​Dr. Jim Corum of Stoney Fork received the Herman Bagganstoss Recognition Award, “… for an individual’s contributions to forestry beyond the demands of their regular employment” at the Kentucky-Tennessee Society of American Foresters winter meeting. Corum has continued five generations of woodland ownership and management in southeast Kentucky on the family property focusing on multi-resource planning of high-quality timber, protection of water quality and wildlife habitat. He has been a long-time KWOA board member.

Submitted by Karen Marshall, newsletter editor
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The UK Wildcats did not survive March Madness for their NCAA championship bid. But woodlands-related legislation passed smoothly through the 2022 Kentucky legislative session. Initially conceived by Dr. Jim Corum, KWOA Director at Large (Harlan County), House Joint Resolution 41 has been 20 years in the making. HJR 41 directs the Department of Revenue and the University of Kentucky's Department of Forestry and Natural Resources to recommend equitable property tax assessment procedures for well-managed forests. The resolution was introduced to the legislature by Representative Adam Bowling, District 87 (Bell and Harlan counties).
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 We are thrilled that Governor Beshear signed HJR 41 on April 8, 2022. Thank you to all who contacted their legislators and to the legislators who supported this measure. KWOA will do our best to keep you posted as the process continues. The goal is to support sustainably managed forestry practices and provide some tax relief to owners who steward their properties accordingly.

HJR passed both houses of the legislature and went to Governor Beshear for signature on March 31, 2022!  Thank you to all who called and all who supported this resolution through the process.