Urban Forestry News

Answering Common Emerald Ash Borer Yard Tree Questions

By Abby Krause, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator; Abigail.Krause@wisconsin.gov or 608-556-5690

This summer’s detection of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Burnett County means our little metallic friend (or should I say foe?) is now known to be present statewide. While EAB has been around for the better part of two decades in Wisconsin, many homeowners are still in the thick of dealing with the fallout from this invasive pest. The management options for a handful of individual yard trees are quite different than dealing with ash in rural forests. Below is info to help with some frequently asked questions you may receive from residents, neighbors, family, friends and anyone else you may be known to as “that tree person.” Continue reading “Answering Common Emerald Ash Borer Yard Tree Questions”

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Urban Forest Improvement Grant Application Now Open

The Urban Forest Improvement Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, provides grants to help organizations benchmark their urban or community forests against the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard.

These grants support the assessment of current management practices, offering valuable insights into how sustainably these forests are managed and a roadmap of opportunities for improvement. Continue reading “Sustainable Forestry Initiative Urban Forest Improvement Grant Application Now Open”

Managing Veteran Trees In The Urban Environment

By Elton Rogers, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator; Elton.Rogers@wisconsin.gov or 414-294-8675 and Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist; Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

Veteran trees, also known by some as heritage trees, loom large in our imagination. If you have an image of a large, gnarly oak in your head, you’re on the right track. These are the trees that, according to the International Society of Arboriculture, are of exceptional cultural, landscape or nature conservation value. They are vitally important and deserve management attention to keep them on the landscape whenever practical. Continue reading “Managing Veteran Trees In The Urban Environment”

Fourth Grade Arbor Day Orders Now Available

Do you remember when you were in fourth grade? Did you receive a tree seedling to plant for Arbor Day?

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) nurseries have been giving away free seedlings to celebrate Arbor Day since 1984 – over two million seedlings across the state. Every fourth-grade student in Wisconsin is eligible to receive a free tree seedling from DNR nurseries to complement Arbor Day celebrations. Continue reading “Fourth Grade Arbor Day Orders Now Available”

Check Conifers For Invasive Adelgids

Photo showing white, cottony hemlock woolly adelgid egg sacs on a hemlock branch.

White, cottony hemlock woolly adelgid egg sacs on a hemlock branch. / Photo Credit: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR

By Michael Hillstrom, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Fitchburg; Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) are invasive, aphid-like insects that cause tree mortality in North America. Neither has been found in Wisconsin so far, but they are likely to arrive at some point, as they have been confirmed in Michigan.

HWA (Adelges tsugae) is an invasive, sucking insect pest of hemlock trees. The white, cottony egg sacs of HWA can be seen on the undersides of hemlock branches at the base of needles year-round. HWA saliva enters the tree while feeding. The saliva is toxic and causes needle drop and twig dieback, progressing to tree mortality in 4-10 years.

Continue reading “Check Conifers For Invasive Adelgids”

Urban Forestry Council Award Nominations Due Oct. 31

Urban Forestry Council Award WinnersThe Urban Forestry Council presents annual awards to outstanding individuals, organizations, communities and tribes that further urban forestry in Wisconsin. Awards are presented in the categories of Next Gen, Project Partnerships, Lifetime Achievement, Innovations in Urban Forestry, Leadership and new this year, Species Diversity. Continue reading “Urban Forestry Council Award Nominations Due Oct. 31”

Tree City USA Updates

Tree City USA Interactive Map

Do you know how many Tree City USA communities are in Wisconsin or the longest-running Tree City USA in the state? Find this and other eye-opening information by visiting the new Arbor Day Foundation interactive Tree City USA map. Tree City USA statistics and fun facts are now available for the entire nation, as well as individual states, using this online tool.

Submit Your Tree City USA Application 

The Tree City USA program provides communities with a four-step framework to maintain and grow their tree cover. It also provides an avenue to celebrate accomplishments, showing residents, visitors and the entire country their commitment to the mission of environmental change. Continue reading “Tree City USA Updates”

Keep Watering In Fall To Protect Trees

By Lisa Johnson, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, Extension Dane County; Johnson.Lisa@danecounty.gov

‘Winter burn’ refers to a type of damage to evergreen foliage that typically occurs over winter. Common symptoms are browning and dying from the tips of the foliage inward. Several factors cause winter burn on evergreens, including winter ‘thaws’ while the ground is frozen, dry soil in autumn, a long period of very cold temperatures, winter sun on evergreen foliage or drying winter winds, poor siting of susceptible plants, recent planting/transplanting and the individual plant’s susceptibility. Frequently affected plants include yews, junipers, boxwood, arborvitae, rhododendrons, dwarf Alberta spruce and hemlock. Continue reading “Keep Watering In Fall To Protect Trees”