

F-236059 



Figure 8. — Many of Ken- 

 tucky's abandoned fields 

 will ei'entually revert to 

 forest cover. 



-- «^ 



More than 3,000 persons are employed, part time 

 at least, in Kentucky sawmills. The furniture indus- 

 try employed more than 6,000 persons in 1947. And 

 the Avhisky barrel mantifacturers emplo)ed about 

 2,500. 



Transportation 



Kenttick\ noAv has a modern high^vay system, even 

 though man) of the roads are steep and winding. 

 Although the State has more than 3,600 miles of 

 modern railway lines, it has a higher proportion 

 (66 percent) of communities without rail facilities 

 than any other State in the Union. Only 5 States 

 shipped more total tonnage in 1947 than Kentucky; 

 90 percent of Kentticky's freight shipment was coal. 

 Three main north-south rail lines cross Kentucky, 

 but none of the main east-west lines pass through 

 the State. 



Except in the mountainous eastern part of Ken- 

 tucky, the road and railroad systems are generally 

 adequate to transport forest products — in dry 

 weather at least. Because of the rough topography 

 and high cost of construction in eastern Kentucky, 

 access-road building has lagged there. Ho-ivever, be- 

 cause of the increased demand for coal during the 

 past decade, motor truck roads have been con- 

 structed to connect small coal mines, formerly called 

 "wagon" mines (fig. 9), with the valley rail lines. 

 These roads, for the most part, have been available 

 for transporting logs and other forest products. 



Eight streams provide more than 3.000 miles of 

 navigable water. Most of Kentuckv's larger indus- 

 trial plants are located on or adjacent to these 

 rivers, and many products, including lumber and 

 ether ■wood prodticts, are shipped h\ river barge. 



Electric Power 



Ri\er development in recent years by the Ten- 

 nessee Valley Authority and the Corps of Engineers 

 has brought electricitv to most communities and 

 many farms in Kentucky and has made electric 

 power a\"ailable for industry, including small ^\-ood- 

 ■\vorking plants. 



The success of these hydroelectric developments 

 depends greatly upon the forests on the upstream 

 watersheds. Good forest cover helps prevent soil 

 erosion, thereby reducing sedimentation in the res- 

 ervoirs. The forests also increase the water-storing 

 capacity of the -ivatershed and regulate the flow of 

 ^vater in the streams. 



Multiple Land Use 



One of the big problems of the State is to obtain 

 the most effective tise of its 24 million acres of 

 agricultural and forest land. To do this requires 

 muhiple use of much of the land. Forests can pro- 

 tect watersheds, shelter wildlife, and provide recrea- 

 tion facilities as Avell as produce forest products. 

 H()wc\er, because much forest land of Kentuckv is 

 in suKill tiads and so intermingled witli agricul- 



Forest Resource Report Xo. 7, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



