Month: March 2025

Heterobasidion Root Disease Online Maps Updated

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo of a tree showing fruiting bodies of Heterobasidion root disease at its trunk.

A tree shows fruiting bodies of Heterobasidion root disease at its trunk. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist
Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov or 608-235-7532

Heterobasidion root disease (HRD), a destructive fungal disease, continues to be found in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed detections in several stands over recent months.

The DNR’s 6-mile and 25-mile buffer zone maps have been updated based on the locations of the newly confirmed stands. The most notable changes due to expanded buffer zones have taken place in Door, Marinette, Milwaukee and Pierce counties.

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Tune In: Forest Health Team In The Media

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo showing DNR Forest Health specialist Paul Cigan looking for various species of invasive plants during a visit to a bog at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Kemp Research Station

Paul Cigan looks for various species of invasive plants during a visit to a bog at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Kemp Research Station on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. / Photo Credit: Art Kabelowsky, Wisconsin DNR

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

Paul Cigan, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) forest health specialist for the northwest zone, recently appeared on the Ventures of the Land podcast, hosted by George Atwell, to discuss oak wilt’s past, present and future in Wisconsin.

The talk included details on how and when the invasive fungal disease arrived in the state, how it attacks oak trees and methods landowners can use to manage the disease.

Continue reading “Tune In: Forest Health Team In The Media” →

Mary Bartkowiak Retires As Forest Invasive Plant Coordinator

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo showing Mary Bartkowiak, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' recently retired Forestry Invasive Plants Coordinator, giving a presentation on invasive plants at the University of Wisconsin's Kemp Natural Resources Station in Woodruff.

Mary Bartkowiak, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Forestry Invasive Plants Coordinator, gives a presentation on invasive plants at the University of Wisconsin’s Kemp Natural Resources Station in Woodruff on June 25. / Photo Credit: Art Kabelowsky, Wisconsin DNR

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

It seems quite fitting that a natively grown expert has spent much of the last 15 years of her career fighting the expansion of invasive plant species in Wisconsin.

Mary Bartkowiak, a Wisconsin native who joined the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2010 and has served as the Forest Invasive Plants Coordinator since 2020, announced her retirement in February.

Continue reading “Mary Bartkowiak Retires As Forest Invasive Plant Coordinator” →