By Brian Cole, DNR Forest Products Specialist, Green Bay
Brian.Cole@wisconsin.gov
Coming from Maine, I found this hard to believe. Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) has been the “money tree” in Maine since colonial times, when the king’s broad arrow marked pine trees to be used as ship masts. White pine was once “king” here in Wisconsin, too. I do not see why it cannot be king again.
Scott Lyon operates the optimized headsaw during a wood industry course at Northcentral Technical College in Antigo. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Brian Zweifel, DNR Forest Products Specialist, Dodgeville;
Brian.Zweifel@Wisconsin.gov
In case you missed the news, Wisconsin is now home to a one-of-a-kind training facility that offers courses utilizing a newly completed state-of-the-art sawmill.
The Northcentral Technical College (NTC)-Wood Technology Center of Excellence in Antigo designed and offered an exciting course aimed at reaching the future workforce of our industry. Technology Education teachers from high schools around Wisconsin received a two-day immersion into the world of sawmilling, kiln drying, and much more.
Continue reading “Tech Ed Teachers Attend Wood Industry Course At New Training Sawmill”
Various panels of cross-laminated timber awaits a return trip to Madison, Wisconsin, for testing at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Ram Dahal, DNR Forest Economist, Madison;
Ram.Dahal@wisconsin.gov
A recent study conducted by Michigan State University and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources highlights Wisconsin’s strong potentiality to locate mass timber industry in the state, leveraging its abundant forest resources, existing forest products infrastructure and growing market demand.
Continue reading “Wisconsin’s Mass Timber Future: Building Strength From Forest To Facility”
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources soon will launch a survey of secondary wood manufacturers.
By Wisconsin DNR
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry and University of Wisconsin-Madison Wood Products Extension will conduct a survey involving Wisconsin’s secondary wood products manufacturers. This survey will be used to update the Wisconsin Wood Users Industry Directory. The directory, last updated in 2018, is currently available, and we plan to have the updated version online as part of the forestry products section of the DNR website.
Continue reading “Survey Coming For Secondary Wood Manufacturers”
By Wisconsin DNR
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Products team is pleased to share an upcoming symposium focused on the latest advancements in wood design and construction. This event, scheduled for Sept. 23 at the Milwaukee Art Museum, is tailored for architects, engineers, designers, developers, general contractors and all professionals with an interest in innovative wood applications.
Continue reading “Symposium On Wood-based Construction Scheduled”
Save the Dates!
National Forest Products Week is scheduled for Oct. 19-25, 2025.
The annual event celebrates people and products in the forest products industry in Wisconsin and nationwide.
Tours, Discussions And Hands-On Events.
Visit the website for the schedule and additional information
Oak wilt leaf symptoms on a red oak leaf often show browning on the outer portions of the leaf while the base of the leaf will still have some normal green color. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
Oak wilt symptoms are active right now, but so are several other oak issues that may be mistaken for oak wilt.
Issues including Tubakia leaf spot, mite damage and leaf scorch are all causing problems in northern Wisconsin and may be mistaken for oak wilt.
Witches’ broom on serviceberry. The leaves of this infected shrub are dying because of prolific spore production on their undersides. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Tim Shively, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Eau Claire
Tim.Shively@wisconsin.gov or 608-772-6974
Witches’ broom is a term that describes a disease of many different plants. It’s a distinctive, abnormal growth typically caused by a pathogen — though in some cases it can result from insect feeding.
The namesake symptom appears as abnormally dense clusters of stunted shoots, branches, and foliage that strongly resemble a witch’s broom from storybooks and folklore. In Wisconsin, this is not often a critical forest health concern that merits management action, but Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health staff recently observed widespread incidence of two particular witches’ broom diseases.
Dieback discovered on red cedar branches in Beloit (Rock County) in August 2025. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By River Mathieu, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Fitchburg
River.Mathieu@wisconsin.gov or 608-772-2758
In August, random branch dieback was observed by a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forester on red cedars in a 10-acre stand near Beloit in Rock County.
At first, the pattern of dieback was perplexing. Based on a photograph, the damage was first presumed to be caused by a fungal disease. Once a site visit was conducted, it was determined that the branch dieback was caused by cicada oviposition (egg-laying) damage from last year’s emergence of periodical cicadas.
Continue reading “Periodical Cicada Damage Still Visible In Some Areas”
Jack pine branch tips killed by the jack pine tip beetle. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
Jack pine tip beetle (Conopthorus banksianae) is a tiny bark beetle that bores into the twig tips of pines. Damage from jack pine tip beetle was observed this summer on jack pine in Vilas County. In some areas, each tree showed 2-10 dead branch tips in its crown.
Continue reading “Jack Pine Showing Dead, Brown Branch Tips”
