Consulting forester testimonial
In addition to supporting landowners and their land, the Appalachian Carbon Partnership (ACP) also helps consulting foresters. Since its inception, the ACP has required that landowners hire consulting foresters to execute a forest inventory as a method of quantifying the number of offsets generated. More importantly, the inventory process helps the forester provide professional and experienced forest management guidance. To date, the ACP has generated $534,818 of income for consulting foresters at a time when the wood products industry and national economy have been in recession. Sustainable forestry can be a key component of Appalachian Kentucky’s economy for the future.
Chris Will of Central Kentucky Management in Danville, has worked with several landowners who are enrolled in the ACP program. “The Appalachian Carbon Partnership has been beneficial to me and my company, especially in the midst of the tough economic situation the country is in. There are not as many timber sale activities now, but more landowners are actively seeking out advice and purchasing the services of consulting foresters through the ACP. I’ve added several motivated clients as a result of the Partnership.” Chris is enthusiastic about the long-term positive impact of the ACP: “I anticipate that these landowners will be clients for life, not just for the short-term, because they are interested in other management activities. The end product is improved forest management on the ground, in large part because of the relationships that develop between consulting foresters and landowners. Managed forests are healthy forests, which store even more carbon. That’s what really makes the ACP valuable.”
