KRS 154.47-010: Legislative findings.

(1) The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky finds that the forests of

the Commonwealth provide abundant, renewal timber resources that historically

have been underdeveloped, underutilized, and poorly managed, but which have

proven to be resilient; and that, with proper planning, management, harvesting,

value-added processing and manufacturing, and marketing, these resources will

continue to grow in importance to the Commonwealth's economy.

(2) The General Assembly further finds that through proper attention and direction by

the agencies of the Commonwealth and its public educational institutions working

in partnership with secondary wood products businesses, the secondary wood

products industry as a key industrial sector of the Commonwealth's future economic

growth and health, should prosper through the generation of new and expanding

secondary wood products manufacturers by supporting improved management and

harvesting practices, by developing and implementing workers' training programs to

upgrade the skills of Kentuckians employed in the wood products processing and

manufacturing industry, by assisting the private sector to adapt existing

manufacturing systems to new or improved technologies and world class

management practices for the purposes of i ncreasing product quality and

productivity of Kentucky's wood products manufacturers and processors and

enhancing the global competitiveness of Kentucky secondary wood products

industries.