An extensive acreage in Kentucky is in the Daniel Boone National Forest, and some large tracts are owned by coal and timber companies. Urbanization is minor. About 80 percent of the area is forests of mostly mixed hardwoods.
Lumber is an important product.
About 8 percent of the area is cropland. Corn, hay, and tobacco are the major crops. About 8 percent is pasture used mostly for beef cattle. Stabilizing strip-mined areas is a major concern of management. The variable snowfall averages about 50 cm.