Rural Forestry

About the Program

The goal of the Rural Forestry Program is the protection, management, and sustainability of forests, woodlands, and agroforestry resources (windbreaks and riparian forest buffers) in the rural landscapes of Kansas. There are about 4.6 million acres of trees; 2.5 million acres of forest land and an additional 2.1 million acres of trees outside forest land. These forests are 93% privately-owned, therefore the Rural Forestry program focuses services and education towards private landowners and the natural resource agencies and organizations that support the management of private lands.

The Rural Forestry Program encourages farmers, ranchers, and other landowners to actively manage and protect the forests, woodlands, and agroforestry resources on their property for wildlife, recreational, aesthetic, water quality, soil conservation, and forest product benefits. The Rural Forestry Program is guided by the Kansas Forest Action Plan which identifies natural resource issues, opportunities, strategies, and priority areas to accomplish program goals.

• Partners and Funding

  The USDA Forest Service’s “State, Private, and Tribal Forestry” program provides most of the program funding through the Forest Stewardship Program. Forest Stewardship Management Plans are long-term, comprehensive plans that KFS foresters prepare for private landowners as one of the services offered through the Forest Stewardship Program.

  The Natural Resource Conservation Service is another important program partner that funds the preparation and implementation of forestry and agroforestry practice plans through KFS foresters. These practice plans guide the implementation of hundreds of tree plantings, forest stand improvement, and windbreak renovation projects each year.

  The Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Conservation provides funding to support work focused on improving the water quality and quantity of Kansas surface waters and reservoirs, especially through streambank stabilization and riparian forest buffer projects.

  Kansas Forest Service also partners with many other federal, state, local, and non-profit organizations where we have shared missions to serve the people and resources of Kansas.

Services We Provide

• Site visits to collect information and provide recommendations on forest and windbreak management, forest and windbreak health, and tree planting
• Recommendations about tree planting, timber stand improvement, timber harvest, and protection of forest resources
• Development of Forest Stewardship Plans or forest management plans
• Forest Stand Improvement marking
• Assistance with implementation of tree plantings, including access to tree-planting equipment
• Inspection and recertification for Tree Farms in the American Tree Farm System
• Information on forests and forestry, including forest management, tree planting, how to sell timber, windbreak management, and forest health
• Education related to marketing timber, such as sample timber sale contracts, bid solicitation forms, and a list of timber buyers
• Offer technical assistance on forestry-related projects
• Access to financial assistance for forestry projects

Services We Cannot Provide

• Site visits for non-forest or agroforest land, generally less than 10 acres
• Diagnosis or site visits for individual sick tree calls (K-State Extension)
• Services which may directly compete with private businesses providing forestry or tree services
• Provide legal or expert testimony, including participation in civil cases, including right-of-way clearance, land condemnation, or timber trespass
• Regulate or enforce actions on other agencies or organizations
• Representation of landowners during the negotiation and execution of timber sale contracts, marking of trees for harvest, or providing volume estimations
• Marking and administering timber sales (Kansas Timber Buyers)
• Tree appraisals, tax advice and valuations (Consulting Foresters)

 

To contact your Rural District Forester, click your home county on the map below!

There are seven Kansas Forest Service district foresters who provide one-on-one services in large multi-county districts (10 to 23 counties per district) in a variety of programs in addition to Rural Forestry. For this reason, foresters must always prioritize requests, and it sometimes takes several weeks to visit a property. However, most landowners find the services provided worth the wait.

Statewide Forestry Staff

Ryan Armbrust	Rural Forestry Program Coordinator
Andy Klein	Water Quality Forester