Urban Forestry News

2023 Urban Forestry Council Award Winners

Posted on by patricialindquist

By: Kirsten Biefeld, Urban Forestry Outreach Specialist

The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council recently announced their annual awards honoring those dedicated to protecting, preserving and increasing the number of trees that line city streets, fill community parks and beautify neighborhoods throughout the state.

The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council advises the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on managing urban and community forest resources.

“Wisconsin plays a critical role in conservation, especially when it comes to trees! These awards honor individuals, organizations and communities for their hard work and dedication to trees and the benefits they provide,” said Linda Cadotte, Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council Award Committee Chair. “It’s an honor to learn more about the incredible work happening around our state that helps support healthy community forests.”

Urban Forestry Council Award Winners

The 2023 Urban Forestry Award winners. From left to right: John Wayne Farber, Leadership Award; John Gall, Lifetime Achievement Award; Cory Gritzmacher, receiving the Innovation Award on behalf of the Mequon Nature Preserve. Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR

Continue reading “2023 Urban Forestry Council Award Winners” →

More Than 1,000 Wisconsin Municipalities Now Known To Have Emerald Ash Borer

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh, bill.mcnee@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0942

In 2022, the number of municipal emerald ash borer (EAB) detections in Wisconsin crossed the 1,000 milestone. The 1,000th municipality (town, village or city) to have an EAB detection was the Town of Lincoln in Adams County on May 19. At the end of the year, EAB was known to be in 1,109 municipalities, up 23% from a year earlier.

Graph showing cumulative number of Wisconsin municipal emerald ash borer detections by year.

Cumulative number of Wisconsin municipal EAB detections by year. Graph: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR.

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First Anniversary Of Spongy Moth’s Name Change

Posted on by patricialindquist
Spongy moth caterpillar

Spongy moth caterpillar. Photo credit: Jon Yuschock, Bugwood.org

March 2, 2023, marks one year since a new common name for Lymantria dispar, spongy moth, replaced the prior name of this insect, “gypsy moth.” This change was necessary because the word “gypsy” is an ethnic slur for the Romani people and the former common name equated people with insects. This is the first name change undertaken by ESA (Entomological Society of America)’s Better Common Names Project.

The current name—derived from the common name used in France and French-speaking Canada, “spongieuse“—refers to the moth’s sponge-like egg masses. Lymantria dispar is a damaging pest. This current name is a critical move in public awareness that focuses on an important feature of the moth’s biology while moving away from an outdated term. We encourage you to review any materials you may have on your website, ordinances and other material related to forest pests to ensure they are in accordance with this name change.

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A Goodbye… For Now!

Posted on by patricialindquist
UF team photo

Most of the UF Team (missing Jeff Roe). From left to right in the back row: Patricia Lindquist, Kim Sebastian, Brian Wahl, Dan Buckler, Nicolle Spafford, Laura Buntrock. Left to right in the front row: Tracy Salisbury, Kirsten Biefeld, Olivia Witthun, Abby Krause.

Kirsten Biefeld’s last day as an Urban Forestry Outreach Specialist and Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council Liaison was Friday, Feb. 24. You may recognize her through the Urban Forestry newsletter posts and similarly related social media posts and at conferences since June 2022.

Starting Monday, Feb. 27, she will be a Plant Pest Public Information Specialist with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Here, she will help with the Spongy Moth survey and spray program, as well as helping with furthering outreach and education endeavors about Wisconsin’s forest pest populations.

Continue reading “A Goodbye… For Now!” →

Back On Track In Titletown! 2023 WDNR/WAA Annual Conference

Posted on by patricialindquist
Heather Berklund, DNR Chief State Forester, provided a welcome address

Heather Berklund, DNR Chief State Forester, provided a welcome address at the 2023 WAA/DNR Annual Conference

The 2023 Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry/Wisconsin Arborist Association (WAA) Annual Conference, “Back on Track in Titletown!” was held in Green Bay on Feb. 19-21, 2023. Conference attendees gathered to network, learn and discuss important concepts in urban forest management and practices in arboriculture.

The conference hosted approximately 890 community foresters and administrators, professional arborists, green industry professionals, nonprofit staff and students. We didn’t quite beat our record of 922 attendees, but we came very close!

