Kyle Cunningham Named Arkansas State Forester

Kyle Cunningham (Arkansas Department of Agriculture)

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has appointed Kyle Cunningham as state forester, the head of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division.

Cunningham succeeds Joe Fox, who is retiring at the end of June.

Cunningham has held several roles at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture over the past 19 years, most recently as an associate professor of forestry. His work at UADA consisted of conducting research on all facets of the forestry industry, providing outreach to the public, developing grant programs, and developing a hardwood management education program in Arkansas.

“Kyle’s decades of experience in the forestry industry make him the ideal steward of our state’s forest health and conservation,” Sanders said in a news release. “I know he’s the right candidate to take over this position and shepherd the Forestry Division’s important role in Arkansas’ economy and natural heritage.”

Cunningham holds a bachelor’s in forestry and a master’s in forest management from Mississippi State University, and a doctorate in applied science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“I have always appreciated and respected the role and services that the department provides to the public,” Cunningham said in the release. “I look forward to working alongside Forestry Division staff, commissioners, and partners to protect the health and safety of Arkansas’s forests and promote Arkansas’s forestry industry.”