Counts KY is built on the idea that meaningful forest stewardship starts with relationships, both between woodland owners and the organizations that can help those property owners,” said Jacob Muller, program project leader and FNR assistant professor. “By bringing together trusted local organizations, agencies, and community partners, we can connect more Kentucky woodland owners with the tools, knowledge and opportunities they need to actively manage and sustain their forests for future generations.”

Baker is meeting with partner organizations across the Commonwealth to learn more about their current work.

“From these conversations, I am creating short partner profiles that explain each group’s role and how it connects with woodland owners,” Baker said. “I’m also putting together an asset map and a resource list. All of that material will be posted on the Every Acre Counts website, which will be a central place where partners – and eventually woodland owners seeking help – can find information more easily.”

The idea is not to replace the work those groups are already doing. Instead, the goal is to help them work more collaboratively so landowners have a clearer path to the help they need.

Management plans

For many landowners, that help may begin with a forest management plan. A management plan can assist a woodland owner as they think through goals for the land, whether that means improving wildlife habitat, caring for timber, protecting water quality or simply keeping the woods healthy for the next generation.

Baker said Every Acre Counts is paying special attention to landowners who do not yet have management plans and to others who have been difficult to reach through earlier outreach efforts.

The project is also piloting this approach in parts of Appalachian Kentucky while the partner network and website are being built. Baker said that could lead to local events, such as meetings through Extension offices, where partner organizations can connect directly with woodland owners.

Muller and Baker said the team hopes to hold a partner summit on UK’s campus in early summer. The meeting would give organizations a chance to sit down together, talk through their goals and look for practical ways to work more closely.

“Every acre that becomes healthier, more resilient, and more productive strengthens not only our forests, but also the communities and economies that depend on them,” Muller said.

Learn more about the program at https://eac-ky.mgcafe.uky.edu/.