Did your community experience damage from the storms that went through the state recently? You may find these resources handy. The links below could also be posted on municipal websites to direct homeowners to more information.
Credit: Joseph O’Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Green Bay Packers and DNR staff plant a ceremonial Sterling Linden tree in Titletown to help offset the Green Bay Packer’s carbon footprint produced by traveling to away games. Trees naturally sequester carbon dioxide, providing a long-term solution to the problem because trees sequester more and more carbon as they grow larger. This marks the 9th year of the Packer’s First Downs for Trees (FDFT) Program which has planted 5,144 trees to date throughout Brown County.
DNR Secretary Cole, DNR staff and former Packers Johnnie Gray and Gerry Ellis planting a tree.
On the north side of Milwaukee is a park with a name more evocative of a medieval forest than one of the most densely populated parts of modern Wisconsin. Yet its history is as rich, its canopy as green and its deer as plentiful as any royal hunting ground. Havenwoods State Forest is Wisconsin’s only urban state forest and thus plays a critical role in connecting urban populations to nature. Continue reading “The continuous transformation of Havenwoods State Forest”
In 1872, J. Sterling Morton recognized the power of and need for trees. Morton helped set aside a special day for planting trees. After the success of the first Arbor Day that year, it became a legal holiday and now is celebrated across the world.
There is a lot to celebrate when it comes to trees, they shade us and reduce cooling costs, they help clean our air and water, they create a safe and inviting community, and they beautify our cities, streets and neighborhoods. Continue reading “People from across the state celebrate trees”
By Bill McNee, forest health specialist, Oshkosh, Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0942
The North Central Integrated Pest Management Center has released the third edition of its widely distributed guide, “Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer.” This updated document addresses frequently asked questions and shares new information about insecticide options that are not covered in the guide’s previous edition from 2014. To review the most current recommendations and study results regarding insecticide use for EAB, download the report here.
By Bill McNee, DNR forest health specialist, Oshkosh, bill.mcnee@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0942
Spring is the best time to evaluate valuable ash trees and determine if they should be treated to protect them from emerald ash borer (EAB). Emerald ash borer is currently the most damaging threat to trees in the state, killing more than 99 percent of the ash trees it infests.
Insecticide treatments to prevent EAB infestation are usually applied between mid-April and mid-May, so it is important to start planning now. The first thing homeowners should do is check their ash trees for signs of infestation. Woodpecker damage is easy to see this time of year and is often the earliest visible sign of EAB. Photos of other signs and symptoms can be found on the DNR EAB website.
Signs of EAB infestation include woodpecker damage where the birds pick away ash tree bark to feed on larvae.
Emerald ash borer has become so widespread that homeowners should consider treating valuable ash trees no matter where they are in Wisconsin. The highest risk of EAB infestation is within 15 miles of a known infestation, but it is widely believed that there are additional, undetected EAB infestations throughout the state. To see a map of known EAB infestations, visit the Wisconsin EAB website.
While the best time to treat ash trees is before they are infested, treatments of infested trees can still be successful if done while EAB populations within the tree are low or moderate. Some ash trees may be too heavily infested to save or they may have other problems that make them poor candidates for treatment.
Trunk injection treatment to protect against EAB. Credit: Matthew Karst.
You should consider several factors when deciding whether to treat your ash trees. Insecticide treatments can be costly, but the investment may be worthwhile if you consider the many benefits that healthy yard trees provide, including higher property values, better air quality, shading and cooling for homes and more. Removing and replacing your ash trees is another option and may be the best choice for heavily infested and lower value trees. For trees that you decide are worth saving, however, the cost to treat may still be less than removing and replacing them with other species. This factsheet from UW-Extension can help you decide whether a tree is worth treating.
If you decide to treat, or if you want to discuss treatment options with a professional, call a certified arborist or search online and in phone books for other businesses. Check the credentials and insecticide applicator certification of any business before hiring them to treat your ash trees.
Treatments are not economically practical for ash found in woodlots. Any questions about woodlot management should be directed to a professional forester.
Despite the cold winter temperatures in late January and early February, don’t postpone treatment of ash trees. Weather data and collection of overwintering EAB larvae at two sites in Waukesha County predict high insect survival rates in most of the state. Female beetles can lay up to 200 eggs, so EAB populations will quickly rebound from any mortality that occurred due to cold weather.
More information about EAB and management options can be found through the Wisconsin EAB website.
By Bill McNee, DNR forest health specialist, Oshkosh, bill.mcnee@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0942
Gypsy moth eggs should start hatching in a few weeks as temperatures continue to warm. Homeowners should survey their trees for egg masses and either treat or remove the eggs now to help protect trees from defoliation and reduce future caterpillar populations.
Property owners should start by looking for the egg masses. They can be found on nearly any outdoor surface, including tree trunks, undersides of branches, buildings, firewood piles and other outdoor objects. They are tan-colored lumps about the size of a nickel or quarter. Each egg mass can contain 500 to 1,000 eggs that will soon hatch into hungry caterpillars. While statewide gypsy moth numbers are currently low, isolated trees and locations may have high populations.
Gypsy moth larvae hatch from egg masses on outdoor bowl.
If egg masses are found, there are two options to help reduce pest numbers. Available at many garden centers and retail stores, horticultural oils that suffocate the eggs can be directly applied to the masses. These are most effective when temperatures are above 40 degrees and a return to freezing is not imminent. Alternatively, egg masses within reach can be scraped into a can of soapy water and left to soak for a few days before being discarded in the trash.
Insecticide treatments may be appropriate for larger trees that have many egg masses. Some types of treatment are done before eggs hatch, and some are done while the caterpillars are small. Property owners looking to hire a business to treat large yard trees this spring should contact them soon. A list of certified arborists is available on the Wisconsin Arborist Association website. Additional businesses offering insecticide treatments may be found online or in a phone book. Questions about woodlot management should be directed to a professional forester.
Additional information about management options for homeowners, including sticky barrier bands and burlap collection bands, is available at the Wisconsin gypsy moth website.
From the Bur oak that holds a child’s first tree house, to under the Kentucky coffee tree where adolescent friends shared secrets , to the willow a couple plants in the backyard that grows with their family. Trees can act as the pin points of our lives. Continue reading “Arbor Day: the trees that mark our lives”
Development of Wisconsin’s 2020 Forest Action Plan is beginning now. Over the next year and a half, the Division of Forestry, along with Wisconsin’s greater forestry community, will be working collaboratively to review trends in the current state of forestry and identify future strategies that can help the forestry community refine how we collectively invest resources to address major management and landscape priorities. Engaging with all members of the forestry community is important to the success of the Forest Action Plan.
To get updates on the process and progress of the 2020 Forest Action Plan, please sign up for the Forest Action Plan GovDelivery list.
Find up-to-date information on the 2020 Forest Action Plan online here.
If you have questions about your involvement or the Forest Action Plan in general, please contact Amanda Koch at AmandaA.Koch@wisconsin.gov or at (608) 576-8146.
“I have an opportunity to be a voice in the conversation.” As a new member of the Council on Forestry, Jordan Skiff, Fond du Lac public works director and Urban Forestry Council chair, will be an advocate for urban and community forestry, sharing its challenges and proclaiming its benefits. Skiff fills the urban forestry seat vacated by Dr. R. Bruce Allison in December 2016. Continue reading “Urban forestry finds a voice on the Council on Forestry”
