Forest Products News

Merchandizing Urban Trees

Posted on by grace.hershberg

By Scott Lyon and Alex Anderson, WI DNR Forest Products Specialists

An urban tree is most valuable while it’s living. However, if that tree is killed or damaged, there are ways to recycle it. As the “buy-local” movement continues to gain momentum, urban wood recycling efforts have increased in Wisconsin. Historically, urban trees were utilized by only a few mills in the state. With the increased number of trees killed by invasive insects and disease, though, municipalities and arborists are seeking alternative uses for urban wood materials, and interest has grown among traditional forest products manufacturers (sawmills, bolt and pallet mills, pulp mills, etc.) to procure this ever-growing resource. 

Continue reading “Merchandizing Urban Trees” →

Carbon In Wisconsin Forests

Posted on by grace.hershberg

By Brian Anderson, WI DNR Forest Inventory Analyst and Dan Buckler, WI DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist

Wisconsin forests play a major role in accumulating carbon from the atmosphere, but not all forests sequester and store carbon in the same way over time. A new document identifies some of these differences and outlines key metrics of carbon in Wisconsin’s forests.

Continue reading “Carbon In Wisconsin Forests” →

Pandemic Assistance for Timber Haulers Closing Soon

Posted on by grace.hershberg

In July, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announced a Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program to address losses due to COVID-19. The $200 million fund was opened on July 22 and closes on October 15 of this year and is being administered by the Farm Service Agency in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service. Visit this link for more information.

Incorporating Wood Into Biophilic Design

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Part II Of The “Building with Wood” Webinar Series

Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. CT

Hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Products Services Team

Did you know that using real wood in your home or living spaces has health benefits? Join us virtually over your lunch break to learn about biophilic design and the many benefits of building with wood. Industry expert, Criswell Davis, will be speaking about why incorporating real, natural wood in our homes, hospitals and other businesses is the path to a more sustainable future.

Register for the free webinar by visiting the link here.

About the Speaker:


Criswell Davis, President of Mighty Oaks Consulting in Louisville, Kentucky, is the founding director of the Timber & Forestry Foundation, which promotes sustainable North American hardwoods to the design community and consumers across the United States. Criswell has been in the hardwood lumber business for more than 32 years and has presented to more than 7,000 architects, designers and students worldwide over 12 years.

 

This event is supported by a U.S. Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Grant. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

USDA COVID-19 Assistance For Timber Harvesters And Haulers

Posted on by Kirsten Held

On Tuesday, July 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would provide up to $200 million in relief funds for timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses that have experienced losses due to COVID-19.

Loggers and truckers can apply for assistance from July 22 through Oct. 15, 2021. To be eligible for the assistance money, timber harvesting and hauling businesses must have experienced a gross revenue loss of 10% or more between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, 2020, compared to the period of Jan. 1 to Dec. 1, 2019.

A further explanation of the available financial assistance, complete with program details and application instructions, can be found on the USDA’s website.

Wisconsin’s Forest Resource: Past, Present And Future

Posted on by Kirsten Held

By Collin Buntrock, DNR Forest Products Team Leader and Brian Anderson, DNR Forest Inventory Analyst

Forests are an essential part of Wisconsin’s past and present. Wisconsin’s forests cover over 40% of the total land area, encompassing nearly 17 million acres. Since the cutover of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Wisconsin’s forests have been expanding consistently in acreage, volume and annual growth rate. Those trends largely continue today.

The U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program has taken inventories of Wisconsin’s forests — and the nation’s forests as a whole — since the 1930s. This inventory program provides critical information on Wisconsin’s forests to inform how we manage, utilize, and conserve our forestland. The U.S. Forest Service administered this annual program in close cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Division of Forestry.

Since 1968, Wisconsin has provided funding to intensify the inventory by doubling the number of permanent plots from which data are collected. This offers more reliable data on areas smaller than on a statewide basis. It is critical in a landscape like Wisconsin, given the considerable heterogeneity and great number of important forest types.

The data collected through the FIA program can be used in a variety of ways. Uses include: decisions around forest management and planning by a wide array of ownerships; assessing the sustainability of forest management practices like harvest volumes over time; taking stock of trends in forest health such as mortality related to Emerald Ash Borer and oak wilt; and evaluating wildlife habitat conditions at landscape scales such as ruffed grouse habitat. Combined with other data sources, analyses on forest health, harvesting, and species compositional changes provide essential feedback on how we manage our forests and changes we should note. Continue reading “Wisconsin’s Forest Resource: Past, Present And Future” →

DNR co-sponsors industry listening sessions

Posted on by Kirsten Held

You are invited to participate in online public listening sessions focused on supporting, developing, and diversifying our forest products industry. The sessions are being hosted by the Wisconsin Council on Forestry in partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

You may attend one or both listening sessions being held on May 6, 2021 from 2 to 4 pm and May 11, 2021 from 6 to 8 pm.
Each session will include simultaneous breakout rooms that will offer attendees an opportunity to share their input on our forest industry. Sign up in advance to attend the sessions or provide written comments here: https://wedc.org/rural-prosperity/forest-products-industry-listening-sessions/.

These listening sessions are part of a broader effort the Council on Forestry is leading, along with partners, to develop actionable initiatives leading up to a Regional Economic Diversification Summit (REDS). Through its REDS process, the U.S. Economic Development Administration works directly with stakeholders to leverage and align federal, state, and local project implementation resources for locally-identified economic development strategies and priorities.

Forest industries play a vital role in our state’s economy and the sustainable management of our forest resources. Your voice is needed now to help support Wisconsin’s forest products industry.

For more information, contact DNR Forest Products Team Leader Collin Buntrock at (608) 286-9083.

Survey Request for Webinar Topics

Posted on by Kirsten Held

The DNR’s Forest Products Services team hosted a webinar in June 2020 that highlighted some of the positives of building with wood and explored the state of Wisconsin’s forest resources. To expand on that basic message, we are working on a series of future webinars that will address more specific themes within the broader theme of building with wood.

To best assess which topics potential attendees are most interested in learning about, we kindly ask that you fill out the survey linked below. We would very much appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback. We estimate that the few short questions found in the link below will take less than three minutes of your time. The survey will close on April 21, 2021.

Access the survey link here.

If you have any questions regarding the survey or webinars, contact Alex Anderson, DNR Forest Products Specialist, at  715-492-0571 or Sabina Dhungana, DNR Forest Products Specialist, at 608-220-4531.