Mission
Every Acre Counts KY (EAC-KY) is a developing state-wide community of practice that utilizes partnerships with organizations who engage woodland owners, with the goal of facilitating active forest management stewardship on forested acres in Kentucky. Advancing active management among woodland owners in Kentucky could include opportunities like technical assistance, workshops, publications, resource hubs, and other knowledge-sharing or resource-oriented opportunities. This includes sharing these opportunities with woodland owners who have not previously been reached with engagement opportunities or who do not yet have a forest management plan, so that active management can take place on more wooded acres. Partners are invited to participate in fostering a community of practice around engaging woodland owners on active management topics, especially those aligning with the goals in the 2020 Kentucky Forest Action Plan and the USDA Forest Stewardship Program broadly. These partners will include federal and state agencies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and community-based groups whose insight and input will be used to create a network and resource hub accessible to all EAC-KY participants. These products will also be publicly available upon initial completion for use by other organizations who may find these resources valuable in their woodland owner engagement efforts. The end products will serve as a communal touchstone and a springboard for future active management engagement with private woodland owners in Kentucky.
Justification:
Every Acre Counts is formalization of an existing community of practice, one that already engages woodland owners throughout the Commonwealth. Formalizing a network of state-wide partner organizations will facilitate coordination and information exchange pertaining to woodland owner engagement. UK Cooperative Extension and KDF have determined that the project should be piloted in four counties (Johnson, Harlan, Perry, and Breathitt) in Eastern Appalachian Kentucky. This determination was made after evaluating regional needs, partner presence, and forest resource presence.
Project Document:
For more details on the Every Acre Counts KY project, please view our Engagement and Outreach Plan below: