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Forest Health Specialists Plan Public Talks

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

Photo showing Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health specialists (from left) Bill McNee, Paul Cigan and Linda Williams discuss a tree during the Cambridge Tree Tour in July 2025.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health specialists (from left) Bill McNee, Paul Cigan and Linda Williams discuss a tree during the Cambridge Tree Tour in July 2025. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Two Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health specialists will give presentations that are open to the public in the coming weeks:

  • Thursday, Aug. 7: Alex Hornung, Wisconsin DNR Forest Health specialist for central Wisconsin, will discuss the DNR’s Forestry program at Farm Technology Days. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. at Clinton Farms, E8351 State Hwy 22, Bear Creek (Waupaca County). Admission is $15 per adult.
  • Friday, Sept. 5: Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health specialist for northwest Wisconsin, will give a presentation on “Fungal Pathogens of the Wisconsin Forest” as part of the Wisconsin Mycological Society’s “Northwoods Foray” in Cable (Bayfield County). Cigan’s talk will run from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Northwoods Foray will run from Sept. 4-7. Those interested in attending can visit the event’s webpage to obtain more information and sign up for a fee.

Woodland Owners Group And MFL Keep Forests Growing

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

Nancy Bozek (far right), executive director of the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association (WWOA), joins the Women of WWOA group for a photo after a guided tour of the International Crane Foundation outside of Baraboo.

Nancy Bozek (far right), executive director of the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association (WWOA), joins the Women of WWOA group for a photo after a guided tour of the International Crane Foundation outside of Baraboo. / Photo Credit: Contributed by Nancy Bozek

There are plenty of trees in Wisconsin forests that haven’t been around as long as the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association (WWOA).

In many cases, the 46-year-old WWOA has facilitated the information sharing, networking and hard work necessary to keep as many of those trees as possible, along with the older ones, of course, green and growing.

WWOA’s mission statement is one of those simple ideas that needs a lot of effort to become reality: “(T)o conserve and enhance the private woodlands of the state through the following actions:

  • Sustainably manage our woodlands with informed management plans that utilize best silviculture practices.
  • Assist private landowners in achieving their management goals by connecting them with natural resource professionals and fellow woodland owners.
  • Educate the public on the value of woodlands for economic, environmental, recreational and wildlife habitat purposes.”

Continue reading “Woodland Owners Group And MFL Keep Forests Growing” →

2025 Internal Audit Finds Sound Forestry And Room for Improvement

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By Wisconsin DNR

Photo of a snowy trek through the woods at a Vilas County site of a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources internal audit site.

A snowy trek through the woods at a Vilas County audit site. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

The annual internal audit of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Managed Forest Law (MFL) Certified Group took place April 7-8 with visits to 40 certified MFL properties and completed timber harvests in north central Wisconsin – specifically, in Adams, Clark, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Taylor, Oneida and Vilas counties.

An internal audit is required every year for both Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) and American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) standards, under which the MFL Certified Group is dually certified. The audit reviews a selection of MFL properties where timber harvesting was completed within the previous three years.

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Identify Water Resources With Surface Water Data Viewer

Posted on by akabelowsky

By Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' online Surface Water Data Viewer layers panel.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ online Surface Water Data Viewer layers panel. / Graphic Credit: Wisconsin DNR

From recreation, to aesthetics, to ecosystem function and everything in between, there are many ways that water is an important aspect of owning and managing a property. It could be the showcase feature of a property such as lake frontage or a scenic river, or as subtle as a seasonal waterway or forested wetland.

Many landowners own woodlands because they want to enjoy the scenic beauty and protect nature and water. A first step toward achieving those goals is understanding what is present on the respective property. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has a useful tool called the Surface Water Data Viewer (SWDV) to help landowners and land managers identify water resources.

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Common HRD Treatment No Longer Available

Posted on by akabelowsky
A pine stump with a Heterobasidion root disease fruit body with old brown growth in the center and new, bright white growth along the edges.

A Heterobasidion root disease (HRD) fruit body with new white growth observed in the fall. Photo: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Newsletter reports that the fungicide Rotstop® C is no longer available in North America.

Rostop® C is commonly used to protect against Heterobasidion root disease (HRD) during conifer timber harvests. It has been discontinued in the North American market. Cellu-Treat® is now the only registered and available to prevent HRD in Wisconsin. Check out the article from DNR Forest Health for more detail.

As always, remember to report your pesticide use when applying these or any other pesticides on property in the MFL Certified Group. You can use the online reporting form or send the required information to MFLForestCertification@wisconsin.gov.

New Forest Service Publication Translates Research For Landowners

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The cover of a USDA Forest Service publication called "Managing Your Woodland: Forestry Research Translated for Landowners"

The cover of a U.S. Forest Service publication called “Managing Your Woodland: Forestry Research Translated for Landowners.” / Graphic Credit: USDA Forest Service

By Wisconsin DNR

Have you ever heard a forester talk about shelterwood or group selection and found yourself wondering what they are talking about?

Or maybe you read those terms in your forest management plan and aren’t entirely clear what they mean? If so, you might want to check out a new publication called Managing Your Woodland:
Forestry Research Translated for Landowners [PDF].

The U.S. Forest Service recently released the publication, which breaks down forest ecology, silviculture and various forest management systems for landowners and other non-forestry experts. Although the publication comes out of the Northeast United States, the tree species, forest types and forest management are not entirely different from the forests and forestry practices in Wisconsin.

Armillaria Root Disease: A Fungal Killer

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A photo showing that after bark has been removed from a declining white spruce, the white mycelial mat of Armillaria can be seen under the bark.

Bark has been removed from a declining white spruce to show the white mycelial mat of Armillaria under the bark. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR

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

Armillaria is a root-rot pathogen that usually lives quietly under the soil. But when trees experience stress, the fungus can attack and colonize the roots of the stressed tree.

Armillaria can infect many different species of trees, and trees of any age or size, but the result for the tree is usually a slow decline and eventual death. Stressors can include drought and flooding, defoliation from insects or diseases or physical damage such as when roots are severed.

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New Forest Health Specialists Take To The Woods

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

It’s time for River Mathieu and Tim Shively to put all their education and research to work.

Mathieu and Shively are the newest additions to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health team. Both started on June 30, filling Forest Health Specialist vacancies.

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Gall Causes Bull’s-eye Spots On Maple Leaves

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A photo showing that maple eyespot galls have created colorful, concentric patterns on red maple leaves.

Maple eyespot galls create colorful, concentric patterns on red maple leaves. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR

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

Colorful “bull’s-eye” spots on maple leaves are maple eyespot galls, caused by the tiny ocellate gall midge (Acericecis ocellaris).

The adult midge lays eggs on the underside of the leaves. Once the eggs have hatched, the larvae feed on the leaves. That feeding causes the leaf to develop telltale colorful, concentric circles in that area of the leaf.

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Dusky Birch Sawfly Larvae Defoliate Birch Leaves

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A closeup photo showing that while feeding on a white birch leaf, dusky birch sawfly larvae raise into an S shape when a potential predator is noticed.

While feeding on a white birch leaf, dusky birch sawfly larvae raise into an S shape when a potential predator is noticed. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR

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

Dusky birch sawfly (Croesus latitarsus) is a native sawfly that feeds on white birch and occasionally river birch and yellow birch. Larvae feed in a group at the edges of birch leaves and abandon part of the midrib before moving on to another leaf.

Defoliation is typically light, with a few dozen leaves per tree being eaten. This defoliation is only problematic on young seedlings with few leaves. There may be two generations of larvae in a year.

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