DNR staff and the WAA developed a program designed to enrich arboriculture and urban forestry knowledge in the industry statewide. This year, presentations included but were not limited to: 

  • Wisconsin Trees and the Law
  • Advance Your Urban Forest by Improving Work Specifications and Contracts
  • Physical Traits of Urban Trees and Stormwater Mitigation: Let’s Explore the Linkages
  • National Models to Grow an Inclusive Workforce
  • Transplanting Large Trees Bareroot
  • Tree Water Use and Sap Flow
  • Climate Change and Drought: Approaches to Tree Selection

Continue reading “Back On Track In Titletown! 2023 WDNR/WAA Annual Conference” →

Funding Opportunities Available Through The DNR

Posted on by patricialindquist

Local units of government (LUGs) are eligible to apply for four Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program grants and two related federal programs administered by the DNR. The application deadline is May 1, 2023 for the grant programs listed below.

Knowles-Nelson Stewardship local assistance grant programs:

  • Aids for the Acquisition and Development of Local Parks (ADLP)
  • Urban Green Space (UGS) grants
  • Urban Rivers (UR) grants
  • Acquisition of Development Rights (ADR)

Federal recreation grant programs:

  • Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
  • Recreational Trails Program (RTP)

Applicants are advised that grant awards will be subject to the availability of funds and any procedural changes that may result from the forthcoming state budget and federal appropriations.

Sign Up For Oak Wilt Vector Emergence Estimate Daily Email Notification

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Kyoko Scanlon, Forest Pathologist, Fitchburg, Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov or 608-235-7532

Oak wilt is a serious disease that occurs when insects carrying oak wilt fungal spores land on a healthy oak tree’s fresh wound. To prevent oak wilt infections, it is important to avoid pruning, wounding and harvesting oaks when these insects are abundant, generally from April through July. Predicting exactly when these insects start to emerge in the spring can be difficult as their emergence is highly weather-dependent, and spring weather varies significantly from year to year.

In 2021, the Oak Wilt Vectors Emergence Thermal Model tool, a unique estimation tool, was developed as a collaborative project between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin DNR to help with these predictions. This online tool offers localized recommendations about the emergence status of the two most important insects that transmit oak wilt in Wisconsin. The interface uses a degree-day model (Jagemann et al., 2018) constructed from insect trapping data and actual weather data, which helps refine the beginning of the periods when you should avoid pruning, wounding or harvesting oaks.

A screen shot of the oak wilt vector emergence homepage where the location and date data is entered to model growing degree days.

UW Extension’s Oak Wilt Vectors Emergence Thermal Model can help predict when oak wilt vectors may be coming. Photo Credit: UW Extension

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Make Plans To Control Spongy Moth Before The Eggs Hatch

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh, Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942

Spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth) egg masses typically begin to hatch in April as temperatures warm. Each mass that hatches may produce up to 1,000 leaf-eating caterpillars.

Now is a great time to inspect your trees for egg masses and treat or remove any masses within reach. Wisconsin weather has been favorable for this pest over the last three years and populations have grown.

Photo of three spongy moth egg masses on the underside of a pine branch in Walworth County.

Three spongy moth egg masses on the underside of a pine branch in Walworth County. Photo: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR.

Continue reading “Make Plans To Control Spongy Moth Before The Eggs Hatch” →

Treat Your Valuable Ash Trees Against Emerald Ash Borer This Spring

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Bill McNee, Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh, Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942

Property owners with healthy, valuable ash trees are encouraged to treat them with insecticide this spring to protect against emerald ash borer (EAB). The pest is currently the most damaging threat to trees in Wisconsin, killing more than 99% of the ash trees it infests.

Woodpecker damage during the winter is often the first sign that an ash tree is infested. The birds remove pieces of bark while feeding on EAB larvae inside the tree. Insecticide treatment of infested ash trees is more likely to be successful if the trees have low or moderate levels of woodpecker damage.

Now is a good time to consider insecticide protection, because the treatments are typically done between mid-April and mid-May. Ash (in the genus Fraxinus) is the only type of tree that needs protection against EAB. Mountain ash and prickly ash do not need protection because the insect does not attack them.

Ash tree branch in West Allis has been damaged by woodpeckers. Sections of bark are missing, exposing the tree’s light brown wood.

This ash tree branch in West Allis has been damaged by woodpeckers feeding on EAB larvae beneath the bark.
Photo: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR.

Continue reading “Treat Your Valuable Ash Trees Against Emerald Ash Borer This Spring” →

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

Posted on by Kirsten Held

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” →