FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky’s timber industry encompasses many sectors from sawmills to firewood sales – but what most people don’t know is just how big an industry it really is. Kentucky timber accounts for about $4.5 billion annually in sales, with approximately 30,000 people employed directly.

This is according to Robert J. Bauer, executive director of the Kentucky Forest Industries Assoc. (KFIA). “It’s a large industry and in general, is considered around the third largest manufacturing industry in Kentucky, and we’re also, depending on the year, usually the third or fourth hardwood producing state in the nation,” he said.

That $4.5 billion figure is based on direct sales. It does not include any support industries. If you add those in, the industry could generate as much as $8 billion. The vast majority of that business is connected to hardwoods such as ash, oak, cherry and maple trees, to name a few; generally, any tree that loses its leaves.

Another fact most people don’t realize is how widespread the timber industry is in Kentucky. At first glance, the forest in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state would seem to be the center of timber commerce – and that’s true for growing and harvesting wood. But, Bauer noted that Jefferson County, home to Kentucky’s largest city, Louisville, has the largest workforce in the secondary timber industry through businesses such as cabinet manufacturing and millwork.

Because the wood industry is such a large economic engine, there is cause for concern when it comes to threats to those trees through pests such as emerald ash borer (EAB). But Bauer noted the industry here is strong and sustainable, and the economic impact the EAB could have would vary around the state due to different populations of ash trees.

“Obviously, if you start picking up a number of ash trees on your wood lot, it’s going to add up to quite a bit of money,” Bauer said.

With virtually all wood products coming from logs on private land, it is those farmers and landowners who will face the brunt of the blow, economically. Currently the state has 20 counties affected by quarantines from the presence of the EAB, but Bauer expects that to increase as new data is presented and with the discovery of the insects in areas not under quarantine.

“The key is trying to slow the spread of that insect and keep it from killing all of our ash trees,” he said.

He also said in the worst-case scenario – a statewide quarantine on ash wood – the industry would not collapse because of processes and regulations already in place. It would be complicated, but not detrimental.

Bauer pointed out the ash tree represents maybe six or seven of the hardwoods in Kentucky. If the problem was connected with oak or poplar trees, the ramifications would be much worse.

“Between red oak, white oak or yellow poplar, that’s two-thirds of all the hardwood lumber that’s produced in this state,” he said. “The ash is a smaller percentage, so that does soften the blow to the industry.”

While EAB gets much of the attention of state timber experts, Bauer noted other pests such as the Asian Longhorn Beetle could cause much more damage if an infestation here ever occurs. 

That particular insect will feed on many different species of trees.

The timber industry is big in Kentucky and big in the United States, so keeping it safe is paramount for those in and related to the industry.

According to the USDA, “Two-thirds of U.S. forestlands, or almost 490 million acres, are classified as timberlands. 

Timberlands are defined as forestlands used for the production of commercial wood products. Commercial timberland can be used for repeated growing and harvesting of trees. Seventy percent of U.S. timberland is located in the East.”

The agency further states on its website: “Of the 490 million acres of timberland, federal, state and local governments own 131 million acres (27 percent) and non-industrial private entities own 288 million acres (59 percent).

“Private timberlands are mostly on small tracts of forestland. Only 600,000 landowners have holdings larger than 100 acres. The forest products industry owns about 70 million acres (14 percent) of commercial timberland. One-third of the nation’s annual timber harvest is from these forests.”