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Seedlings Still Available For Spring 2023 Planting

Winter hasn’t quite let loose its snowy grip from the Wilson State Nursery fields in Boscobel, but spring will soon be here, and the reforestation program staff are readying themselves to harvest seedlings from the cool, moist soil. It won’t take long for the frost to leave the ground.

For those who have spent parts of the winter planning to improve their properties, the Wisconsin DNR’s reforestation program has plenty of seedlings available to create and enhance wildlife habitat, stabilize the soil, block winter wind and snow and provide a future shady spot to sit. Continue reading “Seedlings Still Available For Spring 2023 Planting”

Seeking Comments on Forest Tax Law Handbook

The DNR Division of Forestry is committed to informing and involving our stakeholders in the development and review of materials that guide our programs. The following document with revisions is available for review and comment through 3/10/2023:

Forest Tax Law Handbook Chapter 221, Forest Tax Law Handbook Chapter 221, Managed Forest Law Certified Group, containing procedures required to conform with third party forest certification. Serving to inform group participants and other interested parties of how the MFL certified group works, the chapter describes how Tax Law administration accomplishes the roles and responsibilities of certified group management, including entry and deactivation of group members, records maintenance, monitoring, and reporting. Revisions to the chapter incorporate updates to Tax Law procedures and program guidance and contribute to implementing forest certification within the MFL Certified Group. Recent updates to third-party forest certification group standards are also reflected in the revisions to this chapter. To review and provide feedback on a document, go to the DNR Forestry Public Comment Page. Email your comments to the staff member listed in the “Contact Person” column. Clicking on their name will take you to the staff directory, where you’ll find their contact information.

The Forest Tax Law Handbook serves to digest the law relating to the forest tax programs and provide guidance for the administration and implementation of the Tax Law programs. The Handbook embodies statute and rule and provides greater procedural detail to ensure consistency in their application. As such, the chapters provided for your review have been updated to reflect changing regulations and operational efficiencies, as summarized above and detailed on the Stakeholder Input Page.

The MFL Certified Group is a voluntary opportunity offered to small account MFL landowners to participate in forest certification. The DNR Division of Forestry facilitates participation in the Certified Group to support our vital Wisconsin forest industries by building a credible supply of certified raw materials while further optimizing the added social and ecological benefits certified forests provide. Generally speaking forest certification requirements will exceed landowner obligations under MFL, but it can also provide access to timber markets for certified wood, and certified MFL landowners typically take great pride knowing that their stewardship of the forest holds up to rigorous third-party sustainability standards. More information can be found on the MFL Certified Group page.

Documents available for stakeholder input:
Document Title: Forest Tax Law Handbook HB2450.5
Contact Person: Skya Rose Murphy
Due Date: 3/10/2023
For detailed description of document updates see: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/forestplanning/publiccomment

USDA Forest Service Accepting Grant Applications For Wood Innovations Projects, Community Wood Energy Facilities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced it will offer $41 million through the 2023 Wood Innovations Grant and 2023 Community Wood Grant programs to spark innovation and create new markets for wood products and renewable wood energy.

These grants expand wood products use and strengthen emerging wood energy markets, supporting sustainable forest management – particularly in areas of high wildfire risk.

The application deadline for both grant programs is Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 5 p.m. local time. Applications may be submitted via email to the Forest Service Regional Wood Innovations coordinator listed in the application instructions. Continue reading “USDA Forest Service Accepting Grant Applications For Wood Innovations Projects, Community Wood Energy Facilities”

Forest Products Training/Event Calendar

Sustainable Forestry Conference
Wednesday, April 19

Keyes Peak Ski Lodge, Florence, WI
For additional information about the conference and registration details, please visit this website. 

