Month: May 2021

Urban Forestry Sustainability Standards to be Developed

Posted on by patricialindquist

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) has launched a partnership to develop a new SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard for application in North America and potentially globally. SFI will collaborate with five urban forestry leaders: American Forests, Arbor Day Foundation, the International Society of Arboriculture, the Society of Municipal Arborists, and Tree Canada.

A task group composed of leading experts will develop the new SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. The partnership and task group will explore opportunities to seek remedies for the climate crisis and other serious challenges that urban forests are ideally positioned to help address, including access to public spaces, social cohesion and more.

Continue reading “Urban Forestry Sustainability Standards to be Developed” →

Input Invited on Forest Tax Law Handbook Updates

Posted on by Kirsten Held

The DNR Division of Forestry prioritizes soliciting stakeholder input on division documents. As a division, we are committed to informing and involving our stakeholders in the development and review of materials that guide our programs. Inviting stakeholders to provide input is not only good customer service, it also creates opportunities to identify potential concerns and unforeseen impacts, understand diverse perspectives and determine the level of stakeholder support for division documents. To review and provide feedback on a document, go to the DNR Forestry Public Comment webpage here. 

DOCUMENT AVAILABLE NOW FOR STAKEHOLDER INPUT:
Document Title: Forest Tax Law Handbook HB2450.5
Contact Person: Skya Rose Murphy, skyar.murphy@wisconsin.gov or 608-843-1551
Due Date: June 4, 2021
For a detailed description of document updates, visit the webpage here.

Annual Property Implementation Plans

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Each spring, state forests develop Annual Property Implementation Plans (APIPs) and Monitoring Reports identifying the major scheduled and completed forest and habitat management treatments, recreation and infrastructure development projects and other property management actions. These plans are shared with the public online and include scheduled treatments over the next three years. All planned treatments and developments are approved and consistent with the property master plans developed with additional public input. Annual Property Implementation Plans do not include routine maintenance or minor actions including mowing, building maintenance, inventory or field surveys. Comments on APIPs can be directed to the property manager.

Emerald Ash Borer Detected In Langlade County

Posted on by eleanorvoigt

Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff. Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been identified in Langlade County. Although this is the first find of EAB in Langlade County, it was found in three separate areas of the county in the towns of Ainsworth, Parrish and Wolf River. Two of these locations were within the area hit by the derecho storms in July 2019.

This was the first new county EAB detection for 2021 and is the 59th county in Wisconsin to identify the insect. There are no regulatory changes due to these detections since EAB was federally deregulated as of January 14, 2021, and Wisconsin instituted a state-wide quarantine in 2018.

Check out the interactive Wisconsin map showing which Townships and Municipalities are known to have EAB.

Bark removed using hatchet to show EAB larval galleries underneath.

Bark removed using hatchet to show EAB larval galleries underneath.

Balsam Gall Midge Swellings On Fir Needles

Posted on by eleanorvoigt

Linda Williams, Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff. Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

If you notice swollen needles or bare branches on balsam fir trees this spring, the culprit might be balsam gall midge. Adult balsam gall midges are tiny flies that lay their eggs in the developing new shoots shortly after budbreak in the spring.

Balsam fir needles with swellings caused by balsam gall midge will turn brown and drop from the tree prematurely.

Balsam fir needles with swellings caused by balsam gall midge will turn brown and drop from the tree prematurely.

Trees with late-breaking buds are less susceptible to gall midge attacks, as the buds are still tight when adult midges are laying eggs. The young larvae feed at the base of developing needles, causing needle tissue to grow around them (forming the needle gall).

The galls are green during the spring and summer but turn yellow in early fall, and infested needles drop prematurely. In the fall, the mature larvae drop to the ground, where they overwinter in the litter. By early the following spring, most of the damaged needles have fallen off, leaving bare spots along the branches where no needles are present.

Control options using insecticide applications are geared towards Christmas trees and are generally not necessary for forest trees.