Daniel Boone National Forest

Daniel Boone National Forest is the only national forest completely within the boundary of Kentucky. Established in 1937, it was originally named the Cumberland National Forest, after the core region called the Cumberland Purchase Unit. About 2100000acre are contained within its current proclamation boundary, of which 706000acre are owned and managed by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (as of April 2006), up from around 620000acre in the early to mid-1990s.The forest was named after Daniel Boone, a frontiersman and explorer in the late 18th century who contributed greatly to the exploration and settlement of Kentucky.HistoryIn 1937, a national forest was established containing 1338214acre within its proclamation boundary. As of June 1937, the Forest Service had purchased only 336692acre. Most early purchases were large, isolated tracts owned by lumber and coal companies with but few inhabitants. The Forest Service has since had difficulty acquiring more land within the proclamation boundary, the bulk of which was, and still remains, small owner-operated farms.Due in part to World War II, funds for land acquisition were curtailed in the early 1940s. Substantial acquisition efforts could not resume until the mid-1960s. The lengthy cessation of land acquisitions, except for period during the forest's renaming, caused a highly fragmented ownership pattern.Naming the forest entailed considerable debate. The name 'Daniel Boone National Forest' was advocated by various groups, and was favored by most local leaders in Kentucky, before the area's formal designation as the Cumberland National Forest soon after its inception. Protests began immediately after the national forest was named.