Wisconsin Local Use Dimension Lumber Grading
Thursday, May 11

Kemp Natural Resources Station, Woodruff, WI
To register for this course, please visit this site

Wisconsin Local Use Dimension Lumber Grading
Tuesday, August 15

Kemp Natural Resources Station, Woodruff, WI
To register for this course, please visit this site

Welcome New MFL Owners

Each year on January 1, new Managed Forest Law (MFL) enrollments become active. This new year brings us more than 1,400 new MFL enrollments. Many of these are re-enrollments, but nearly one-third are for brand-new landowners to the MFL Program. The DNR is grateful to the landowners that re-enrolled, humbled by their renewed commitment to sound forestry, and extends a hearty welcome to all the newcomers. Continue reading “Welcome New MFL Owners”

MFL Mandatory Practice Reminder

What’s new in the new year? Maybe a new opportunity to manage your forest. Management practices in the Managed Forest Law program (MFL) may be “mandatory” or “non-mandatory.” Mandatory practices are the forest management practices required to meet the goals of the MFL program and practice sound forestry. It is important to everyone that these practices get completed, and that tax law gets landowners’ attention early when there’s a mandatory practice to complete.

Each year in the second or third week of January, thousands of MFL landowners receive reminder letters for mandatory practices scheduled in their MFL forest management plan for completion within the next two years. Under MFL, mandatory practices are “due” at the end of the calendar year in which they are scheduled. Here, “due” means you must have started your practice and be in touch with your Tax Law Forestry Specialist regarding your plan to complete it. Recognizing that completing the mandatory practice can be a long process, reminder letters are sent out two years before the practice is due. If the landowner has not taken AND communicated any action toward practice completion, a second reminder letter is sent one year before the practice is due. Continue reading “MFL Mandatory Practice Reminder”

External Forest Certification Audit Results

Were you one of the lucky few that got a visit from the audit team last summer? If so, thank you! By agreeing to showcase your forest management, you make the continued third-party certification of the MFL Group possible. The auditors, who visit forest management operations all over the country and globally, make the annual trip to visit Managed Forest Law (MFL) landowners here in Wisconsin and are consistently impressed by your stewardship, commitment and knowledge of your MFL property. Continue reading “External Forest Certification Audit Results”

Free Seedlings For Wisconsin Fourth-Graders

sugar maple seedlings

One-year-old sugar maple seedlings growing in Wisconsin nursery bed.

Every year since 1984, Wisconsin 4th-grade students have been eligible to receive a free tree seedling from DNR state nurseries to complement their Arbor Day observations. The application period for the “2022-23 Arbor Day Free Tree Seedlings for Wisconsin 4th Graders” is now open. School principals, 4th-grade teachers and 4th-grade homeschool parents are encouraged to visit the DNR’s tree planting webpage to order seedlings for Wisconsin 4th-grade students.

The seedlings will be shipped next spring in time for Arbor Day celebrations.  They come with a plastic bag for protection and instructions on how to plant and care for them. Planting a seedling and watching it grow can be a great learning tool for students. Find ideas for planning an Arbor Day celebration on this DNR webpage.

If you have any questions about the free seedling program for Wisconsin 4th-graders, please contact Carey Skerven at the Griffith State Nursery (Carey.Skerven@wisconsin.gov).

Wisconsin Forests – Rooted In Our Lives, Rooted In Our Economy

By Kelly Martinson, Program and Policy Coordinator, DNR Forest Products Team

Governor Tony Evers proclaimed the third week in October as Forest Products Week in Wisconsin to recognize forests’ essential role in the state’s environment and economy. This week celebrates Wisconsinites who work in the forest products industry while considering the many ways forest products can improve our lives. Forest Products Week also highlights Wisconsinites working in and caring for our state’s forest land. Continue reading “Wisconsin Forests – Rooted In Our Lives, Rooted In Our Economy”

DNR Accepting Seedling Orders For Spring 2023 Starting Oct. 3

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will accept seedling orders from Wisconsin landowners for planting trees and shrubs in spring 2023 starting Oct. 3, 2022. The high-quality seedlings are native species appropriate for planting throughout Wisconsin and grown at the F.G. Wilson State Nursery in Boscobel.

Seedlings grown by the state nurseries are used for reforestation and conservation plantings on private, public and tribal lands. These seedlings can provide future forest products and revenues, wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, living snow fences, carbon sequestration, aesthetics and shade to landowners and managers in every county. Continue reading “DNR Accepting Seedling Orders For Spring 2023 Starting Oct. 3”