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Mass Timber Proposed in Milwaukee Building

Posted on by Kirsten Held

A Wisconsin-based real estate development firm, New Land Enterprises, plans to construct a seven-story mass timber office building on a vacant site in downtown Milwaukee. The building was designed by Korb + Associates Architects and would be the tallest of such structures in Wisconsin.

What is mass timber?
Mass timber is a category of structural framing styles typically characterized by the use of large, solid wood panels for wall, floor, and roof construction. Examples include: glued-laminated timber (glulam), nail-laminated timber (NLT), cross-laminated timber (CLT), and dowel-laminated timber (DLT).

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Offering a railroad tie manufacturing workshop

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Are you considering sawing railroad ties but don’t know where to start? Do you wish to gain a better understanding of log selection and manufacturing as it relates to tie grades and markets? The Wisconsin DNR, in partnership with the Wisconsin Wood Marketing Team, will host a one-day workshop on railroad tie manufacturing on September 18, 2018.

This course will cover the basics of tie grades, defect limitations, log selection and overall feasibility of sawing ties. The workshop will conclude with a hands-on grading exercise and discussion.

Head sawyers, lumber inspectors, mill owners, managers, salespeople, loggers, foresters and others interested in railroad tie manufacturing are encouraged to attend this informative seminar to be held at Northcentral Technical College, Wood Technology Center for Excellence in Antigo, Wisconsin.

Registration will be taken online (see the online registration portal here) or by mail (see the mail-in registration form here).  The registration fee of $20 includes lunch.

Contact Collin Buntrock (608-286-9083, Collin.Buntrock@Wisconsin.gov) for more information.

Collecting tree seeds in Wisconsin

Posted on by Kirsten Held

By Jeremiah Auer, Wisconsin DNR forest regeneration specialist, (715) 459-1999, Jeremiah.Auer@wisconsin.gov

The Wisconsin state nurseries have been producing seedlings since 1911. In that time, there have been many changes in personnel, growing techniques and distribution methods. However, something that has remained constant is the source of those seedlings: Wisconsin seeds.

The vast majority of seedlings produced at the Wisconsin state nurseries originate from seed collected from native trees. From the tiny, pepper-like seed of aspen to the large, husky black walnut, the DNR reforestation staff at the nurseries collects, cleans and stores hundreds of pounds of more than 30 varieties of native tree and shrub seed every year.

While we are able to satisfy some of our needs, we rely on members of the public to collect for us as well. For those interested in becoming seed collectors, we publish a newsletter every fall. Information on seed collection and the 2018 Seed Collector’s Newsletter can be found on the DNR website.

Our staff is always available to answer questions about seed collection or any other reforestation topic.

So, if you are looking for a fun activity for yourself or your family this fall, why not spend some time helping the Wisconsin reforestation team fill our seed coffers.

Plan now for spring planting

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Proper tree planting requires a lot of decision making. One of those decisions is which species and which age is the most appropriate and cost effective to plant. The Division of Forestry’s reforestation program would like to take some of the unknowns out of that process by giving landowners and property managers an early peek at what the Wisconsin state nurseries anticipate having available this fall.

This list is preliminary, as it is possible that some species will be added or subtracted depending on health, growth, and several other factors as the growing season begins to wane. However, most of these trees and shrubs listed will be available to purchase on the first Monday of October (October 1, 2018).  Here is our seedling sales page. 

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Oak in the Driftless Workshop

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Saturday, September 29, 2018  •  UW-Baraboo/Sauk County

This landowner workshop will cover a wide range of topics centered on the idea that oaks, today and in the future, are a shared resource important to people and wildlife in the Driftless Area in southwestern Wisconsin.

Learn from field experts about the many topics around oak during the morning session and continue discussions at lunch (provided); see some of these practices in action during the afternoon session when you to visit one of several woodland properties actively managing oak.

Topics include
• Oak ecology
• Improving wildlife habitat
• Planting trees
• Controlling invasive species
• Properly harvesting trees
• Understanding what your trees are worth
• and much more!

Cost is just $25 (Individual), $40 (Couple)
Hurry! These early-bird rates end August 19th.
Register online now.

Woodland owners annual meeting

Posted on by Kirsten Held

The 39th annual meeting of the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association will be September 20-23, 2018 at the Potawatomi Carter Casino and Hotel in Wabeno, Wisconsin.

Join WWOA in northeast Wisconsin and experience all the fun tours and interesting presenters that the Phoenix Falls Chapter members have created for all to enjoy!

