Robinson Forest
Encyclopedia
The Robinson Forest is a research, education, and extension forest
operated by the Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky
. The forest covers 14786 acres (59.8 km²) in Breathitt
, Knott
and Perry
counties in Kentucky's Cumberland Plateau
region. The main block of Robinson Forest contains roughly 10,000 acres, while the remaining acreage is found in outlying blocks. Robinson Forest is unique in that it isn't self sustaining. No operations within Robinson Forest may be for the primary purpose of generating revenue. Since 1997, portions of revenue generated from timber extraction
on all blocks, and mining
on the outlying tracts of Robinson Forest has been donated to the Robinson Scholars Program.
purchased nearly 15000 acres (60.7 km²) of land in Perry, Knott and Breathitt counties in Kentucky. By 1914 a narrow gauge railroad was constructed, connecting the once isolated region to the sawmill
s in West Irvine and Quicksand
, thereby providing access to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
.
However, by 1922 the majority of the timber
had been extracted and E.O. Robinson decided to donate the land to the University of Kentucky. Robinson's main intention for donating the land was for the establishment of an agricultural research
facility that would eventually reforest
the land, eventually making it useful again. As a way to transfer the tract, he set up the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund in 1923. This fund not only promoted land management, but called for the general improvement of welfare and education in the residents of Eastern Kentucky
. By 1925, workers from the university moved to the forest. Work then began on removing the former structures and forest regeneration began in certain areas. The first forester, C.H. Burrage, spent several years mapping the forests boundaries and fire protection.
From 1933 to 1937, the Civilian Conservation Corps
was involved in many projects within the forest including: building bridges, fire towers, and fire breaks; installing telephone lines; establishing tree plantations; doing timber stand improvements; and improving roads. They also removed American chestnut
s that had been killed by the chestnut blight
. This logs were then used in 1939 by the National Youth Authority to build the cabins and other facilities on present-day Boardinghouse Branch. In 1947, the forest also became a wildlife restoration area. White-tailed deer
, Wild Turkey
, and Ruffed Grouse
were successfully stocked.
In 1970, the University of Kentucky's Department of Agriculture was established, creating new interest in forestry
and water quality
. Today, Robinson Forest serves as one of the largest educational forests east of the Mississippi River
.
on one of the outlying blocks. In 2003, a surface mining
project was proposed but failed with an expected revenue of $50 million. The University approved a timber harvesting research project in 2004. Despite protests, this project was established to monitor effects of harvesting practices on stream quality.
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
operated by the Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. The forest covers 14786 acres (59.8 km²) in Breathitt
Breathitt County, Kentucky
Breathitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1839.The population was 13,878 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Jackson, Kentucky. The county is named for John Breathitt who was Governor of Kentucky from 1832 to 1834...
, Knott
Knott County, Kentucky
Knott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1884. As of 2000, the population was 17,649. Its county seat is Hindman. The county is named for James Proctor Knott, Governor of Kentucky . It is a prohibition or dry county. Notable inhabitants include U.S....
and Perry
Perry County, Kentucky
Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 29,390. Its county seat is Hazard. The county is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812.- Geography :...
counties in Kentucky's Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
region. The main block of Robinson Forest contains roughly 10,000 acres, while the remaining acreage is found in outlying blocks. Robinson Forest is unique in that it isn't self sustaining. No operations within Robinson Forest may be for the primary purpose of generating revenue. Since 1997, portions of revenue generated from timber extraction
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
on all blocks, and mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
on the outlying tracts of Robinson Forest has been donated to the Robinson Scholars Program.
History
In 1908, E.O Robinson and Fredrick W. Mowbray of the Mowbray-Robinson Lumber Company based out of Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
purchased nearly 15000 acres (60.7 km²) of land in Perry, Knott and Breathitt counties in Kentucky. By 1914 a narrow gauge railroad was constructed, connecting the once isolated region to the sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s in West Irvine and Quicksand
Quicksand, Kentucky
Quicksand is an unincorporated community in Breathitt County, Kentucky, United States, located near Jackson....
, thereby providing access to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
.
However, by 1922 the majority of the timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
had been extracted and E.O. Robinson decided to donate the land to the University of Kentucky. Robinson's main intention for donating the land was for the establishment of an agricultural research
Agricultural science
Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. -Agriculture and agricultural science:The two terms are often confused...
facility that would eventually reforest
Reforestation
Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....
the land, eventually making it useful again. As a way to transfer the tract, he set up the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund in 1923. This fund not only promoted land management, but called for the general improvement of welfare and education in the residents of Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Mountain Coal Fields
The Eastern Mountain Coal Fields is part of the Central Appalachian bituminous coal field, covering all or parts of 30 Kentucky counties and adjoining areas in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. It covers an area from the Allegheny Mountains in the east across the Cumberland Plateau and...
. By 1925, workers from the university moved to the forest. Work then began on removing the former structures and forest regeneration began in certain areas. The first forester, C.H. Burrage, spent several years mapping the forests boundaries and fire protection.
From 1933 to 1937, the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
was involved in many projects within the forest including: building bridges, fire towers, and fire breaks; installing telephone lines; establishing tree plantations; doing timber stand improvements; and improving roads. They also removed American chestnut
American Chestnut
The American Chestnut is a large, deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range...
s that had been killed by the chestnut blight
Chestnut blight
The pathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica is a member of the ascomycota category, and is the main cause of chestnut blight, a devastating disease of the American chestnut tree that caused a mass extinction in the early 1900s of this once plentiful tree from its historic range in the eastern...
. This logs were then used in 1939 by the National Youth Authority to build the cabins and other facilities on present-day Boardinghouse Branch. In 1947, the forest also became a wildlife restoration area. White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
, and Ruffed Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
were successfully stocked.
In 1970, the University of Kentucky's Department of Agriculture was established, creating new interest in forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
. Today, Robinson Forest serves as one of the largest educational forests east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Recent controversies
Since the 1960s, the University of Kentucky has had plans to both mine and log portions of the forest. It is important to note that the main 10,000 acre block has been designated as lands unsuitable to mining, and as a result is protected from mining operations. In the 1990s, the university harvested about one-quarter of the forest and leased the mineral rightsMineral rights
- Mineral estate :Ownership of mineral rights is an estate in real property. Technically it is known as a mineral estate and often referred to as mineral rights...
on one of the outlying blocks. In 2003, a surface mining
Surface mining
Surface mining , is a type of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed...
project was proposed but failed with an expected revenue of $50 million. The University approved a timber harvesting research project in 2004. Despite protests, this project was established to monitor effects of harvesting practices on stream quality.
External links
- Robinson Forest Official website (Under construction)
- Robinson Forest Lookout Tower