Now is the time to sign up to Run for the Trees! Racers can complete their Happy Little (Virtual) 5K anywhere outdoors between April 18-26, 2026. The nine-day window includes Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 24). Continue reading “Run For The Trees”
Statewide Forest Health
Upcoming Training
* These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
See below for information on training topics and events, including shade trees, fruit trees, chainsaw certification, tree diseases and pests, pruning and public perspectives on trees. Continue reading “Upcoming Training”
Wisconsin Sees First Recovery Of EAB Parasitoid Oobius Agrili
A yellow pan trap used for trapping Oobius agrili wasps. / Photo Credit: United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
By River Mathieu, DNR Forest Health Specialist
River.Mathieu@wisconsin.gov or 608-772-2758
One small adult wasp collected by United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) staff at Riedel Redmond Nature Preserve in Mosinee (Marathon County) was recently identified as Oobius agrili.
USDA APHIS staff collected several wasp specimens in yellow pan traps and sent them to a U.S. Forest Service expert for identification. This marks the first recovery of O. agrili in Wisconsin.
Oobius agrili is an emerald ash borer (EAB) parasitoid that was first released in Wisconsin in 2011 and has been released annually since then. O. agrili parasitizes EAB eggs on the bark of ash trees, consuming the EAB larvae inside the egg. Continue reading “Wisconsin Sees First Recovery Of EAB Parasitoid Oobius Agrili”
Now Is Time To Seek Out Spongy Moth Egg Masses
Large egg masses are seen on a tree at the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit in 2021. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov
It certainly has been chilly in recent weeks, but spring is coming. When the weather warms up, the annual return of spongy moth caterpillars will begin.
The overall spongy moth population is currently low in Wisconsin. However, egg mass numbers may remain high enough to cause nuisance problems and heavy tree defoliation on individual trees or in small areas.
There’s a way for property owners to help keep the population down: Get out now to locate and properly dispose of spongy moth egg masses, which were produced by adult moths last summer. Each spongy moth egg mass contains hundreds of eggs that will hatch into hungry, leaf-eating caterpillars in the spring.
Continue reading “Now Is Time To Seek Out Spongy Moth Egg Masses”
Heterobasidion Root Disease Resources Updated
A tree shows fruiting bodies of Heterobasidion root disease at the base of its trunk. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist
Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov or 608-235-7532
In 2025, Heterobasidion root disease (HRD), a destructive fungal disease, continued to be found in Wisconsin counties where the disease had previously been detected. There were no new county finds in 2025.
Based on the findings in 2025, the maps in the HRD stump treatment guidelines and online viewer have been updated. The 6-mile and 25-mile buffer zone maps in the guidelines are updated annually and good through Dec. 31, 2026.
Continue reading “Heterobasidion Root Disease Resources Updated”
Make Plans For National Invasives Week
Workers follow the practice of pressure-washing the tires and frames of a tractor to rid the vehicle of possible invasive plants after a workday in the forest. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
The North American Invasives Species Management Association (NAISMA) has organized a series of activities to take place as part of its National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW), set for Feb. 23 through 27.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will participate by presenting a news release and daily social media posts in the days leading up to the start of NISAW’s 2026 activities.
WMA-PFGP Grant Application Deadline Extended
Volunteers at a garlic mustard-pulling event on the Montreal River in Iron County, part of a control project planned by a previous WMA-PFGP recipient. / Photo Credit: Ramona Shackleford, Northwoods Cooperative Weed Management Area
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
The deadline has been extended for eligible Weed Management Groups (WMGs) to apply for grants from the Weed Management Area-Private Forest Grant Program (WMA-PFGP).
The deadline has been pushed back to April 13, giving WMG administrators almost two additional weeks to apply for financial help as they plan to address invasive forest plants in 2026.
The WMA-PFGP helps eligible groups both by dealing directly with the invasives and by providing education, information and outreach to others. The grants are meant as reimbursements that cover up to 75 percent of eligible costs, with a 25 percent match required.
Continue reading “WMA-PFGP Grant Application Deadline Extended”
Forest Health Specialists Spread The News
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
Wisconsin DNR Forest Health specialist Bill McNee presents a hazard tree training talk to other DNR workers at Lizard Mound State Park in 2023. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Did any of your trees explode during the recent cold snap? Likely not.
Social media — and some traditional news outlets — grabbed hits and headlines by warning folks that the January cold snap could spark a phenomenon they called “exploding trees.”
But Bill McNee, an Oshkosh-based Forest Health specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), was there to prune the branches of the fast-growing viral story.
Continue reading “Forest Health Specialists Spread The News”
Upcoming Trainings
* These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
See below for information on training topics and events, including tree diseases and treatments, pest management, landscaping, career advancement, invasive species, pruning, volunteer management, new research, partnerships and developing an urban forest management plan. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings”
Forest Health Annual Report Hot Off The Presses
The cover of the 2025 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Annual Report. / Graphic Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has made its 2025 Forest Health Annual Report ready to view and download.
This year’s edition contains 55 pages of reporting on forest health issues throughout Wisconsin, detailing methods employed by the DNR and other agencies to control pests, diseases and invasive plants.
Continue reading “Forest Health Annual Report Hot Off The Presses”