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Housing Wisconsin: Home Building Trends, Outlook

Housing Market Index (HMI) Survey, March 2025. Source: NAHB/Wells Fargo. / Graphic Credit: Brian Zweifel, Wisconsin DNR

By Brian Zweifel, DNR Forest Products Specialist, Dodgeville
Brian.Zweifel@wisconsin.gov

Variability and uncertainty seem like key words to describe many things right now, but the words apply especially to current housing markets.

The home construction and remodeling industry is a key driver of forest products markets and can be an important indicator of future demand. Softwood lumber and engineered wood products such as oriented strand board, plywood and laminated beams and joists are used in home construction. Hardwood lumber, however, is used to manufacture flooring, cabinets and other millwork items for interior applications.

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Programs Support Forestry, Forest Products Industry

United States Department of Agriculture logo.

Elle Soderberg, DNR Forest Products Specialist, Green Bay
Elle.Soderberg@wisconsin.gov

Communities across Wisconsin have significant economic growth opportunities thanks to several key funding and support programs offered by Rural Development, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These programs provide vital resources aimed at improving infrastructure, businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.

The Business & Industry Loan Guarantees program is designed to assist businesses in rural areas by offering loans that help promote economic development, job creation and improved services in communities that need it most. Through this initiative, businesses can access funding they may not have otherwise qualified for, thus enhancing their ability to expand and create new opportunities for local residents.

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A Closer Look At Red Pine In Wisconsin

Wide-angle photo of a red pine tree stand in Wisconsin.

A stand of red pine trees towers over its Wisconsin stand. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Ryan Heiderman, DNR Forest Inventory Analyst
Ryan.Heiderman@wisconsin.gov

Of Wisconsin’s almost 17 million acres of forest land, the red pine forest type currently covers approximately 815,000 acres. Of those red pine acres, 80%, or 656,000 acres, are planted.

Overall, the acres of red pine have increased substantially since the cutover period of the early 1900s (Figure 1), particularly from planted red pine. In the 1939 report summarizing Wisconsin’s first periodic forest inventory, the authors give a dire warning stating that, with the exception of jack pine, the pine forests are almost gone, having been depleted and deforested in the decades prior.

Chart showing trends of red pine forest type acres in Wisconsin

Chart showing trends of red pine forest type acres in Wisconsin. The asterisk indicates that stand origin was not designated prior to the 1983 inventory. / Graphic Credit: Ryan Heiderman, Wisconsin DNR

This early inventory indicated much of the deforested sandy pine forest had become occupied by aspen, paper birch and scrub oak. They went on to say while natural regeneration might be expected eventually, indications were that it would be slow, and planting seemed to be the only recourse if early reforestation was to be accomplished.

Reporting on the next periodic inventory in 1956, the authors highlighted that red pine acres were ‘coming back’ and white pine acres fading. They reported that much of the tree planting that had been done since the previous inventory was mostly red pine. Echoing the advice from the earlier inventory report, the authors again stated the importance of forest planting – saying reforestation could increase the acreage of productive forest land, but the planting job was a big one. At the time, they reported some 148,000 acres of the red pine forest type. They reported that over half (53%) of these red pine acres were on public lands. Today, more than 60% of red pine acres are in privately-owned forests.

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Impact Of Home Building On Wood Products Sector

Figure 1. Number of full-and part-time sawmill employment in Wisconsin, 2015-2023. Data Source: IMPLAN. / Graphic Credit: Ram Dahal, Wisconsin DNR

By Ram Dahal, DNR Forest Economist, Madison
Ram.Dahal@wisconsin.gov

Residential home construction heavily depends on wood products like lumber. When housing starts increase, the demand for softwood and hardwood lumber and engineered wood products typically rises, and vice versa.

The home building market experienced a variety of challenges in recent years due to stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, the US experienced a reduction of more than 25% in new privately owned housing starts compared to the previous quarter. Almost all regions experienced similar downfall (Figure 1).

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Eastern White Pine CLT Research Moving Along

A five-ply panel of Eastern white pine from Wisconsin being formed into cross-laminated timber in a press at Michigan Technological University. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Alex Anderson, DNR Forest Products Specialist, Tomahawk
Alexander.Anderson@wisconsin.gov

As part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Products Services mandate to explore new markets for species considered underutilized in the state, a research project was proposed to evaluate the viability of Eastern white pine (EWP) in cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels.

CLT has become increasingly popular in the U.S. during the last decade-plus, after the product was determined to be an effective alternative to traditional concrete and steel construction for multi-story construction in Europe. It is created by pressing dimension lumber (2x4s and 2x6s, typically) into large panels where each layer runs perpendicular to those above or below it, similar to plywood. This construction method allows for large structural panels to be created entirely from wood.

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Calendar of Events

Rotstop® C No Longer Available In North America

Photo of a worker manually applying fungicide, imbued with blue dye, to a freshly cut tree stump to fight the spread of fungal diseases such as Heterobasidion root disease.

A worker manually applies fungicide, imbued with blue dye, to a freshly cut tree stump to fight the spread of fungal diseases such as Heterobasidion root disease. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist, Fitchburg
Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov

The manufacturer, Lallemand Plant Care, recently decided to remove Rotstop® C fungicide from the North American market.

As a result, the product is no longer available for purchase in North America. If you already have the product and have stored it in an appropriate space, you may still use it as a preventative treatment for Heterobasidion root disease (HRD) as long as the expiration date has not arrived.

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Web-Spinning Caterpillars Not Spongy Moth

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

You may already be seeing the web nests created by eastern tent caterpillars, which hatch early in the spring and start feeding on emerging leaves as the weather warms up.

Eastern tent caterpillars can sometimes be mistaken for forest tent caterpillars or spongy moths. Check out the DNR’s comparison fact sheet, which includes pictures for identification and control options. Continue reading “Web-Spinning Caterpillars Not Spongy Moth”

Ice Storm Damage Found In Northeastern Forests

Photo of young red pine trees bent over and flattened by the weight of ice and snow. after an ice storm.

Young red pine trees bent over and flattened by the weight of ice and snow. They will not recover. / Photo Credit: Levi Koski

By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0665
and Sam Blake, DNR Forester, Crandon
Samuel.Blake@wisconsin.gov, 715-216-6396

On Saturday, March 29, and continuing throughout the day on Sunday, March 30, northeastern Wisconsin experienced freezing rain, causing ice accumulations of one-quarter to one-half inch.

The freezing rain weighed down branches of trees. Then, to add to the weight of the ice on the trees, the freezing rain changed to wet, heavy snow with accumulations of up to 7 inches. The combination of ice and wet, heavy snow caused branches to break. In some cases, entire trees broke off.

Pine plantations seemed to be hardest hit, with the tops of some trees becoming so weighed down that trees leaned over and stems snapped. Continue reading “Ice Storm Damage Found In Northeastern Forests”

Campers Reminded: Don’t Move Firewood

A stock photo of a family roasting marshmallows over a campfire.

Going camping? It’s important to remember not to move firewood. Instead, buy it within 10 miles of where you will use it. This will help to prevent the spread of invasive pests. / Photo Credit: Istockphoto.com

By Wisconsin DNR

Camping season is about to enter full swing, and campfires are a Wisconsin summer staple.

That makes this a good time for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to remind the public of the importance of protecting Wisconsin’s forests and trees by not transporting firewood long distances.

Even after a tree has died, firewood can carry pests or diseases — on its surface or inside the log —  which can attack or infect other trees. To help prevent the spread of invasive insects and diseases, always get your firewood near where you will use it.

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