Kentucky has a rich array of natural resources, including productive forests and abundant wildlife

With forested land in each of the 120 counties and forest industries in 110 counties, kentuckians in both rural and urban areas derive benefits from forest and wildlife resources. Hardwood forests cover 50% of kentucky and 473,000 individuals own 88% of the 12.4 million forested acres in the state. Forests stimulate the kentucky economy through employment and production by over $13 billion annually (not including additional benefits from wildlife resources) and there are over 28,000 jobs in kentucky's forest sector. However, kentucky's forests and wildlife face growing risks and there are opportunities to grow these resources through engaging a range of different audiences. This project aims to enhance the economic, social, and environmental benefits that forests, and wildlife resources provide to the citizens of kentucky, reducing the discrepancy between potential benefits and what is currently realized from these resources. Through this project, we will work to increase awareness of critical forest and wildlife health and management issues. We will also provide educational opportunities, materials, tools, and solutions for forest owners, contractors, foresters, wildlife biologists, natural resource professionals and elected officials allowing them to make knowledgeable decisions. The programs involved in this project are strategically coordinated to build capacity within all critical groups involved in forestry and wildlife issues, ensuring behavioral changes that improve these resources in kentucky. This project is designed to strategically provide programming and resources for family forest owners and associated forest contractors, professionals, and decision makers. To do this, we will use a range of information delivery programs including in-person presentations, conferences, field days, web shows, podcasts, youtube channels, websites, publications, e-newsletters, and social media. In-person presentations and webcasts will be provided to individuals as well as groups through county cooperative extension service offices on forest and wildlife topics. Over 100 programs will be conducted annually. Most family forest owners use professional contractors to provide services and foresters (agency, industry, and consulting) to provide technical assistance. This project supports education and training of these professional contractors (example: kentucky master logger program) and technical service providers through professional forestry workshops, agency, and organization training programs (including trainings for various associations and state and federal agencies) and other programs that provide professional continuing education units. Education and training programs for entrepreneurs and businesses will also be incorporated into this project including programs targeting kentucky's diverse forest industries. Major presentations and conferences will incorporate pre- and post-program testing, surveys, and/or participant feedback opportunities to determine knowledge change, gauge impacts, and provide information used to evaluate and adjust program delivery. Where appropriate, a mix of survey, state, and regulatory data will be collected and analyzed to determine knowledge and behavioral change, implementation rates, and dollars saved or earned. Tracking of website visits, social media engagement and downloads will be maintained to assess online impacts. This information will also be used to assess the distribution of resources to individual programs across the project and allow for adjustments in…