Come for a tour or stay for the whole weekend – there a variety of registration options. 

  • Learn a wealth of information from speakers, members, and exhibitors
  • Participate in a variety of exciting and interesting field tours
  • Get ideas to improve your woodland
  • Meet people and organizations who can be a resource for your next woodland activity
  • Broaden your knowledge of the value of sound forest management

Registration for the 2018 Annual Meeting is now available!  Visit this page for descriptions of tours and speakers.

Tree Farm Field Day on August 11

Posted on by Kirsten Held
Tree Farmers Dale and Cathy Paulson

Dale and Cathy Paulson, land stewards and 2017 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year

The Wisconsin Tree Farm Committee invites you to attend their 2018 Annual Field Day on Saturday, August 11 2018 in Bayfield County in northwest Wisconsin.

Take a 3-hour walking tour of young forest habitat, regenerating woodlands and successional forest along a trout stream as you stroll Dale and Cathy Paulson’s 131-acre tree farm. On this property the Paulsons harvest saw logs and pulpwood, protect the trout stream, keep bees, garden and create works of art in their woodworking shop. Return to the Town of Bell Community Center in Cornucopia, WI for lunch, natural resources displays and programs, and silent auction.

PLEASE REGISTER BY AUGUST 3rd.

Registration is required and covers lunch, refreshments, bus transportation to and from the Community Center in the Town of Bell, and a field tour booklet. Cost: $20/person, $30/couple. For more information and to register visit this site.

NHAL plans posted for review

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Tree planting and the timber sale plans for Wisconsin’s largest state forest – the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest – are available on the DNR website for public review. Please submit comments to Forestry Team Leader Tom Shockley (715-614-4443) by July 16, 2018.

Established in 1925 to protect the headwaters of the Wisconsin, Flambeau and Manitowish rivers, the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest occupies more than 232,000 acres in northern Wisconsin and has more than 900 lakes within its boundaries. The forest provides employment and economic support to rural and urban communities through the production of forest products, recreation and tourism.

Property Manager Craig Dalton (715-356-5211 ext. 258) reports these 2017 forest management accomplishments as highlighted in the notes from the annual property management meeting:

  • Approximately 4000 acres of timber sales represented in 35 sales were offered for sale in FY16-17.
  • Roughly 64,000 cords of pulpwood and 1.128 million board feet of saw logs were harvested off the property last year.
  • Regular timber sale receipts totaled $3,654,455.93.
  • A significant wind event in 2017 resulted in major salvage harvests totaling an additional $163,868.09 in stumpage revenue.

Your comments on the proposed new work plans are welcomed by July 16th.

Silviculture Handbook Users: Complete survey by June 22

Posted on by Kirsten Held

By Carmen Hardin, Applied Forestry Bureau Director

We are inviting all users of the WDNR’s Silviculture Handbook  to complete a survey to gather input on how they use the handbook and suggestions for improvement in structure, format and information.

Please complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VQGTJZQ by June 22, 2018.

This survey request is driven by several factors. The primary need is that the Department of Natural Resources, working with the Silviculture Guidance Team, recognizes the need to take a holistic review of the structure and format of the handbook in an effort to address concerns raised in the Wisconsin Forest Practices Study and by other key users, and to improve overall communication of important silviculture concepts. A goal of this review is to evaluate the organization and presentation to improve the utility and function for handbook users.

This survey request also ties into continued efforts to gain efficiencies to meet the 20,000 hour reduction in investment in forest tax law program administration. The Division of Forestry’s Tax Law Section is looking to move key eligibility and enforcement requirements into the Tax Law Handbook and rely more on the Silviculture Handbook as a resource, similar to the Best Management Practices for Water Quality Field Manual, the Biomass Harvesting Guidelines and guidelines related to forest health issues.

The survey has 23 questions and should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please share this survey request with others that you think may be interested in completing it.

If you have questions regarding the survey, please contact Katy Thostenson at 608-535-7049 or kathryn.thostenson@wisconsin.gov.

Draft forest management guidelines update

Posted on by Kirsten Held

A draft update of Wisconsin’s Forest Management Guidelines is available for public comment.  See a description of the proposed changes and an updated draft of the publication here.  Submit your comments to Rob Anderson by June 6, 2018. This revision focuses on updating outdated information and adding relevant new information. Future updates of the publication will be made on a chapter-by-chapter basis to reflect recommendations from the Wisconsin Forest Practices Study.