By Nicolle R. Spafford, DNR Urban Forestry Grants Manager; Nicolle.Spafford@wisconsin.gov or 715-896-7099
The 2025 Urban Forestry Grant application deadline was Oct. 1, 2024, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) received 67 applications, totaling over $1 million in funding requests. In total, $629,680 is available in grant funding for 2025. Continue reading “DNR Urban Forestry Grant Update”
By Abby Krause, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator; Abigail.Krause@wisconsin.gov or 608-556-5690
This summer’s detection of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Burnett County means our little metallic friend (or should I say foe?) is now known to be present statewide. While EAB has been around for the better part of two decades in Wisconsin, many homeowners are still in the thick of dealing with the fallout from this invasive pest. The management options for a handful of individual yard trees are quite different than dealing with ash in rural forests. Below is info to help with some frequently asked questions you may receive from residents, neighbors, family, friends and anyone else you may be known to as “that tree person.” Continue reading “Answering Common Emerald Ash Borer Yard Tree Questions”
The Urban Forest Improvement Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, provides grants to help organizations benchmark their urban or community forests against the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard.
These grants support the assessment of current management practices, offering valuable insights into how sustainably these forests are managed and a roadmap of opportunities for improvement. Continue reading “Sustainable Forestry Initiative Urban Forest Improvement Grant Application Now Open”
By Elton Rogers, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator; Elton.Rogers@wisconsin.gov or 414-294-8675 and Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist; Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578
Veteran trees, also known by some as heritage trees, loom large in our imagination. If you have an image of a large, gnarly oak in your head, you’re on the right track. These are the trees that, according to the International Society of Arboriculture, are of exceptional cultural, landscape or nature conservation value. They are vitally important and deserve management attention to keep them on the landscape whenever practical. Continue reading “Managing Veteran Trees In The Urban Environment”
Do you remember when you were in fourth grade? Did you receive a tree seedling to plant for Arbor Day?
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) nurseries have been giving away free seedlings to celebrate Arbor Day since 1984 – over two million seedlings across the state. Every fourth-grade student in Wisconsin is eligible to receive a free tree seedling from DNR nurseries to complement Arbor Day celebrations. Continue reading “Fourth Grade Arbor Day Orders Now Available”
Date: Feb. 16-18, 2025
Location: KI Convention Center, Green Bay, WI
*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
See below for information on the ISA Virtual Event and other upcoming trainings. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings”
During National Forest Products Week, the USDA Forest Service announced it is making nearly $34 million in funding available through its Wood Innovations, Community Wood and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance grant programs. The Forest Service is seeking proposals that support crucial links between resilient, healthy forests, strong rural economies and jobs in the forestry sector. Funding for these programs is intended to spark innovation, create new markets for wood products and renewable wood energy and expand processing capacity. You can read the full news release on the Forest Service’s website.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health team leader Becky Gray will discuss invasives during a presentation to the Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium, set for Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee. / Photo Credit: Art Kabelowsky, Wisconsin DNR
Forest Health team leader Becky Gray has planned an appearance at a public meeting of the Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium (SEWISC). She’ll give a presentation covering invasives on a statewide level.
The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Havenwoods State Forest, 6141 N. Hopkins St., Milwaukee, WI. More information is available on the SEWISC website.
White, cottony hemlock woolly adelgid egg sacs on a hemlock branch. / Photo Credit: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR
By Michael Hillstrom, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Fitchburg; Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov
Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) are invasive, aphid-like insects that cause tree mortality in North America. Neither has been found in Wisconsin so far, but they are likely to arrive at some point, as they have been confirmed in Michigan.
HWA (Adelges tsugae) is an invasive, sucking insect pest of hemlock trees. The white, cottony egg sacs of HWA can be seen on the undersides of hemlock branches at the base of needles year-round. HWA saliva enters the tree while feeding. The saliva is toxic and causes needle drop and twig dieback, progressing to tree mortality in 4-10 years.
