The General Assembly finds, determines, and declares as follows:
(1) Healthy, sustainable forests that are ecologically sound provide economic opportunities and benefit the overall quality of life for all Kentuckians;
(2) High quality forests provide clean air and water and biodiversity;
(3) A diverse forest economy must include forest product industries, recreation, and tourism;
(4) Timber harvesting operations must be conducted in an ecologically sound manner; (5) Kentucky must promote the stewardship of its public and private forest lands while
recognizing the rights and responsibilities of private landowners;
(6) Comprehensive continuous forest inventories are needed to provide information to make decisions to meet present and future needs;
(7) Increased awareness of the economic, social, and ecological importance of
Kentucky’s forests is needed to:
(a) Educate the public and industry in order to make wise decisions for the future of the forest resource; and
(b) Recognize and respond to threats to the forest resource;
(8) It is the purpose of KRS § 149.330 to KRS § 149.355 to provide private landowners and loggers with education, technical assistance, and incentives that encourage them to manage their properties and carry out timber harvesting operations that will assure sustainable forests in the Commonwealth; and
(9) KRS § 149.330 to KRS § 149.355 shall not be construed as affecting the requirements of any other laws of the Commonwealth relating to environmental protection, including water quality or forestry.
Effective: July 15, 1998
History: Created 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 555, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1998.